I shared your wonderful reflection with several folks in our Believe Out Loud leadership team at Christ the King parish and with a Nonviolence Conversations group I am working with. My wife, Rachel, pointed out something I overlooked. You used the word “lethal” in conjunction with the drugs found in Nex’s system. I’ve assumed that their death was caused by the head trauma they endured in the beating, as their family had concerns about. Rachel’s observation led me to do a Google search. I found that the medical examiner released a report yesterday with the finding that the cause of death was suicide.
(silence)
While the finding only points to the physical cause of death, it says nothing about the mental abuse perpetrated by individuals before the altercation in the bathroom, the neglect of school leadership, the justification of individuals in positions of authority in Oklahoma, or of the systemic hate that were the true causes of death. I hope at least one of these individuals takes responsibility for this and others’ deaths.
Thank you for reading and for your reflections, Daniel. Until yesterday, I’d assumed the same. And, as you say, deaths of despair are absolutely political in nature. They reflect the culture in which we live, where so many people are treated as disposable. Learning to embrace embodied ways of thinking and believing that center the belonging of those who have been thrown away, is vital if we are to collectively survive, let alone flourish.
Love this. "Not just queer-affirming, but queer-celebratory" - yes. For non-queer folks - we can move beyond congratulating ourselves for accepting people for who they are, and move toward honoring their leadership and recognizing we are all so much better for having their gifts among us!
Rev. Lauren,
I shared your wonderful reflection with several folks in our Believe Out Loud leadership team at Christ the King parish and with a Nonviolence Conversations group I am working with. My wife, Rachel, pointed out something I overlooked. You used the word “lethal” in conjunction with the drugs found in Nex’s system. I’ve assumed that their death was caused by the head trauma they endured in the beating, as their family had concerns about. Rachel’s observation led me to do a Google search. I found that the medical examiner released a report yesterday with the finding that the cause of death was suicide.
(silence)
While the finding only points to the physical cause of death, it says nothing about the mental abuse perpetrated by individuals before the altercation in the bathroom, the neglect of school leadership, the justification of individuals in positions of authority in Oklahoma, or of the systemic hate that were the true causes of death. I hope at least one of these individuals takes responsibility for this and others’ deaths.
Daniel
Thank you for reading and for your reflections, Daniel. Until yesterday, I’d assumed the same. And, as you say, deaths of despair are absolutely political in nature. They reflect the culture in which we live, where so many people are treated as disposable. Learning to embrace embodied ways of thinking and believing that center the belonging of those who have been thrown away, is vital if we are to collectively survive, let alone flourish.
Love this. "Not just queer-affirming, but queer-celebratory" - yes. For non-queer folks - we can move beyond congratulating ourselves for accepting people for who they are, and move toward honoring their leadership and recognizing we are all so much better for having their gifts among us!