Happy 4th of July

I hope that your 4th of July was full of good food, good family/friends, and fun. The 4th of July happens to be my 2nd favorite holiday of the year, just getting edged out by Thanksgiving, and it's not just happenstance that food and family/friends are two integral parts of both of these holidays. I would be remiss if I did not take some time to thank the brave men and women that serve our country. Your sacrifices make every day that we enjoy possible, and there will never be anything we as normal citizens can do that will ever repay you for these sacrifices. With that said, it was one of the coolest things that I've ever seen when the Braves and Marlins squared off last night on Fort Bragg. For those that didn't know, a baseball stadium was constructed in about 3 months on the Fort Bragg Military Base in North Carolina. Last night the Braves and Marlins played a game on the base with all of the tickets going to servicemen and women and their families. I enjoyed following along on social media and seeing the players and military members interacting throughout the entire day leading up to the game. I also thought it was a nice touch, in addition to the pageantry, when the Braves allowed some of the members in attendance at the game to take control of their Twitter account and have Q&A sessions with fans. All in all it was a great event, and bravo to Major League Baseball, the Braves, and the Marlins for finding a new way to honor the men and women that give our country so much.

This week, I wanted to focus on something that is much bigger than basically everything I deal with on a daily basis. In the past week, and during the Holy Month of Ramadan, ISIL and other "Islamic" terrorist organizations throughout the world have perpetrated acts of violence against innocent civilians. And I have to say, I was a little ashamed of myself. I would go online and read about each new attack that occurred and had basically become desensitized to what had happened. For starters, these attacks were happening on the other side of the world, far away from the comfort I enjoyed in Bloomington. I would read the headlines, maybe a story or two, and would move on with my day without another thought- and thinking back on it I am ashamed of myself. These are insane acts of violence that are done by people that are motivated by hate rather than love. A hate so passionate that they are willing to kill themselves just to make their point. It's disgusting, and I am truly distraught by the suffering these people are causing.

However, one story caught my eye and gave me hope, hope that the love we share for the same family and friends we spend our holidays with will overpower any evildoers. In a story posted by Jennifer Brett of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, link below, I read about a student from Atlanta's Emory University named Faraaz Hossain. Faraaz was given the opportunity to leave and not remain a hostage of the terrorists who took control of a cafe in Dhaka. However, Faraaz did not leave. He decided to stay with his friends that he was with. Once the dust was cleared and authorities were able to clear the scene, Faraaz was found with the other hostages who were killed. I am saddened by the fact that I will never get the opportunity to get to know Faraaz. In the midst of all the chaos, Faraaz showed that even in the darkest of times, love and friendship will last forever. I send my condolences to Faraaz's family, friends, and classmates at Emory. I cannot imagine the sadness you feel right now, and while I know there is nothing that I can say or do that will be able to help alleviate that pain, I want you to know that Faraaz's life was not taken in vain.

Courtesy: Heavy.com

I hope that I can be as good of a friend to mine that Faraaz was to his. Obviously I never hope to be in the middle of a hostage situation, but the idea is that I would do anything to help them in their time of need. To show them that no matter the time, place, or situation that love truly does conquer all. This gets me back to my original point. Hate can only motivate someone so far. And while hate might make gains in the short run, love will always win in the end. RIP Faraaz

Link: http://buzz.blog.ajc.com/2016/07/03/emory-student-killed-in-bangaladesh-could-have-escaped-but-wouldnt-leave-his-friends-behind/


Duncan Hensley
Kelley School of Business
Indiana University '18