This time, it hits a bit closer to home

While we've almost become accustomed to the horror of individuals gone mad, this time around I have to say it's a bit more personal. While thankfully the larger majority of these types aren't violent and angry, just mislead or....empty from my point of view....the thought has crossed my mind "what if that had been my cousin"? All the telltale symptoms are there, in my cousin's case lacking the violent nature which really brings to light for me how much worse it could have been.

I don't get it. I don't understand the complete lack of humanity. The dead eyes, the anger. The lack of respect for life. The selfishness. People get hurt, either physically and violently and everyone is glad you are gone in the end, or deep down emotionlly and everyone is devistated and angry that you are gone.

And then the rest of us live in fear. I work on a campus, as does Brenda. Big, major campuses. Eveyday I take Tiana to school I worry. A few months ago they caught a guy with a knife hanging around outside the daycare center. On 911, we had middle-eastern workstudy who brazenly told all of us it was our own fault, as events were still unfolding. As webmaster, I get to see a lot of things happening that don't make the media, like the crazy woman who repeatedly threatened and harrassed the administration at my school via letters and email and occassional appearances.

On the other hand, the positve side is there too. The guy with the knife at the school? He was noticed and many people quickly called in the police. He wouldn't have made it inside either center there, if he had even intended to. Last year we had a nut actually try to kidnap a fellow co-worker. Thanks to other fellow coworkers, it didn't happen because they cared enough to put themselves in danger to stop him and get the victim away.

So where do we go from here? Sometimes I feel like the most important lesson i can possible teach Tiana is compassion. Little whistle blower that she is, she doesn't quite get the point of it all but at least we're headed in the right direction. I'd rather she be vocal (OOoo, so vocal so far) about pointing out what is happening around her than ignore it and suffer the consequences later. Although if we don't get it under control that could turn against her too, but well...what can you do? Even we adults don't know where to draw the line between just letting it go, and pushing it because we really believe a person might be a danger.

At least we're learning to fight back. We saw it on 911, we saw it at Columbine, and already we're seeing signs of it coming from Virginia. Heroes willing to stand in the way of the psycho to protect others, if at all possible.

Maybe we aren't losing are humanity after all, just a big chunk of our isolated, troubled youth who we haven't figured out how to talk to.