In Memoriam: Six Peace-Loving Sikh Worshipers of Milwaukee Wisconsin

I don't know how many have heard, read, or seen this news story, but I felt very heart-broken upon seeing the news and following the unfolding mystery of this random act of racist killing.

http://m.nydailynews.com/1.1130438

As a tolerant, empathetic, and genuinely loving person I wish to respect these people, all with familys like everyone else.

They were murdered senselessly and out of hate in their Temple. Their loss is felt around the world by the Sikh community, their families, myself, and countless others.

Satwant Singh Kaleka, 62 years of age
Prakash Singh, 39 years of age
Paramjit Kaur, 41 years of age
Shubeg Singh Khatra, 84 years of age
Ranjeet, 45 years of age, and Seeta Singh, 43 years of age, brothers

May your passing be remembered and may Waheguru guide your spirits to their rightful place. You deserved better from your fellow Americans.

May the Force be with you in death as it was in life.

-Lykeios Lysios-

Note: The ignorant white supremacist mass-murderer was also killed (by police) in this tragedy. I have struggled with feelings of hate and anger toward him but have been awed by the serene reactions of the families of the lost and their fellow Temple members. In light of this fact I would like to add the killer's name (Wade Michael Page, 42 years of age) to the list of remembrances, even if only as a reminder of how intolerant, callous, ignorant, and violent people can be in this world. In my opinion, he deserves to be remembered only in that light.

Here is another article on the tragedy that has more information on what happened for those that haven't seen the story and are interested:
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/06/nation/la-na-milwaukee-sikh-shootings-20120807

One of those times that I'm happy I'm not white.
Stupid racist people that don't know how to handle themselves.
Undeserving of the title human.
Killing 2 brothers, and a MOTHER, for an unjustified fear.

Solari wrote: One of those times that I'm happy I'm not white.

You say that, but there are plenty of people out there who are racist and aren't white.

What you are doing is splitting it into 'us' and 'them'...should I be ashamed to be white because it means I'm associated with the murderer? I don't see it like that. We're all human. This was one guy with racist issues, and the colour of his skin just happened to be white.

The Sikh community (who have been erroneously believed Muslim because of the turbans they wear) raised $10,000 to support the family of Lt. Brian Murphy, the police officer who was wounded during the shooting, in addition to the support that they are giving to the family of the victims.

I just read that the Lt. is now in satisfactory condition, which I am glad to hear.

Thank you so much for the information!

I thought about mentioning the hero in my post, but decided, unfortunately in hindsight, to focus on those who were lost.

The officer deserves recognition for his courage. As I recall he was shot 6-8 times and still waved the second responders past and into the Temple (he was shot in the parking lot). The coward literally went into the Holy place guns blazing.

My contempt for this murderer's malice and admiration for the actions of Sadwat Singh Kaleka are inexpressable. As I read it, and as shown in the first article of my original post, this extraordinary man was killed attempting to subdue the murderer. I read elsewhere that Satwant actually tried to subdue him with a blunt Kirpan (which is little more than an oversized and sacred butter knife that a certain group, known as Khalsa, of Sikh's carry as a symbol of their duty as Holy Defenders/Warriors). This man is deserving of respect as much as the courageous Lieutenant and I was neglectful in mentioning both these men in the OP. Satwant Singh Kaleka is unquestionably deserving of the title "Singh," which, in Punjabi, means "Lion" and is given to all male Khalsa.

As an interesting and informative note, and in respect to the people and culture I am honoring here: The male last (or middle) name Singh is one quick way to distinguish a Sikh from a Hindu. As is the name Kaur (meaning "princess") for women. This is why, if anyone has ever wondered, Sikh married couples often have different last names. Upon induction into the Khalsa the men are given the honorific name Singh and the women are given Kaur in the same sense. Often the Khalsa will take these names as replacement for their birth surname, but this isn't always the case (as evidenced by the full names of both Satwant Singh Kaleka and Shubeg Singh Khatra).