Just a few reflections this week on three individuals that have been in the news recently. Not actually household names, to be sure, but names that have appeared in all the media outlets due to tragedies in their respective lives.
Let's take a brief look at all three: Little Victoria, from Woodstock, Ontario, was kidnapped weeks ago and has never been seen since. In one of justice's true ironies, two people have been arrested and charged with her murder, yet her body has never been recovered.
Brad Clemes is one of 228 souls that are missing and presumed drowned somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Mr. Clemes, a resident of Belgium, but a citizen of Canada, was a soft drink executive who was returning to Europe from trip to Brazil.
Then there is Tiller, gunned down while ushering at church a few days ago. That sounds horrendous enough, until one discovers that he was the infamous Dr. George Tiller, who, along with his minions of medical madmen, was directly and indirectly involved in the abortion of 60,000 innocent babies over the past twenty years. "A late-term abortionist" would be a precise description of the man.
I think any civilized person, and by extension, any civilized society, is repulsed at the thought of unplanned death - be it the death of sweet little girl simply going home after school, the strange tragedy of a plane crash, or the ambush of a citizen in a public arena.
Not for one moment do I equate any one of these deaths, however. As a father, I am sickened by the thought of someone taking and ravaging one of my kids. I don't know how civilized I would be if I came face to face with the murderer of one of my kids. While I don't think we know the whole family story yet, I do know that those responsible for young Tori's death should face the full force of justice.
Likewise, I am chilled by the thought that a simple trip on a plane could end in such a gruesome way. A simple jaunt, an unexpected interruption, and scores upon scores of lives are lost. I have a son going both ways on a plane to a wedding in the States very soon. Something and anything could go horribly wrong, though that won't stop me from letting him go.
I don't know the details of the motivation of the murderer of Dr. Tiller. Those in the pro-choice camp (a serious misnomer, if there ever was) will see this as further evidence that those who are in the whole life camp are crazed idiots. This is, of course, a lie, but I admit that there are extremists on each side of the fight - Tiller and his murderer being good examples. This also adds to the growing intolerance with what the Homeland Security people are dubbing "stateside terrorists." I don't think that the likes of Dr. Tiller should be gunned down, no matter how reprehensible his barbarian quest for a so-called woman's right was. Again, the person who took out Tiller should also be charged with first-degree murder.
Death. What a subject! No one wants to talk about, so we often come up with euphemisms (nice ways of saying bad things) for it. We use such expressions as "passed away," "met his Maker," or "is in a better place." Personally, I find that a polite way of discussing another's decease is most acceptable.
Age, health, income, culture, or even religion: It seems that none of these factor into preserving life or preventing death. I could be dead before this goes to print, or you could be, too. I am not here to preach to you about whether you are ready to die, whether there is life after death, or any questions about reincarnation, karma, hell, or just worm fodder. I would love to sometime, but that is not part of this column's mandate.
So, enjoy the present; you may not have the future. A walk home to your mother, a flight home from travelling abroad, or a morning in a public place of worship could be the last thing you do.
I would simply say that you should view death as an unexpected trip: Make sure your proverbial bags are packed and ready to go at all times. And when your ticket comes up, be ready to go.
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