Only You Can Prevent City Fires

News today out of Argentina and Paris show various youths starting urban fires in response to recent events. In Argentina, several anti-Bush protesters gathered, listened to Hugo Chavez, and began to riot. There was intense damage to private property.

Also, in Paris, immigrant youth rioted in response to the deaths of two youths hiding from police. City fires have also destroyed many buildings.

Why do certain individuals think that the fire inside can only be manifested and expressed through fire outside? What sort of math does one calculate whereby one arrives at the conclusion that starting fires, destroying buildings, and sparking violence is a method by which to market your message? Like the idiot fans who start fires after their team wins a championship, protesters today start fires instead of strengthening the flames within all of us.

The latest issue of US News and World Report features 25 leaders who are shaping the way the world works. None of them use violence or manipulation as a tactic. All speak of leadership as a journey, a much sought after gift, or a sacred responsibility. All advocate change, whether it be in a system, an industry, or an individual. But none believe that change will happen by angry people with too much time on their hands and too little direction.

Gandhi told us that we must be the change we wish to see in the world. Margaret Mead reminded us that a small group of individuals, singularly motivated, is the only thing that has ever changed the world. And the Argentine protesters show us what a waste passion without direction can be. You can hate George Bush all you want – that’s called freedom. But you must let your hatred fuel an alternative – that’s called leadership. Letting your hate fuel irresponsible action – that’s called failure.

As one who invests almost daily in the lives of youth, it saddens me to see so many youth in South America and Europe use vibrant energy unique to their age to make headlines via violence and arson. Because I work with youth, I see remarkable potential, that if correctly channeled, can change worlds. Forest fires and city fires usually start because of irresponsibility (someone leaves a candle burning or doesn’t put out a campfire). These fires start and quickly spread due to many sources of fuel in the pathway (trees, wood-framed houses). But internal fires are a little trickier. They start because of a reaction in the core of our being. And they spread because we convince others it’s a battle worth fighting. The trick is to keep the fire burning inside. Letting the internal fire for justice become an outside fire of aggression destroys the person-fuel that justice so badly needs.