In the past two days, we have been extremely busy. We wrapped up the magazine in record time (and I believe it is one of the best so far) and made another 6 batches of soap. This all took a lot of concentration and the normally blaring television was turned off early each day.
Yesterday around noon, Tina and I went up to her house to download one final picture. Before taking care of it, Tina needed to check her email. Almost immediately, her SO, popped on and asked if we were anywhere near the Amish shooting. What?
We quickly turned on the silent TV and were confronted with a horror almost incomprehensible. I find it very difficult to write about this, but suffice it to say that a people of peace and innocence were defiled by evil. The depth of the feelings of the whole community was demonstrated by first responders who left the scene in tears and a colonel of our State Police who needed to collect himself during his reciting of the events at a press conference.
I think the worst part is that the victims were so young, innocent and totally defenseless.
When I think of innocence, I remember when our son was small, probably around the same age as some of the youngest victims. We, for some reason, were driving through the battlefield at Gettysburg. He saw the cannons along the road and asked what they were. It brought home to me how gently and carefully we had raised him when I explained that they were used to kill people during war. He looked at me with shock on his little face and said, "What would they ever want to do THAT for?" That day marked the beginning of his understanding of evil and perhaps mine of innocence.
This act, so contrary to the Amish way of life, must have been just as totally surreal to the little victims. For some, the first time they looked evil in the face marked the end of their lives.
And, you know, everywhere in the world there is killing, senseless and evil. Nothing is solved. Nothing is accomplished. "What WOULD they ever want to do that for?"
2 comments:
From what I understand, perhaps some more details of yesterday's events have come to light, and if the speculation is true about what he really was planning for these girls, then perhaps those that passed quickly were spared a horrendous ordeal. In either respect, I still can't wrap my brain around it, and I still can't see how anyone can look into the face of a child and still be able to follow through with their violent thoughts... I mean... for me, no matter what my kids are doing to anger me, and no matter how upset they are making me...when I see their faces and their innocent little eyes, I can't help but put aside any negative feelings. I just don't get it.
**hugs**
You know what else...what really bothers me... you know how people talk about an event "hitting home"? To me, this hit BEYOND home! First you heard about school violence in cities where you would expect it. Next you started hearing about them in "home town" America where violence is a bit more unexpected...but now we have just passed...flown...right past home into the LAST place you would feel unsafe. You think you move from teh city into the suburbs and it's better...you think you move from the suburbs to the rural farm and it's even better yet...but now the rural farm doesn't even present itself as a safe place to be. I mean, I'm not naive to think there is ever a safe place to be...but I still did have hopes that your odds were better in some situations than others. Now I really don't know what to believe. It's almost swinging as if it is safer to live in the big city! I'm just rambling...but it just bothers me because even those people that try to remain removed from the harsh nitty gritty crazy violent and selfish lives the rest of us are leading can quickly get sideswiped without a chance to even realize what is happening. I bet some of those kids had never even seen what a gun was before or knew that some people use them to kill other people. It just really makes my heart heart. (Thanks for letting me rant because today I'm past the shock and onto the anger.)
Post a Comment