Rest in peace Mark.
Sometimes the best place to begin is at the end. I found out this afternoon that a former co-worker was killed in his home yesterday by some sort of intruder after returning from a doctor's appointment. I don't really have any further detail as to what happened nor am I interested in knowing. It is not unlike my friend Mike's best friend whose wife was violently raped and murdered a year or so ago while he was out of town on a business trip. Houston in and of itself is a miserable place to live by comparison to much of the country, but it shares the same story as Chicago, New York, or LA... turn on the television and see crime. Spend much time here and you witness it or experience it. The desensitization that occurs as a natural byproduct of circumstance when living in a big city isn't quite the same as that induced by movies. It's real and it's all around, so people grow numb to cope. Sometimes when the named involve people either of direct relation or familiarity or a reasonable degree of separation, it jolts the system and initiates reflection. Unlike some locales of not-so-southern values, most homes (including mine) are sufficiently equipped with firearms, ammunition, and intent to initiate lethal self defense if the situation warrants. Shamefully we, as a society, have fallen to this low. Good and evil has always been around, but I'd like to think we could revisit a simpler time where moral fortitude was king and all things bad lived in place that took conscious effort to not only discover, but provoke. This is the world we leave our children. Let us not even begin to discuss how we are destroying the Earth... isn't it bad enough that we are destroying each other?
Gah. Terrible, I’m sorry this has touched your life. Personally, I believe we all owe society something but when it comes to survival we have to be a least a bit prepared. Seriously, I’m sorry to hear this, I never lived “In” Houston so, I am really not used to violence. Small town living, we hardly lock our doors, but it happens there too.
Although I have a gun, I prefer to use a baseball bat against any would be intruder - quite satisfying to feel the crack of the bat on crushing bone to let out my aggression and adrenalin on a threat to my family.
But I don’t feel threatend at all in our neighborhood - we live in a very safe place compared to the rest of Houston.
Here in England there’s not so much of that kinda crime except in the big cities, which i tend not to visit for long… although even in my little village there have been three murders in the last 5 years… its disturbing i know but, as a further thought to your last point - maybe destroying the earth is part of the same mentality and carelesness of people as hurting each other? cus either way we are destroying ourselves, it just so happens one way is more legal at the moment? just a thought :)
Mike
Sad reality is, you can live in a small town and still be a victim of a violent crime. Caution, not fear is a neccessity.
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