Trish, this post actually meant quite a lot to me. I'm one of those people who refers to himself as "spiritual, but not religious." I believe that Jesus was quite likely the world's greatest humanitarian in history, and I take his teachings (that I know) pretty seriously. I've heard many people quoting the "eye for an eye" passage of the Bible yesterday and today as justification for retaliation. But consider its context:

Matthew 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.

Matthew 5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

I am, by no means, a Biblical scholar, so it took me by surprise to see the phrase so oft-quoted used in this way. To me, it appears that the Bible says that "an eye for an eye" is "resisting not evil." In other words, it is playing into evil's hands, feeding it.

At any rate, it is natural to feel rage at this time. But it is your power that allows you to move past the rage, to find your own peace. As long as we carry our rage, we are somewhat controlled by the actions of others. When we move past that rage, we have again taken control of ourselves.

I could go into a lot more detail about my own feelings of the last two days, but my innate dovishness might be offensive to some who are still justifiably enraged. As time passes, I may post more on the subject. Your rage, Trish, is utterly real and utterly yours. There is no shame in feeling it. That you recognize the negative of it and work to reconcile those feelings is what elevates you personally.

Sorry for the disjointed thoughts. Wanted to express my support in a way personal to me while trying to remain fairly apolitical.