We had a horrendous happening here in our little close-knit town this past weekend. So unspeakable that my pacifist mind and spirit have trouble comprehending. Two innocent people in our community were shot to death needlessly.
Of course, Facebook lit up almost as quickly as it happened as this has become mine and it seems, everyone else’s, standard way of getting up-to-the-minute news, and the news hit our town with terror and fear.
To me, it makes me think of someone having a rough day and becoming agitated and stressed the way I seem to do some days when housework overruns me or appointments all needing to be met or maybe my husband is in an irritating mood. (Been there?) But I can honestly say that I’ve never had the urge to murder someone at one of these times. Run away? Yes, maybe, but never to execute the offender.
I say this to input this. I am not an unfeeling or heartless person and I feel empathy for those who struggle with mental illness, but do we make it too easy in our laws for people to use this as a “cop-out” for such a severe atrocity.
Sure, the offender was someone’s husband, father, brother, son and friend, and so were the two people who were needlessly killed. I so have empathy for the sickness of mental illness, but sometimes I believe we let the system get away with more than we should.
How can someone be so sick and disturbed to be working a legitimate job one day and the next day just turn into crazy for a few minutes?
Now, I will slow down here and tell you I am no expert on problems of our psyche and never claimed to be, but I have trouble with someone normal until he gets mad and then turns into a killer. Then the people he has killed had nothing to do with his anger problem to begin with. Where’s the sense?
I realize that there will be many readers who disagree with me, and I am sorry we don’t agree, either with your thinking or with mine. I just wish and pray that if you have someone in your family or in your family of friends that you can tell is struggling with this illness, please have the courage to encourage them to get the help they need and just love on them until they do before someone else is hurt beyond repair.
---
Lemon 7UP cake
1 box of lemon cake mix
1 box of lemon instant pudding
4 eggs
¾ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup of 7UP
Zest of 1 lemon
Mix all together and pour into a Bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour. Glaze with 1 cup of powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice.
