rambling thoughts about dying because of one's beliefs

[lauradi7dw]

as opposed to dying *for* one's beliefs. The victims at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church and those on the way to the Imam Moussa al-Kadhim shrine in Baghdad were just living their normal lives, which for all of those people included gatherings of the faithful. None of them got up in the morning planning to be martyred for acting their beliefs by(respectively) working for civil rights (including for gay people)* or attending an annual festival in memory of a holy person. Blind hatred killed them in either case. More similarities than differences. I've seen lots of LJ posts about the folks in Tennessee and not much about the Iraqis. I personally experienced much more of a gut feeling of distress about the UUs, and then felt bad about it. It is definitely true that I can identify with them more - same country, same denomination, even down to having been the parent of a child who participated in musicals performed in the church. Maybe it's only human nature to be more involved when "it could have been me," but it has started me pondering.

* http://www.uua.org/visitors/6798.shtml

Comments

[miraclaire.livejournal.com]

I definitely had a few moments of complete panic before I was able to get in touch with my cousin Paige because her family goes to that church. She was in Richmond since she lives there now and her dad and brother were at home, but her mom was there (and thankfully uninjured).