Friday, August 2, 2013

Sikh Anniversary

Related:

Sikh Shooting in Wisconsin
Sikh Shooter SITEing
Sikh Shooter Censorship

No need for that now with this agenda-pushing, one-day wonder of officialdom:

"Wis. Sikhs plan peaceful rites to mark shooting" by Dinesh Ramde |  Associated Press, August 01, 2013

OAK CREEK, Wis. — Sikh temples generally have four doors, one on each side of the building, as a symbolic invitation to travelers in every direction. But after a lone gunman walked into a Milwaukee-area Sikh temple last year and killed six people, some of the survivors suggested rethinking their openness.

After consideration and contemplation, temple members kept the policy, deciding it was important to show the world the best way to stand against violence was to respond with love, peace, and compassion.

That I agree with.

Still, officials at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin took precautions. A guard now works three days a week in the lobby, opening the door for visitors and keeping watch on the grounds and parking lot. Additional security cameras and lighting have been installed. Doors and windows are now bulletproof, and the locks have been upgraded.

But even as temple members prepare to mark the one-year anniversary of the shootings on Monday, the Oak Creek temple remains open to everyone. All members of the community, Sikh and non-Sikh alike, are always welcome to join them for meditation and free meals, a temple member said.

Temple officials will be holding a series of memorial events in connection with the shooting anniversary. The events include several solemn religious rites over the weekend and culminate with a candlelight vigil.

The events are being planned in the spirit of ‘‘chardhi kala,’’ a Punjabi term that refers to a state of constant optimism. Sikhs believe a positive attitude, even during times of hardship, reflects an acceptance of the will of God, temple trustee Harcharan Gill said.

‘‘In Sikhism, it’s tough to lose somebody but God probably needed him earlier and called him back,’’ he said of the deceased. ‘‘We accept whatever decision he makes.’’

Memorial events begin Friday at the federal courthouse in Milwaukee, where US Attorney James Santelle will hold a special remembrance. Santelle’s office and the FBI investigated the shooter’s background for months before concluding that his motive for attacking the temple died along with him that day.

Wade Michael Page walked into the temple a year ago Monday and opened fire. He killed six priests and worshippers and wounded five others, and then fatally shot himself after he was wounded in the parking lot by a police sniper.

The 40-year-old Army veteran, who also shot and severely wounded an Oak Creek police officer, had ties to white supremacist groups.

Who was a member of a psyops team.

But the FBI found no evidence to suggest he had help or was acting in the name of any such groups.

Of course not.

Several relatives of the wounded and dead say they forgave the gunman long ago. Raghuvinder Singh, whose 65-year-old father has been nearly comatose since Page shot him, said he draws strength from Sikhism’s lessons of compassion and understanding.

‘‘I was talking about forgiveness from the first day this happened,’’ said Singh, a Sikh priest along with his father and brother. ‘‘Sikhism is a peaceful religion. What Sikhism is teaching to us, we are teaching to others. We practice it our whole lives.’’

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Also seeSunday Globe Special: Aurora Anniversary