In the last 48 hours, there has been a rash of violence in my hometown which is mind boggling and disturbing....
A 21-year old man is arrested after two children are struck by gunfire into an SUV when a drug deal went bad. One of the children remains in critical condition, with a grim prognosis.
A 28-year old man goes on a rampage in an apparent fit of "road rage", driving at speeds up to 100 mph and ramming another vehicle - with his 1-year old child in the back seat of the car.
A man breaks into the house of his estranged wife and refuses to drop his loaded pistol when police arrive, instead pointing it at officers and drawing fire which results in his death.
And, yet there seems to be an element of evil growing and flourishing here.
Some blame the extreme heat this summer. Perhaps the depressed economy encourages irrational behavior. I am sure there are some socioeconomic factors that factor into the recent surge in crime.
Whatever the cause, though, it is frightening. Discouraging. Disgusting. Has our society started devolving, losing ground against the sweeping tide of corrupt and self-centered behavior where there is no respect or value for human life? Is this trend a passing fluke or is it indicative of what we have come to expect of the world in which we live?
My prayers are with the families involved in all of these situations.....
Those children in the back of the SUV shouldn't have been anywhere near a drug deal - some adult put them into that situation.
That baby's care should not be entrusted to a man who so easily loses control and jeopardizes other lives.
Those police officers never expected to take another man's life when they reported for their shift and their lives will forever be changed because of this man's actions.
I don't have the answers, but I can certainly tell that something is out of whack with our world. Realizing that there is problem is integral to dealing with it, don't you think? Denial will only allow the trend to continue and escalate. Those of us in our safe and snug homes and lifestyles will ultimately find these problems knocking on our own doors. This crazy climate of carelessness and disregard for law and life can affect any one of us in a heartbeat.
I really try not to get up on the soap box too much here on The Porch, but some days, well, it feels like we're living in a Frank Peretti novel. And I want to scream out loud, "Wake up, people!!!"
Okay, stepping down now. But, I would like to hear what you think. Surely I'm not alone in the way I feel about the encroaching craziness of the world.
I totally agree with you and am so scared to raise my daughter in an environment that seems so dangerous and corrupt. The shootings at the theater and the temple make me afraid to ever let my child go out anywhere. But on that note, it makes me so angry that I feel that way!!! It is so sad and I wish I had the answer. I do, but we all have to get on our knees and pray.
ReplyDeleteI love this take, Jane! While I completely agree with what you said, if i may I would also like to offer a slightly different angle on your expressed areas of concern. First of all, as Americans, we have become more and more desensitized to these tragedies as of late because they are occurring seemingly more and more often. However, as reviled as we are at these senseless or heinous acts, "we" here in comfy little Abilene are significantly less shaken by them as they happen around the country, until they begin to take place in our backyards. I tend to liken it to such a scenario as the following: we all see all the commercials on late night television of all the starving and sick children in some impoverished, third world country and we feel horrible(and even somewhat guilty) for all of about 15-30 seconds. But then, if/when we end up teaming up with a local mission team from McMurry, ACU, HSU or a local church and we make the 1-3 week trip during the summer and the things we see and experience up close and personal are so surreal, impactful and unignorable that we are forever changed as a result. (Don't worry, no judgement here. I am able to paint this picture because i have been as guilty of this at times as any of us!) The simple fact is that the ACTUAL distance conveniently affords us the emotional distance needed to continue our lives without being bothered. Unfortunately, I really have no solution to offer, but merely an observation.
ReplyDeleteMy resolution to all this horrific trauma that we have seen at an alarmingly increasing rate both on the national and local level is this: The Lord said that he would eventually allow the wicked to overtake the earth and create their own demise. However, He did not say that no innocent victims would be taken in the process. But He did however promise that the children and the righteous would secure a place next to HIM in the kingdom for eternity and that therefore, we should not waste our precious time on this earth worrying, when we could be using that time to glorify Him instead. The wicked will seal their fate as will the righteous secure theirs. But i agree that it absolutely tugs at your heartstrings and your sense of humanity even more when it occurs here, where we call home. But i would maintain to you that this pseudo-sense of safety that we mistakenly always assumed was "just there", never actually existed except with the Lord.
I am so afraid this is not going to end. It also goes back to the parents (not all the time, but most). You stated above about the kids were present at the drug deal, the child present at the road rage, well, when this is what our children grow up seeing and thinking this is normal behavior, what can we expect from them????? They are not taught better at home, do what they have to do to survive probably, go to school, and so many of their teachers are not respectful people for them to look up to like back in our days. Well, hello, they are our future, and it is just plain scary!!!! You made a comment about some of us being in our safe and snug homes, and I do wish that were true, but I respectfully disagree with you on that statement. None of us are safe in our homes in this crazy, cruel world, and it is only going to get worse. I keep my doors locked even in the daytime. It is literally not safe to go to the grocery store, or wal-mart, even. Recently, we had a young teacher get home late at night, she and her teacher/coach hubby had taken an underpriveleged student to another town for some reason or another helping him out. She went into her home and got her dog to take it out. When she walked out on her deck with the dog, she was shot and killed. ON HER OWN DECK!!! The guy was there to rob them, it was dark, he could have ran, he didn't have to kill the lady! She had a 2 year old child. It is so sad, and he will get a free bed and meal for the rest of his life, waaaayyyyy more than he deserves! I called my dad and he brought me a gun that very day. I don't like having a gun in the house, but at the same time, if someone comes in on me, I want to be able to protect myself if the need arises.
ReplyDeleteOh my, did you say something about a soapbox above? LOL, Be safe and do your best to protect your family. Pray for the little ones that have parents as described in your post. It looks like at this point this is all that we can do???
Oh, and our law??? How do you know which ones to trust these days? So many of them are as corrupt as the common everyday criminals!
Right, right, you mentioned soapbox above, lol. Sorry, I didn't meant to get to rambling. Just be safe!