Sandy Hook Mercy

I have seen the flood of statuses on Facebook after the elementary school shooting. Most of the statuses were polite, asking for prayer and showing concern. However, there were some statuses that weren't kind. One status called the shooter an evil, sick bastard. Another called him a coward. It is only natural to hate this young man. In our society, children are innocent and young adults are messed up.

However, I never approach these events in the conventional way. I suppose it is because I have suffered with mental illness. (I don't think the police have confirmed that this shooter was mentally ill. However, I know that he was suffering from some emotional distress.)  I suppose my experience with mental illness makes me more sympathetic to those who face real darkness. I don't excuse his actions; however, my heart hurts for him. I have mercy for him. I understand that he was also a child in a metaphorical class room, facing his own loaded gun.

I don't think we can make this young man the bad guy without condemning ourselves. Everyone needs mercy. Even the lowest of society. Even a young man who killed kindergartners  If we condemn these acts of violence, we must condemn our own murderous words and our hate speech.

We must consider love, forgiveness, and mercy. Love and mercy are weapons against such violence. Young adults face abuse, bullying, abandonment, confusion, and numerous other challenges. As a society, we need to show love, even when we think they don't deserve it. I think the shooter is responsible for his actions, and God will be the final judge of his actions. We should not build on the shooter's destruction by haphazardly tossing words of hate and venom around.