Among the news reports and in everyday conversation about the Newtown, Connecticut tragedy you would hear “…act of senseless violence.” It really started to bother me! What the heck is senseless violence? As if there is meaningful violence? So, I thought I would share other redundant statements that we use and I advocate that the phrase “senseless violence” should be added to this list:

2 wheel bicycle
6 a.m. in the morning
Absolutely perfect (perfect is an absolute)
Blistering hot
Climbing up the stairs
Crept slowly
Drop down
Eased slowly
Exact same
Fall down
Nodded her head
Ran quickly
Rise up
Rose to her feet
Sat down
Shrugged his shoulders
The reason why

AND FINALLY: SENSELESS VIOLENCE

My argument is that it is either all senseless or it can all be justified because if any act of violence is justifiable, then anyone can justify their own violent behavior. Now you may not agree or like their justification, but if it can be justified in any one instance, then it is justifiable by any instance. I guess my point is violence is wrong. And it is wrong with a father beating his 2 year old son. It’s wrong with a wife fighting her husband. It’s wrong with two teenage girls fighting in the street. It’s wrong in Newtown, Connecticut. It’s wrong in Clackamas County. It’s wrong in Syria, Israel, Iran, Iraq. It’s wrong with Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis. It’s wrong period. And until we have that perspective and stop excusing violence at any level, then with that one reasonable justification it will poison every intention at living peaceably. As soon as you say it was okay to murder someone for a good reason, another will say that it was a perfectly logical, reasonable conclusion to murder someone else. However, it is quite likely neither of you will agree (even with your guns pointing at one another, each justifying shooting the other). All human violence is senseless regardless of our highest, justified reason.