Blogging again...

I read in the paper today (Edmonton Sun) about the funeral for that boy who was murdered on the grayhound bus.
The story wasn't about how tragic the situation was or how touching the funeral had been. It was about a group of protestors who had threatened to show up and picket the funeral. The group was (from what I got from the story) from a Baptist church in Kansis, USA. They were going to picket the funeral because they believed that the murder was God's punishment for Canada's liberal views on issues like gay marriage.

I have to say, I was shocked and aghast. All I could think of was how insensitive and inappropriate that protest would have been and I was angered by the idea.

Fortunatly, the protest did not occur, although hurt had already been caused by the threat.

After I got over my disgust, I got to thinking and two issues came to my mind: Method and Motivation

The group's methods were obviously not very effective.What good would that protest have served the group's message? Their goal is to raise awareness and promote their message, but this protest has brought them nothing but bad press and hurt alot of people.

Everyone has an opinion or message or view they believe is right and often people try to persuade others. But you have to think about how you're going to persuade people. You don't do it by offending people or upsetting them. You do it by convincing them that they will benefit from that viewpoint. You convince people by your own happiness and success. When people see you living the good life, they want the same and are therefore willing to listen to your advice or suggestion. You must woo them with your words and actions.

Their lack of empathy also had me questioning their motives. When we protest something or try to raise awareness about a cause, we must remember our ultimate goal: to make the world a better place for everyone, not just ourselves. It should be an act of love for the human race, not an act of hatred. So a situation like this causes one to think, are they promoting this message to better the lives of others, or to legitimize their own point of view?

It comes down to selflessness verses selfishness. Someone acting selflessly will try to help others lead a better life and isn't afraid of standing up for what they believe in because they know it is right and good. Someone acting selfishly acts out of a lack of confidence in their own beliefs and a need to find validation; the aren't trying to help others, they're trying to feel good about themselves.

So I'm going to try to keep this in mind as I try to raise awareness for issues I find important. I need the right Methods and the right Motivations.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of that poor boy. What a tragedy.