We are sadly accustomed to almost daily reports of mass deaths and threats in many parts of the world – but not so often here in the United States.
On one page of Wednesday’s paper, there were these headlines:
* “Car bomb kills 15 in Iraq”
* “4 killed in clash near Israel-Lebanon border”
* “4 die in Kashmir protest”
* “Taliban directive targets civil servants”
But we were shocked by a news story from Manchester, Conn., with the headline, ” ‘Cold as ice’ gunman kills 9 in shooting spree.”
We don’t routinely expect such horrible things in our country.
The news account said a truck driver who was accused of stealing beer from a warehouse was told he could quit or be fired. He chose to quit – but then went on a shooting spree among his former fellow employees, killing eight people, wounding two others, and then committing suicide.
We can never know for sure what evil emotions may lurk within some minds, and what stress may trigger.
In this case, many innocent lives were snuffed out, surely inflicting further pain among many members of their families.