Calling all calm, rational people -- I need your input?

Question

An innocent woman jailed in Sudan for an absolutely insane reason, with maniacs calling for her blood... Another innocent victim of rape who was horribly beaten merely for being a victim in Saudi Arabia... I was going to post something that called for the execution of all woman-hating religious fanatics, but then realized that would make me NO BETTER THAN THEM.
How do I deal with my tremendous rage and hatred without becoming part of the problem?

Answer 1

Take a deep breath and realize as Vonnegut said...There is only one way for the world to be. And that is the way it is.

Answer 2

Learn from it. To deal with rage and hatred you have to find out what is making you this way.
Yoda said it best:
"Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering..."

so learning about what your fears, this will help. I mean I don't understand how people can get like this personally because I don't follow any particular religious dogma. But if you study history, particularly colonialism, and then fascism, racism and xenophobia... you start to understand that people are, as it has been said, brain washed into thinking like this, because they truly believe that calling for blood or throwing stones is just punishment.
Think of it this way, the people in Rwanda lived for centuries in relative piece until they were colonized and then decolonized. They first had to be indoctrinated into believing their neighbours were enemies, that their family members were evil. It was not just the Tutsis that were massacred but Hutu moderates as well... because they didn't give into the fanatical beliefs.

Answer 3

You might want to look at Marshall Rosenberg's Non-Violent Communication, although i find it too dogmatic and contradictory. I could quote you an even worse example of something which happened in Saudi which haunts me, but it wouldn't make you feel any better or be helpful in any other way.

What do you think is the feeling behind the actions of the people who do this? How did they get to thinking it was OK to do that? What happens in your experience that you can change which is similar and contributes to this sort of situation?

I'm sorry, i'm basically as appalled as you but i'm working on it and i'd like an answer as well. I often succumb to self-hatred when i think about this sort of incident, but that doesn't help anyone either.

I hope i haven't wasted your time. Thanks for reading.

Answer 4

Firstly, you must come to terms with the simple fact that you do not have the ability or power to right every wrong in this sometimes unjust, violent, and evil world that we happen to live in. You sound like an intelligent, rational person. And like myself, you probably wish that you could feed every hungry child, protect every abused woman, and house every person sleeping in the streets. This, sadly enough, just is not possible. Try to be content with making an attempt to make your own little corner of the world just a little bit better by helping and caring for those around you to the very best of your ability to do so. If every one of us just does what little bit we can, the world will become just that little bit better of a place...

Answer 5

focus on ways to try to make this situation, and all situations, better rather than simply lashing out in a destructive, random and violent, yet ultimately futile rant. Don't stand for these atrocities. Instead, attempt to increase the amount of understanding, tolerance, compassion, and growth in the world. Make plans, find ways to take action. Make it less likely that you will be offended by such insanity in the future, by taking steps to prevent it.

Answer 6

You have identified something you consider to be a problem. Now, identify what you can do to wipe out such atrocities. Obviously, combatting it with violence will not stop it so much as delay it. There will still be others who will think this way. Perhaps you need to find a way to change the thinking of people. Even if you do it on a small scale, it could snowball into something big.

Good luck. :)

Answer 7

I get your angry, I am too. So instead of leaving that rage to fester, you need to find some healthy way to channel it.
Try starting up a web page devoted to making these women's stories known, or joining a group that does already. Raise money to help with medical counselling and awareness for them.
While your at it, start locally. Everywhere there are women who go through this same thing. Stand up for them too.

Answer 8

Pay attention to what go4s on in the U.S. There are many ignorant people here who would steer this country in the same direction as those savages in the Middle East.

Answer 9

I wish I had a better answer for you. What I would do is calmly state why those women-haters should be punished in a convincing way which will inspire people to do something about it. What that something is, I have no idea.

Answer 10

Sounding off in a rational manner helps. Just as you've done here.
I wish I had more for you...