September 14, 2007

FORGIVENESS

I started thinking about forgiveness the other day when I was in Blockbuster and happened to walk by a movie called Forgiving Dr. Mengele. It's about an Auschwitz survivor who learns to forgive the Nazis for the genetic experiments they did on her. Ouch.

And I come back to forgiveness today with this headline: Amish donate cash to school gunman’s widow

I'm thinking about the virtue of forgiveness. I would imagine that, in those circumstances, one might feel the need to forgive in order to move on. But as an outsider, I don't really forgive any of those bastards.

But no one's ever accused me of being nice.

Posted by Sarah at September 14, 2007 07:11 AM | TrackBack
Comments

I wonder how many of those who donated now wish they hadn't. Frankly, I'd be pissed.

Posted by: tim at September 14, 2007 09:59 AM

Everyday I get at least 3 or 4 hits looking for an update on the Amish School Shooting.

This donation does not surprise me one bit. It's who they are.

That "man" was a part of their community. An "English", but a part non the less. They will NOT allow his family to suffer for his deeds. It is not their way.

No, I'm not surprised to read this at all. But I'll tell you, even having been a part of that "culture" I don't have that kind of forgiveness in me. It's not in my personal make-up.......

Posted by: Tammi at September 14, 2007 10:35 AM

Guess I'm not a nice enough person. Not when it's something like forgiving Mengele.

The widow of the school shooter - I don't know what to think of her. She didn't do it, I don't know that she could have stopped it unless he told her what he was going to do. Yet she gets to live with what he did for the rest of her life.

If she was as taken by surprise as the rest of the country - I feel very sorry for her. If she knew about it and had a chance to stop it yet didn't do anything - she's worse than he is. It's the not knowing that puts me in a quandary about her.

Posted by: Teresa at September 14, 2007 11:02 AM

I don't mean my post to make it sound like I'm blaming the widow. She wasn't one of the "bastards" I meant :) I do feel sorry for her, and I don't mind that donated money goes to help her...actually, less than I mind that donated money went to Kathy Trant.

Posted by: Sarah at September 14, 2007 01:55 PM

I wish I could say that I could give that kind of forgiveness but I don't think it is in me either.

Posted by: Lemon Stand at September 14, 2007 07:51 PM