In Florida 17 high school students were killed by a troubled 19-year-old.
News briefs report, that he was upset because his mother had died of an illness. While, we understand that losing some-one in the family is painful, killing innocent people is not the answer to your pain.
We are very fortunate those type of incidents haven’t happened in the Rio Grande Valley. Maybe it’s the culture in South Texas that has kept us safe from mass shootings.
Not that the Valley is immune to crime, yes, there are plenty of thefts, burglaries, drug trafficking, human smuggling, and domestic issues, but no mass shootings.
Family values are so important, I distinctly remember at the dinner table, our parents telling us not to do something that would embarrass the family.
If we broke the law, there were consequences, we were reminded. Or maybe it was the way our parents bonded with their children; the hugs, the blessings before going to school or work, the way our mother resolves family conflicts between family members, (including father and son).
Or maybe it was the way we were taught to engender the elderly, and respect for others, family or not.
I don’t know what it is that has kept us safe, but I treasure family values and respect for others, as for the Rio Grande Valley, I hope it stays as it is.
Frank Garcia
Harlingen
