A mass killing directed toward a particular religious group has the power to change how the [attacked] congregation views the outside world, says David Weaver-Zercher, a professor of American Religious History at Messiah College in Grantham, Pa., and author of “Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy,” a study of the 2006 attacks against an Amish school in Nickel Mines, Pa.
The Amish school shooting, which left five girls dead and five hospitalized, resulted in an international outpouring of financial and emotional support, which the Amish community did not anticipate, says Mr. Weaver-Zercher.
“It really did reshape that community’s perception of the larger world, which sometimes the Amish see as an unfriendly place,” he says. “It reshaped it in a more positive regard.”
August 8, 2012
"People before would stare at them because they’re different."
"I hope now, they’ll look at them with eyes of compassion because their hearts are broken."
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6 comments:
It's Americans coming together in sympathy and compassion for their fellow Americans. We are one, not separate regardless of what leftards, Axelrod, and Urkel want you to believe.
“It really did reshape that community’s perception of the larger world, which sometimes the Amish see as an unfriendly place,” he says. “It reshaped it in a more positive regard.”
I remember thinking that the grace and forgiveness of the Amish community at the time of the event stood out as a beacon to the rest of us. Our mainstream society's response to these kinds of tragedies continues to fall short of their example. Interesting that they perceived mainstream society in a better light.
I rode my motorcycle by a group of Sikhs yesterday in Middleton, WI. They had a cop with them who gave me a pretty good once-over.
There are still more good people than bad people. All we lack is leadership that intentionally builds on the good people and teaches them truth, and doesn't tear them down so a few smooth lying Phds can be worshipped as smarter than all of those foolish good people.
That leader would be Sarah Palin.
I do not envy those who look different. But what are we to do when we see someone who is different, who wears a turban or a chador, or a host of other differences?
They are saying to us, look at me/don't look at me or I am different/so what. It's an impossible, aggressive request. We lose either way.
The Amish school attack was caused by media coverage of a school attack here in Colorado five days before. Yes, I say caused, because the two attacks were almost exactly the same. How'd that happen?
Can we please stop publicizing mass murder? This is a media-driven phenomenon.
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