A Model of Strength

The Amish victims of the school shootings in Pennsylvania displayed courage and strength in the face of their losses. They grieved, they buried their dead, they reached out to the killer's widow and they counseled forgiveness for the soul of the murderer. They modeled a peace built not on vengeance but on respect and forgiveness.

Contrast this with Bush’s approach of seeking revenge for 9/11 by invading Iraq, a country that had nothing to do with it. According to the Lancet medical journal, 650,000 Iraqis have been killed as a result of the invasion (more than died from 20 years of Saddam). When will we realize that killing and vengeance against Muslims that had nothing to do with 9/11 is totally counter productive to dealing with radical Islam? It feeds the flame.

This is not about being Amish or having the right religion. This is about having the courage to live by a set of principles we claim to believe in. This is about understanding the strength in building bridges, not just striking back. It is about understanding that we have allowed hate, fear and violence to guide the governance of our country for the last 5 years. Look where it has gotten us.

The Amish provided a model of strength, courage and healing for the rest of America.