It’s always a bit alarming when you wake up and find yourself being hit with a link from a bigwig.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the title of the post “Shared Grief” is obviously revealed as a fallacy, since many, apparently, do not “share the grief” with the Spaniards. <\/p>\n
My heart is with Spain today. If there were people who supported terrorists in that country, perhaps their hearts will change, now that the war has been brought to their doorstep. After all, this happened for many of us in America.<\/p>\n
I will speak for myself: my complacence, my intellectual curiosity about world events (as opposed to a gut-level understanding), my feeling that it was always “over there” was given an enormous shock on a blindingly-blue-skied day 4 years ago.<\/p>\n
Many of us in America had to have a very steep learning curve.<\/p>\n
Let us give Spain that room as well, people.<\/p>\n
Or you know what? Perhaps being attacked like this WON’T change the hearts of many people – but I can’t control that – and I don’t even GIVE a shit about that right now. All I can think of is that line of body bags, with cell phones ringing off the hook. I cannot hear about such a thing and not just ACHE for those trying to call their loved ones. At a time like this, that is all that matters.<\/p>\n
You can’t understand certain things until they happen to you. Like childbirth, or the death of a parent, or a violent terrorist attack right on your soil. And I’m a New Yorker. I experienced it first-hand.<\/p>\n
Yes, I remember the photo of the gleeful ignorant Spanish girls, at an anti-war protest in Madrid, wearing suicide belts and bikinis. I was horrified at the image. <\/p>\n
But … er … because of that … because there were anti-war protests in the country … I’m not going to feel terrible because 200 innocent people were just slaughtered?<\/p>\n
Fuck off. That’s not who I am. That’s not how I live my life in this world. Fuck off.<\/p>\n
This week, my heart is with the innocent people who were cruelly murdered, on their way to work, and on their way to school. My heart is with the men and women who are now widows, the children who are now orphans.<\/p>\n
\/begin bitter sarcastic tone
\nAnd you know what?? Oh my GOD, maybe some of those people on those trains were anti-war!! Maybe some of the people on those trains hated the US!! Maybe some of the people on those trains DIDN’T AGREE WITH EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY OPINIONS! How DARE they?? Don’t they know that I am ALWAYS RIGHT???
\n\/end bitter sarcastic tone<\/p>\n
There is nothing that I have more contempt for, in this moment, than people who hold that blinkered political-filter view.<\/p>\n
My heart is with Spain. Just like my heart was with the people of Iran when they had the massive earthquake. They’re human beings. Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n
We’re talking about precious human life here.<\/p>\n
I share grief with Spain. I say it proudly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It’s always a bit alarming when you wake up and find yourself being hit with a link from a bigwig. Unfortunately, the title of the post “Shared Grief” is obviously revealed as a fallacy, since many, apparently, do not “share … Continue reading