MORE ON FORGIVENESS

Some thoughts on the use of the word forgive by the Amish in response to the Nickel Mines school shooting.

What if the Amish just screwed up in their choice and use of words? It's not unfathomable, after all this was an extremely unusual event, and they don't cultivate a definitive use of language in the way western culture does, especially in defining their faith. Their authoritarian nature doesn't lend itself to debate or precise examinations of language for rhetorical purposes.

So lets examine each reported incidence of the use of the word forgiveness.


1. The State Police Chaplain has said that, upon meeting an Amish elder in the school yard, presumably within several hours of the shooting, possibly within minutes, the first words out of the elders mouth were, "we forgive him". Is it possible to respect where he was coming from without attributing to much meaning or weight to the statement? First of all he was reacting to an unimaginable situation. His words were potentially more about connecting with another human being (the chaplain) than they were truly definitive of what he and his congregants had done or were going to do. While I trust that, his intent to convey what his faith demands of him was sincere, his choice of words lacked the sophistication needed to do his intent justice. Using the word we in this instance to inform what had already been achieved is irreconcilable.

2. The media reported members of the Amish community expressing forgiveness to the Roberts family within hours of the shooting. What were they forgiving? My authentic Amish instinct immediately flagged this one. I could easily envision someone from the community reaching out to the Roberts family, but the language was suspect. I even got into a hissy fit with WGAL over whether that word had actually been used, they claimed their reporters cross reference their stories, bla bla bla, I still don't believe them. Especially not after they told me their reporter had interviewed a Grandfather of one of the victims and he used the word forgive, when in fact, it was the reporter that interjected it into the interview.

3. So there you have it, a couple bumbling references to forgiveness and the God damned fucking press has a story. There are no words in the English language to discribe how inhumane it was for that reporter to ask that Grandfather what she did in the way she did, and the whole fucking world was so impressed. Well if that's your idea of inspiration, you can all go fuck yourselves. How dare you? How fucking dare you, take someone in his situation and ask if he has forgiven? Do you believe, in that sick deranged mind of yours, that what he is going to say, means anything at all?