Today’s question is a good one.
Describe an event in the world that has impacted you this year. How? Why?
Wow….so many world and national events have impacted me this year. The Presidential election. The Syrian refugee crisis. The terrorist attacks in Paris. The police shooting of an African-American man in my back yard city of Charlotte. The 15th anniversary of 9/11. The war in Syria and its humanitarian tragedies. The death of Prince. The HB2 bill in North Carolina. The mass shootings in Orlando.
My list is long, and unfortunately, in rereading it, I can’t find one thing on this list that impacted me in a good way. These events all brought me sorrow, or frustration, or anger, or grief. Or a mixture of all these emotions at once. The world, for many people, is not a welcoming place. It is often a scary place, and I think that a lot of us are experiencing a lot of uncertainty these days.
I have been really touched by the war in Syria. Years of civil war — I cannot imagine what it is like to live in a country that is at war with itself. I cannot imagine what it must be like to live in constant, persistent fear. And as tales of “barbarianism” are released, I cannot imagine what it must be like to witness and experience such trauma. No food, no water, no medical supplies. No shelter, no protection, no government providing security, no guarantee for any basic needs. And people stay because it is their home. What if the US turned into such a battleground? I imagine that a lot of Americans wouldn’t even think of leaving, because this is America, this is where they were born, this is where they belong. And many Syrians feel the same about their land, so they stay.
And those that leave? Millions are fleeing, looking for a new home. Yet, countries around the world are questioning if they should help them. Our country is questioning if we should help them.
I have a great deal of sympathy for the ordinary people of Syria. Most of us are born from people who wandered, or fled, or were captured and displaced somewhere in our history. We should be able to see ourselves in their plight.
my mama always said 