MonuMental

I don’t want the people responsible to pay.

I don’t want them incarcerated or tortured so the rest of the world can see how we deal with our enemies.

I don’t want to see them strung across tabloids or headlines giving more ignition to those who subscribe to their cause.

I don’t want their example to be carelessly used to turn the minds of so many Americans into beacons of hatred themselves.

I don’t want them to die a painful death.

I want them to see it is easy to destroy but takes a lot work to build anything of value.

I want them to understand that in destruction you create nothing.

I want them to see that changing minds and then hearts towards positivity is the only way to have a world better tomorrow than what we have today.

I want them to take their newfound wisdom and return to their friends and share this better strategy to more effectively implement their desires.

I want them to understand that death meets us all and the damage they have done rushing innocent people to theirs does nothing for their cause.

I want them to feel remorse not only for the lives that we were lost that day but also for the countless loss of men, women and children who over 13 years have been made to pay for their thoughtlessness.

I want them to be outspoken about peace and forge alliances built on people’s ability to build bridges and find common ground with any other person no matter their differences.

I want them to spread harmony in reconciliation for their mistakes and help religious fundamentalists of all faiths calm their angst and sense of urgency and show them how to transform it into patience and acceptance so that we can move into an era where incredible fears are no longer a vehicle used to control our opinions and perceptions.

I want them to show others how to recognize the hatred in their hearts and turn them away from the communicable properties of ignorance and the self-serving fate of revenge.

I want them to show people that we can be better than what we have been.

I don’t want to see more sects of religions turned so filthy.

I don’t want to see more people killed in the name of peace.

I don’t want to see innocent people scared of other innocent people just like them.

I don’t want to see the viral effects of hate carry us to such an ugly world.

I want the world to remember that even those with the darkest moments in their souls are still not beyond repair.

I’d rather be the most unpopular seed planter in my community than the most recognizable bandwagon rider on this myopic knee-jerk reactionary downward spiral of weeds that has infected an otherwise well-meaning and healthy landscape.