Once again, our hearts are broken as the result of evil running amok in a school. The tragedy is compounded when it is a repeat murderous assault on the most vulnerable of humans — children in a classroom who looked forward to going home to play and be with their families.
No matter the tool the evil-doer used, the aguish is the same, whether fire, bombs, long rifles, handguns, vehicles or tools of war. The human heart is deceptively wicked and seeks ways to harm others when that evil is not held in check.
I recall a radio program we listened to in the early 1950s called The Shadow. It always began with sinister music and “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows,” followed by a horrible laugh and more sinister music.
Evil is no laughing matter. We can gloss over it and say it is “just a phase” or “it’s only those kinds of people,” when in fact, if we look deep enough into a mirror we might be horrified to see remnants of that within our view.
It is past time to stop pointing fingers at this group or that group and saying or thinking it is “they,” when collectively it is all of us.
Our political parties and secret terrorist groups here and abroad have one goal: to have power over “everyone not like us,” by being elected or by remaining in office. Most of the people serving are truly trying to make a difference, but the history and the secret goals of “being the boss of bosses” lurks in far too many hearts. What the party in power desires is not always what the real people want and not many bother, or care, to try to govern by laws that are consistent with long-held reality as being good for any people for thousands of years to be valuable laws to live by.
We the people have been obsessed with “my way” instead of what is best for the whole. Does your hand think it is better than your fingers? Does your heart consider itself to be more important than your brain? No, of course not.
At this additional evil tragedy that has fallen within our state and nation, could we not begin to think rationally about how to help the thousands of people who are truly mentally ill and have no help because of stigma? No longer are our mental facilities dungeons, but they are understaffed and who wants to work there? Pay is not great. What is it worth to each of us? What are we each willing to do about aiding and healing, if possible, the evil that creates these horrible crimes?
Of course, there are many nations facing wars and terror in their own places today, but we here in the United States at one time were united — but it seems we are more untied today than for a very long time.
Wake up, please. And let us all human beings living in the USA begin today to work as one united against evil and stop the finger-pointing and blame games. Please — not one more innocent child — fill in the blank.
Carol Lutsinger lives in Brownsville.
