Letters - 07 April 2017
From looking inwards to restorative justice
Look Inwards
The ‘terrorist attack’ on Westminster is still so new it doesn’t have a label but already we are trying to make sense of it – to fit it into our world view. The consensus seems to be:
‘We’ll never understand why he did it.’
Yes we will.
If we look in the right direction, we do understand. ‘When was he radicalised?’ is barking up the wrong tree.
I understand if I look inside myself. I might not drive over pedestrians or stab people, but I am building an image, as he was, as we all are.
He only wanted to be someone.
To build my image, I see other people as ‘not me’. Then I can ignore their feelings. And then I can commit any outrage. Once I have seen someone else as not me, I can dump all the unattractive parts of myself on that person and deny them in myself. Then all I have to do is rid the world of that person. Then I can like myself.
This is such a basic ego-creating move that we don’t always catch ourselves doing it.
It starts with switching off the fellow-feeling.
We all do it.
Hilary Peters
Kindness
The ‘Thought for the Week’ on 31 March was about kindness.
Strange to say, my mother sent me a poem called ‘Kindness’ many many years ago! It had been passed on from her father, who was a member of the Adult School. The gift must always move, she said.
Have you had a kindness shown?
Pass it on.
‘Twas not meant for you alone
Pass it on.
Let it travel down the years
Let it dry another’s tears
Till in heaven the deed appears
Pass it on.
Has anyone any idea who the poet was?
Eileen Kemp
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