Strategy to Combat Violence: Compassion
I read this essay in November, then I read it again after the school shooting in Connecticut. At first I rejected it because I don’t like or believe that we are all guilty of the violence of a relatively few people. But the ideas in this editorial, posted in Spanish at CNN Mexico, kept resonating in my head.
Julian LeBaron is a member, and I think a leader, of a fundamentalist Mormon sect in Mexico. He comes from a fascinating and sometimes violent set of ancestors. You can find his grandfather, Joel LeBaron, in Wikipedia. Joel LeBaron was murdered on the orders of his brother in 1972. More recently, within the last three years, Julian LeBaron’s uncle, two or three of his brothers, and a brother in law have been murdered in Mexico by people working for the cartels. And of course, tens of thousands of other people have been murdered in Mexico since 2006. So Julian LeBaron has an intimate familiarity with violence. That’s one reason I am interested in his perspective.
Another thing that struck me about this editorial is the way LeBaron calls for love and compassion without any reference to religion.
I’ve written about Julian and a few other LeBarons before in LGF Pages. One in particular shows Julian’s thinking leading up to his current appeals for peace.
This translation of Julian’s opinion piece was posted at the Frontera List Google Group, which is where the link in the title (below) goes. To see the original in Spanish, use this link. My Spanish is not good enough to improve the translation, but I did add in the first sentence which had been dropped.
Compassion: Strategy to Combat Violence—Julian Lebaron on CNN-Mexico
What to do with so much hatred?
Thousands of Mexicans have been killed in the past six years, and
“nobody knows who did it”. I will share with you - the reader of my
words - a secret. It is a big secret. So great in fact that it has
been before our eyes all the time and we have chosen not to see it.The truth is that we have all participated in the extermination of our
compatriots.I will not speak of who committed the bloody horror, because I’m going
to talk here about what has killed and still killing our loved ones,
our Mexico.Our people are dying at the mercy of violence, and behind the brutal
violence hatred hides.It is so easy to become buyers, facilitators and participants in hatred.
The truth is that we have collectively perpetuated the violence that
crushes dreams of peace and prosperity for the future and for
posterity.This atmosphere of hatred is not only made possible by the apathy and
fear, but it thrives, lives and feeds inside each one of us.Three years ago the majority of you had never heard of me, and if you
read my words now it is because I refuse, in the way that Mexicans
refuse in many parts of our country to give my life and vote to the
hatred that stood behind my brother and my dear friend three years
ago; the same hatred that, while they were on their knees shot them
both four times in the head at point-blank range.Many of us will not give our consent to the hatred that took the life
of Nepomuceno Moreno, or the hatred that burst into the Church in
Acteal, and claimed the lives of the elderly, women and children. Nor
will we cede to the hatred that left the bodies of Juanelo Sicilia and
his young friends in a heap of hatred beside the highway in
Cuernavaca.Nor can we give in to the hatred that causes tears in the blue eyes of
the mother of Joaquín García Jurado Carmona, we will not cede to the
hatred that causes sobriety in the voice of Melchor, the father of
Galactic Cowboy - and the voice of María Herrera. The list is endless.I firmly believe that hatred is the cause of the violence and
suffering that we see in the world. It originates and feeds off apathy
and fear.This is the reason why I believe that no Government strategy can put
an end to the crimes and violence if these qualities are living within
us. Their functions can only reflect the socially acceptable form of
glorified hatred that inspires more intimidation and fear.So our political parties divide us when we most need unity.
Everyone must see how, individually, we are responsible for feeding hatred.
When using scare tactics to deter violence; apathy and fear multiply
and divide more communities; because fear inspires and cultivates
hatred.So the more we demand that our political leaders put an end to
violence, the more violent must be the strategies to scare people to
restrain a violent nature and impulse to fear - the fear that then is
fertile ground for more fear and more violence. Fear cannot be
eradicated from the hearts and minds in this way, and blaming our
leaders for our lack of empathy, love and compassion is to deliver our
potency and power to evil.If the Government is not the solution then what is?
Each of our decisions, small or large, can be inspired or motivated by
love or hatred.When we do not protest, and turn a blind eye to injustice; we
collaborate with hatred, silence is complicity by cowardice.We have to decide if: we will continue choosing walls and military
checkpoints – or we will open the roads to freedom of trade, transit
and respect for privacy and presumption of innocence of persons.We have to decide if our priorities will be: Barracks and prisons - or
schools, churches, hospitals and families.We have to decide if we want: hypocritical and harmful legislation and
policemen at each corner, or will we work together as a citizen team.Compassion is born of love, and love is the opposite of fear.
Compassion is the only solution to the hatred and the violence-there
is no method, strategy, policy or weapon that can extinguish the
hatred. I do not speak of what is commonly thought illusory:
compassion lives in action; It awakens and is expressed in that
capacity of conviction to hold to the right thing and not give in to
evil, even if one faces the worst adversity and darkest fear.We must cultivate that character within us so that together we can
create the great country which should be our glorious Mexico.Julian E. LeBaron Ray
Here’s Julian speaking at a TEDx event in September of this year. He starts out in English, which he calls his first language, but he soon switches to Spanish and sounds more comfortable.
The reason Julian’s words keep resonating with me is that I see the gun culture in the US being driven by fear. Our politics are full of intimidation and fear. And I think about how to change the culture. Julian gives a prescription for doing that. I’ll repeat my favorite part:
Compassion is born of love, and love is the opposite of fear.
Compassion is the only solution to the hatred and the violence-there
is no method, strategy, policy or weapon that can extinguish the
hatred. I do not speak of what is commonly thought illusory:
compassion lives in action; It awakens and is expressed in that
capacity of conviction to hold to the right thing and not give in to
evil, even if one faces the worst adversity and darkest fear.
Overwhelmed with sadness for the families in Connecticut, such longing to comfort, console and allieviate the pain and despair.
— Julián LeBarón (@julianlebaron) December 15, 2012