Jamie finally couldn't take it any more. He took his own life and the bullies involved have been suspended from school for a few days, according to the Buffalo Evening News. What is worse; this precious child's death, or a slap on the wrist for the bullies who drove him to his death. Shame on Williamsville!
I've been uncomfortably close to loved ones for whom suicide seemed a way out. I've talked way into the wee hours more times than I can count. I will do that for as long as God gives me time on earth to do it.
Listen to me, God loves you so much that he gave his only beloved Son for you and for me. I even wrote a book, "Everything you need to know about sex in order to get to Heaven" to be sure you knew that you are not going to hell...you are going to heaven...AFTER you live a good long life. (If you want that book cheap, or for free, write to me)
Don't let the bullies get to you.
Don't let any self doubts get to you.
Don't let the nagging voices bring you to despair.
Get in touch with someone who you can pour your heart out to...and if you can't find anyone right away, get in touch with me.
It will certainly get better, even if you have to go through a tough patch for now.
Remember my old buddy, Winston Churchill, who was fond of saying; "If you're going through hell, remember, keep going!"
And remember, God loves you and so do I.
As for the rest of you. Stop the bullying. Stop the bullies. Don't put up with any wise cracks about gays. And for God sake, don't let politicians and religious quacks get away with their hate.
Lets talk it up folks.
Tell the kids God loves them and so do you.
Tell them right now!
Listen to their heartache.
Wipe away their tears.
And finally remember this; the basic commandment is this and it is mandatory; "LOVE ONE ANOTHER!"
That is not an opinion...that's what Jesus said before he died for ALL OF US.
"LOVE ONE ANOTHER".
I can't see how I can make that plainer or simpler.
This is a matter of life and death.
God loves you.
And so do I.
Fr. Paul
3 comments:
For the last few years, I've been working on long-term plans focused on immigrating out of the US to Germany. I've done my research and set a career path that would be feasibly obtainable for me and allow me to be a good candidate for a work visa. I've researched obtaining citizenship, and the requirements for bringing my partner with me. I wanted out, and any last shred of love I had for the USA was dead. I was more than willing to wash my hands from this place, to let it go down in flames and make a new life in the homeland of my ancestors where they have since learned from history.
Meeting you, and posts like these, the things you're saying, the message you're fighting to put forth, you were the final nail in the indecision that sometimes crept into my resolve. I now believe there are enough voices, enough strength among the people, that history won't be allowed to repeat itself here.
And if I'm wrong, I've come to the conclusion, even if history repeats, as terrifying as that notion is to me, with people like you on my side, I'm in some darn fine company.
The movie Se7en, the last line of the film, spoken by Morgan Freeman: "Ernest Hemingway once wrote, 'The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.' I agree with the second part."
Replace 'world' with 'USA' in that quote, and that's my feelings now. Because of people like you, and for people in the situation this boy had been in, I'm no longer quite so willing to wash my hands of this place and walk away. In doing so, I'd only be contributing to the problem, and that's unacceptable. It's worth fighting for.
And because of that, it WILL get better. I hope someone else who needs to hear this comes here, and sees your blog, and understands that what we see now is not going to be this way forever.
I can't close this without flaunting a bit of geek cred here, because it's just so fitting:
"It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. Because they were holding on to something... There's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it's worth fighting for." - Samwise, LotR
Dearest Susanne, what a wonderful post and how inspiring. Your use of language is stunning. There was a time when fighting this battle seemed like a lonely and futile effort. But, I am more and more convinced that we are finding our voice again. We've been quiet for so long. I think Kent State silenced much of our voice. We realized they will kill us. So many of our number went off to make a killing on Wall St etc. and also became part of the problem.
Then American went into "the Dark Times" as Luke Skywalker would put it. They bought up the newspapers, and the airwaves and put Rush Limbaugh and his ilk on 24/7 to brainwash the country into thinking that bigotry, classism and sexism were just fine.
The hour is very late, but voices that had been faint and tentative then became louder and bolder. I'm just one of many. Then those voices took to the streets beginning in Madison WI and in Cairo. The Arab Spring has become the American Fall and Winter.
People are taking to the streets in increasing numbers and I don't think this is going away this time. Pepper Spray is only the beginning. This is going to be a long haul and it will get ugly.
But there is also something deep in the core of the American Spirit that is decent and honorable.
Here's the thing. Jobs, with a decent salary and health care. That's ultimately what we want.
They won't give it to us. Greed is addictive like heroin.
We'll have to take it.
In the 1970's there was about an 80/20 split between the rich and the rest of us. And that was tenable. The spit runs 92/8 now...and getting all the more concentrated in the hands of that 1%. The system will collapse under its own weight if we don't save it.
Don't go telling just anyone this but I"m not a communist. I'm only asking for about 20% for 99% of us. That's really reasonable when you think of it.
The rich still get to have 80% of the wealth.
The rich will always be rich.
But Americans are on to them. So is the rest of the world. When the rich talk budget cuts and tax cuts...they mean to take our jobs so they can cut their taxes. Greed is one powerful drug and they can buy lots of voices. That's why they have Fox News.
This is really pretty simple stuff.
So shout is out loud. Take to the streets.
America is worth saving.
Otherwise...off she goes with all other civilizations. We've survived the rise and fall of many civilizations. So ... that's America's call.
Blessings,
Fr. Paul
Thanks for writing the article and I also enjoyed reading both comments here. The "Heaven and Earth" article really hit home with me.
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