continued. . .

Many at the time, and even still, believe we should have carpet bombed the middle east, in one reflexive show of American resolve. Many of us believed on the other hand, peace and understanding was the order of the day. An eye for an eye has never worked at ending the cycle of violence in the world. But neither has pure pacifism, which should never be confused with apathy.

Clearly, our country continues to struggle to find the balance. We still struggle with the most effective response to terrorism. We still have trouble even naming a mass killing as terrorism, whether international or domestic.

So what then is a balanced response to hate? This painting is intended to point to the question without offering a specific solution.