Page 15 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 8

MY AFRIKA

There has been domestic abuse for And then the domestic abuser who
a long time all over the world and The simple truth is that, thinks by all means that every of
much has not really been achieved guns don't kill people, it his or her words is supposed to be
as regards dealing with it, but Mr received by others as the governing
Covid-19 has also clearly come to is people that kill people. law of the household. He or she
open some major cans of worms in too is foolish and both instances are
our Afrikan homes. victimize others have at one time or cases of expanded egos and more.
Many have avoided the war of another been victims of the same
words in their homes, using the evil they are trying to unleash on But somehow, there are those who
excuse of going to work, business others and because words are like get involved with domestic violence,
trips and various other excuses. bullets, they always hit their target, not because they hate other peo-
Some were able to at least leave the which in turn creates a never-ending ple, but because they actually love
kids out of their issues because they cycle of terror and revenge, result- and want to be loved and heard by
were in school, but now that the ing in more killings. others. It’s kind of weird though
pandemic lockdown has brought to put in the same sentence love
everyone together at home, the Dealing with the wars of words and violence. But it appears to be
things that were swept under the Even though words are like bullets what it is. But to go deeper into this
carpet must now be faced. And from a gun and have the ability to pattern of violence that comes from
that has given rise to the issue of hit their targets, they are not always supposed love and the quest for ac-
increased domestic abuse. evil or negative words. Men and ceptance, I think people, either by
The UN has described the world- women of great achievements were some act of self-programming or by
wide increase in domestic abuse raised because someone spoke some external influence, have come
as a "shadow pandemic" alongside words of life into them, giving them to attribute selfish desires, emotion-
Covid-19. It’s thought that cases a platform of strength to become al entanglements and feelings to
have increased by 20% during the who they became. To add to this, love. But love is way beyond that,
lockdown, as many people are words are also like seeds and the to say the least. It is beyond feelings
trapped at home with their abusers. hearts that hear them are the soil in of egoistic and selfish emotions.
I have never been a victim of do- which these seeds grow. For just like peace, Love is also a
mestic abuse nor have I ever been And because every seed planted in person and he who must love is
an abuser, so I may not really be receptive soil grows, coupled with required to love the way the Person
able to give original scenarios abuse the ability to multiply, it becomes called Love, loves.
domestic abuse, but I can tell you much more important that the Love from God's eye-view is first
quite frankly that it doesn’t seem silencing the guns project should selflessness and the ability to be in
like a good thing to me. Especially strongly consider domestic issues the position of others in order to
when personally I do not appreciate that are almost always the founda- both understand and appreciate
anyone putting my rights and liberty tion for those who get involved with them for who they are without any
of speech and actions in a box for guns and terrorism. form of influence from our own
whatever reason they may claim to selfish desires. An example of this
have. So from that perspective, I do Triggers of domestic violence selfish desire called love is record-
understand what it would feel like I think that just like you have "trig- ed in 2 Samuel 13:1-16. It's a story
to be trapped, raped, domestically ger happy" policemen or women of rape that happened between
victimized, inhumanely treated, who think that there is some power Amnon and Tamar, both children
all of which are what guns do with in making someone submit to their of King David of Israel. The story
bullets, that is, taking a person's will at gunpoint, so do domestic goes on to say that Amnon was so
right to life away with just a pull of victimizers believe that forceful "in love" with Tamar his half-sister
a metal trigger. So for me, the fight obedience makes them feel pow- that he became so distressed that he
to silence the guns in Afrika is a erful. However, both cases are became sick. Amnon lured Tamar
noble one but the fight to silence nothing but the case of hearts that to his house through the advice of
the guns of deadly words and acts have been seared and a conscience his friend and then he raped her.
of wickedness is much more im- that is dead to the feelings and pain And the Bible said after the act of
portant. Why? Most of the people of others. So you have a terrorist rape was done “Then Amnon hated
both young and old who join terror who thinks the whole world owes her exceedingly, so that the hatred
groups, who go on killing sprees in him something, so he goes about with which he hated her was greater
schools, who maim, oppress and with a gun, killing anyone who does than the love with which he had
not agree with his foolish ideology.

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