Whether it’s a car bomb or a shooting, terrifying tragedies are often accompanied by messages. I mean, in the wake of tragedies, everyone jumps all over it with various political messages (some of which are appropriate, while others are not). But I mean the message carried by the perpetrator. Crazy people sometimes write manifestos, which they intend to be read—even after they themselves die.
So, after being grateful that neither I nor anyone whom I know was a victim of a tragedy, and after feeling sorry for the victims and for their loved ones, and for the loved ones of the perpetrator(s), the next thing that I do is fervently hope that the shooter or bomber did not have any views that connect with mine.
First and foremost, if you are a part of a minority, you tend to make the news only for bad things—or for weird things. “Pagan Bookstore Opens Locally Without Incident” does not make as juicy of a headline as, say, “Convicted Child-Murderer Seeks Name-Change Following Conversion To Wicca.” Which, admittedly, is news-worthy, and raises important issues (given that, if anyone should be prevented from changing their names, it’s murderers). Now, that’s a case of a convert and, honestly, prisoners converting to Pagan faiths is, from a Pagan perspective, still a good thing, even if it’s not great PR. Sometimes, people in prison really never had belief-systems that fit with them and prison prompts them to reevaluate themselves and take steps to become better people. While, as a person and as a Pagan, I do not believe in forgiveness in the way that Christians do (I believe that you have done what you have done, and nothing can make evil actions go away—I mean, justice isn’t just a concept. Justice is the name of a …
