Monday Musings: Why humans kill each other?

Posted on by areadingwriter

Monday Musings

I was savoring my reading-in-bed-time last Saturday when my sister suddenly asked, “What’s with #PrayforParis?”

With today’s social media prevalence, news can now reach anyone at full speed. Gone were the days when you have to wait for snail mails to know that your fourth-generation cousin is getting married. Gone were the days when today’s news will be read tomorrow.

The Internet and the social media paved the way to reel time news with a worldwide reach.

After hearing my sister’s question, my instant reaction was fear. Probably, something bad happened in France because #Prayfor-something hashtag was used for several catastrophic events like when Typhoon Haiyan devastated the Philippines just last year.

The journalism-student in me then made a quick research and voila, I learned the tragic Friday night in Paris.

So today, inspired by the tragic terror attack, here are some wise words that I hope we can ponder this week:

Photo from: Mitch albom’s Facebook page

Quote from: The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom

The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto

The Paris terror attack left more than 130 fatalities and almost 200 injured.

I have no relatives in Paris, Philippines is actually so many miles away from Paris, but why do I care?

Why does my heart bleed for those innocent victims? Most of them are young, like me, with a helluva life ahead of them.

Why does people around the world mourn for the lives lost?

Why does a lot of people posted #PrayforParis?

Why does a lot of social media netizens changed their profile picture with the colors of France’s flag?

It’s simply because we are humans, and a life lost is a big lost itself. How much more if there are hundreds of them, killed, shot and bombed for no good reasons.

Why humans kill each other? I cannot provide an answer because I have more questions than answer.

War, terrorism they are all just beyond my comprehension.

Sadly, humans have been doing that since time immemorial.

When will wars end? How many more lives? 

I want to ask but… I know no one can give an answer.

kayecabal violence terrorism paris attacks

Published by areadingwriter

I read because I write. | I write because I read.

25 thoughts on “Monday Musings: Why humans kill each other?”

  1. I just read a poem from a guy that wrote a poem. A line he wrote that caught my attention was that killing needs to motive. When I thought about ‘motive’ it seemed to me that the word itself meant that there was some reasoning and prior planning or thought ahead of the murder. But in the end when a person kills another person he must either decide he is going to do it or not; or decide to tune out, forget what is happening and just kill. So, there you have it people kill just because.
    I loved your post and the picture/quote by Mitch Albom. We have been killing since Cain and Abel if you know that story, where a brother killed his brother. Albom is right to write our weapons have only changed, they have gotten both better and worse.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I agree with you, Mandi. Killing needs a motive and a person who is determined to do it. It’s just sad that killing one another is, apparently, normal.

      Yes, I know Cain and Abel’s story. So I guess no one can ever answer the questions that I asked.

      Thank you for reading, Mandi. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Why humans kill each other? I cannot provide an answer because I have more questions than answer. ~ Rosema, I’ve been thinking about the same thing. And oh, so nice of you to quote Mitch. I’ve got his Frankie Presto by the way. Though I haven’t read it yet. I’m torn between fear and excitement of finishing it!

    You have a very clever post, as always. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s just.. mind-boggling right? Just like Albom said, humans killing humans has been happening since the beginning of time. Until now, no one knows why. Argh.

      And… yes! I have just finished the book and it was GREAT! I think it is one of Mitch’s best! 😀 I’ll be posting more quotes on my Top Ten Tuesday, today! 😀

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Our reaction to the Paris attack is the same as the 9/11 attacks in the US. We had always thought that Europe was safer than the rest of the world. Now that we have come to know that it is not safe, we are scared. We, and that includes me, did not think much while people were killed due to violence in Syria, Turkey, Lebanon. It’s fear that we respond to. And killing invokes fear. There are people in his world, depressingly, who enjoy the chaos for different reasons of their own.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That’s true. I have thought about that yesterday. I almost posted, “Why does anyone posted #PrayforParis but no one posted #PrayforBeirut?” Beirut was bombed two days before the attack in Paris. An attacked also happened in Baghdad.
      I mean no harm against people praying for Paris because I am praying for them too. But we, humans, should pray for the world. There are a lot of lives wasted by these terror attacks. And it’s just sad because no one knows how will this end.

      Like

  4. What really scares me is that I cant consider those terrorists as humans. They pretend to be guided by their religion, but aren’t all religions preaching love and respect? Religion and humanity are about LIFE. Those people are driven by hate, where is their humanity, if ever?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Exactly. I am afraid to mention religion in my post because I am not sure about their ‘ideologies’. I am a Christian but I don’t hate non-Christians. For me, there’s no need to kill just for a religion. Because life goes beyond religion.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Your thoughts are right. They’re sound. War is tragic–and a terrifying failure of better efforts tried (or not). Terrorist war adds mindlessness to it. One can argue that war is waged is seek an end in peace. Terrorists take out the reason. War to kill. War to destroy. I wondered yesterday, if I ever got to speak with a terrorist–which I do not want to do–I would ask about the agenda. What do terrorists hope to achieve? To kill the enemy, maybe. What then? What is the vision for peace? I’m not sure I’d be told of any because there isn’t a vision. No end in peace. No end beyond the terror.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That would really be a fearsome thing to do, to talk to a terrorist. I think their ‘ideology’ fires up their desire to kill. I am not sure of what ISIS believes into, I haven’t searched that yet, but from what I heard from US Pres. Obama, it’s ideology that gave those terrorists the desire to kill humans.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Yes, that simply seems to be it. Work up the killers into killing. Nothing beyond? Well, maybe not. Muslim communities are condemning the killing in Paris, too. I hope the world is paying attention to that. This is not about Islam, anymore than violent insanity in the name of any religion is real.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. Great post, and although the rhetorical questions do not have a definite answer I think they are good starting points for us to reflect upon. I have a couple of friends who are studying in Paris right now and my heart sank when I heard the news. I messaged them at 2 in the morning to ask if they were okay, and to my relief they were safe. I also join you paying my respects for all the victims of any violence.

    Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment