In 1999 a book entitled, "The Death of Outrage," by Bill Bennett, was published concerning the character issues related to the Clinton-Lewinsky affair. Too bad it couldn't have been required reading for every American. It really underscored how little our society is concerned about moral issues, in this case by our president, who should have been a model of virtue.
Well, in this writer's opinion, outrage in our society isn't dead. Just misplaced at times. Of course the horrific tragedy that occurred recently in Connecticut triggered a huge public outcry of outrage and rightfully so. All sorts of knee jerk reactions have been suggested with the goal of preventing these sorts of mass shootings happening in the future. Their chances of success with history as our teacher suggest no amount of legislation or education or social engineering will successfully solve the problem of psychopathetic mass killings. Do we need to try to deal with this problem. Absolutely, we do!
What I'm most concerned about, though, is the hypocrisy, e.g. the crocodile tears shed on TV by our president and others. Twenty children brutally murdered - yes, that is enough to shed tears over, but what about the 3,500 to 4,000 unborn children murdered daily (yes, I said 3,500 and I said children and I said daily) by way of brutal abortions that are occurring in our country? That figures to be 1.2 to 1.6 million children murdered annually in America.
We surely live in a violent culture, and if there is a moral equivalency to the murder of 3500 + unborn children daily, I'd like to know what it is. Two wrongs never make a right, and nothing can ever justify the Sandy Hook massacre. Let us just be sure we are being consistent in our public displays of outrage.
Sorry to broach such a sobering subject only a few days before Christmas. Violent acts of nations and by people have always and will always be part of life on terra firma. We do have a promise from the Lord given initially to Solomon in response to his prayer (see II Chronicles 7:14), that we can also appropriate for our nation.
"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from the wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
Paul Williams
Marietta
