The shootings in Arizona yesterday left a number of innocent people dead and injured due to the actions of an “extremist.” He was an easy one for me–representing the average person–to dismiss as a whacko. But I think this whacko had just as much ease to see himself as someone with valid notions and ideas. In an earlier time, a loner ranting about government mind control would find himself isolated and ignored and perhaps would have a few self doubts himself. But today with the Internet he can easily find what seems to be a sizable audience of like-minded folks. The Internet is the platform that elevates him from fringe to mainstream.
I have always been a little leary of the defense of religion or other movements when one of their extreme members commits a shocking or dispicable act. The first thing you hear is that all Christians or Muslims–or environmentalists or Tea Party members–shouldn’t be judged by the acts of a few radical extremists. True, the majority of people in general are basically good-natured, well-intentioned and harmless. But when they organize into mainstream religions or movements, a platform is then provided for a “loose wire” member to acheive some initial credibility and following.
Especially religion. A Sunday service at a neighborhood church may seem harmless enough and an unlikely breeding ground for extremists or terrorists. But think about the bizarre concepts and rituals that the members are mindlessly supporting and pledging: strange deity concepts, blood-spilling and consumption for salvation, creation stories of the universe, the apocalypse, etc. Most members are not giving it much thought throughout their week, but some are giving it quite alot of thought. These folks left on their own would probably be dismissed as “nuts”. But by belonging to a mainstream religion they are warmly and blindly accepted by the majority. They are given a platform and can climb the ladder of credibilty for a while giving them unsupervised and unnoticed time to cull resources and support they need to suddenly one day wreak havoc. We are then shocked to hear about it on the six o’clock news.
Oh well. And I guess I feel creeped out that I’m talking to my blog about it.
