Perspective vs. Perception

The New York Times headline this morning is the “shooting” in Las Vegas last night—early reports suggesting that 50 people were killed and over 200 hurt. The police have confirmed that the suspect is dead, apparently killed by the police.  The NY Times reported in 2015 that a “mass shooting” (“shootings that left four or more people wounded or dead”) occurs at least once a day in the United States.  “…An average of 18 people die every day (in the US) as a result of a fatal shooting,” according to a 2013 report.  The United States, with five percent of world’s population, is home to nearly one-third of the world’s mass shooters (statistics for the period 1966 to 2012).  

The mass shooting at the Orlando gay nightclub last year was the deadliest mass shooting in the history of the United States.  Or was it a terrorist attack?  It depends on your perspective.  The presumptive presidential candidates at the time saw it differently.  Hilary Clinton said, “This is the deadliest mass killing in the history of the United States and it reminds us once more that the weapons of war have no place on our streets.” Donald Trump said, “It was the worst terrorist attack on our soil since 9/11, and the second of its kind in six months.”  A CBS Poll later confirmed that people viewed the Orlando shooting based on their political affiliations.

Our past, our friends, our news media, all contribute to how we see Orlando, San Bernardino, and Las Vegas (and anything else for that matter):  a mass shooting or a terrorist attack? Perspective is a point of view, but perception is an individual’s interpretation of things.  We use the words interchangeably, but the difference may be significant.  If my point of view (perspective) determines or holds captive my interpretation of things (perception) I may never grow, change, or develop either socially, intellectually or spiritually.  We must rise above our “point of view!”

On the Nile--Egypt 2010