2017
October
02
Monday

Monitor Daily Podcast

October 02, 2017
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Mark Sappenfield
Senior global correspondent

Hardly a week goes by, it seems, without more news of Western democracies on the boil. This weekend, it was violence in Catalonia amid a controversial referendum to secede from Spain. Last week, it was a German election that showed shrinking faith in the status quo.

What is this malaise that seems to seep from country to country? Sunday’s vote in Catalonia in some ways offered the clearest picture of the answer. It showed what a lack of trust looks like. Catalans don’t think Madrid has their best interests at heart, so they voted in a referendum that Spain tried to disrupt in every way possible.

To differing degrees, the same happened in the United States, Britain, France, and Germany. Each election these days is a vote for independence, in a way – an attempt to liberate governments we distrust more and more.

The picture is upheaval and tension. But really, it is a search for Democracy 2.0. Democracies only work when they have the trust of the governed. From Barcelona to Bath, the West is searching to reestablish that foothold.

Here are our five stories for today – on community, courage, and a creative attempt to address a persistent problem in the job market. 


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Today’s stories

And why we wrote them

On Sunday, a gunman in Las Vegas attacked a country music festival, killing at least 58. But in doing so, he attacked a tightknit community grounded in faith, love of family, and heart.

Evan Vucci/AP
Marie Louise Gorsuch reaches out to her husband, Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, after the Rose Garden re-enactment of his swearing-in ceremony in April.

There is no question where President Trump has had his greatest influence on government: in the judiciary. 

Reopening schools after last month's earthquake in Mexico is requiring teachers to add something else to reading, writing, and arithmetic: courage. 

Difference-maker

Michael McLoone/Special to the Christian Science Monitor
Jerome Smith Sr., a Milwaukee minister, runs a project that connects workers from the inner city with companies north of the city, including free rides each day from the city to the workplace.

We hear it over and over again: America has jobs, but there's a disconnect between the jobs available and the people who need them. A Milwaukee church is at the forefront of one attempt to fix that. 

Breakthroughs

Ideas that drive change

It turns out, we might be able to cool our homes and offices in the future by shooting the excess heat into space. Seriously. 


The Monitor's View

Yasmina Chavez/Las Vegas Sun via AP
Volunteers help unload water brought by the Las Vegas community for the people taking refuge inside the Thomas & Mack Center following the Oct. 2 mass shooting.

When the final history of the Las Vegas mass killing is written, it will not be complete without a mass retelling of how people responded during the carnage:

Of how strangers helped strangers escape the sniper’s bullets. Of how concertgoers fell on others to shield them. Of how Nevada’s first responders quickly found the shooter and rescued hundreds. And of how Americans prayed and found unity as they mourned the dozens lost and sought to comfort the families.

The reason such tales are important is that they reflect the very qualities – such as poise, sacrifice, and compassion – needed to help prevent another mass killing. Shooters like Stephen Paddock generally act out of anger, fear, or hopelessness, even though on the surface they may seem suicidal or driven by ideology. Many of them seek to evoke in others the dark emotions they feel. Yet the rest of society cannot mirror the deeper angst of a killer. The more a tragedy’s inspiring acts of love and courage are highlighted, the easier it would be for people to influence troubled individuals prone to violence.

A cycle of hate or fear must be broken quickly. Within 12 hours of the Las Vegas killings, for example, government officials were expressing public gratitude for the hundreds of volunteers, police, health workers, and others who saved lives and acted without hesitation. Even as officials spoke of collective solutions such as tighter gun laws or better protection for public events, they sought to reinforce the qualities that can counter the evil behind such violence.

Or as President Trump told the nation in a TV address: “[I]t is our love that defines us today. And always will. Forever.” His words were similar to those of President Barack Obama after another mass killing here in the United States: “Scripture teaches us, ‘God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.’ ”

As Americans discuss what new measures might prevent another mass shooting, they should recall the traits of character displayed during the night of Oct. 1. What happened in Las Vegas in response to the killings should not stay in Las Vegas.


A Christian Science Perspective

About this feature

Each weekday, the Monitor includes one clearly labeled religious article offering spiritual insight on contemporary issues, including the news. The publication – in its various forms – is produced for anyone who cares about the progress of the human endeavor around the world and seeks news reported with compassion, intelligence, and an essentially constructive lens. For many, that caring has religious roots. For many, it does not. The Monitor has always embraced both audiences. The Monitor is owned by a church – The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston – whose founder was concerned with both the state of the world and the quality of available news.

Which astonishes us more – good or evil? As global onlookers, our response matters. Or, to put it another way, when we hear about terrible acts of violence, do we react with a kind of helpless and shocked fatalism, or do we take a step back and mentally re-anchor ourselves with a conviction of the power of humanity’s capacity to respond by living love more? The Bible says: “I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; ... blessing and cursing: therefore choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:15, 19). How? By loving God, and by realizing that we are empowered by God, divine Love, to love each other. To be sure, evil can seem impressive. But following God’s commandments – loving Him and our neighbor – enables us to overcome evil with good. The Almighty, sheltering both the slain and those who love them under Her wings, is far more astonishing than anything evil would claim to be or do.


A message of love

Felipe Dana/AP
Independence supporters march during a demonstration in downtown Barcelona, Spain, Oct. 2. Catalan leaders accused Spanish police of brutality while the Spanish government said security forces were behaving firmly and proportionately. Videos and photographs of clashes, by onlookers and media, were shown worldwide.
( The illustrations in today’s Monitor Daily are by Jacob Turcotte. )

A look ahead

Thanks for reading today. Tomorrow, we'll continue to follow the Supreme Court's new term. As the court looks into the constitutionality of partisan gerrymandering, we break the topic down into three graphics to explain what's at stake.  

More issues

2017
October
02
Monday

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