Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Murder in Pennsylvania

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Honestly, I don't know how to respond to this. You know the story by now:

A truck driver armed with three guns, two knives and 600 rounds of ammunition burst into a one-room schoolhouse in this Amish community Monday, lined at least 11 girls against a blackboard and shot them "execution style," killing three before taking his own life, police said.

Sometimes nothing makes sense. Sometimes everything seems hopeless. Sometimes there is nothing but despair. How is this possible?

posted by Michael J.W. Stickings at 1:58 AM

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4 Comments:

  • the angst of being being aware of the void that underlies everything... The abyss makes it possible.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:55 AM  

  • It's chilling, how the killer herded the boys out of the room in order to kill only girls, all of it apparently due to an old grudge.

    It all sounds extremely similar to what happened at the Ecole Polytechnique in 1989 (an anniversary we are quickly approaching) - even down to the methodology, and perhaps, misogynistic ideology. That's the thing that immediately struck me.

    My thoughts and prayers go out to the girls and their families.

    They and the media will try and make sense out of all of this - but I'm not sure they ever truly can or will.

    By Blogger Grace, at 11:57 AM  

  • I agree, CNN will talk endlessly and yet there is no sense to be made out of madness. Those with a pre existing agenda will use this to sell their ideas and pointless legislation will be proposed and every one will have their chance to tell us how angry they are.

    One brief thing that amazed me however was to hear a bearded and straw hatted neighbor say that forgiveness was in order and that forgiveness was the only thing that could ever bring healing.

    I am a frequent critic of people who claim to be religious, but I was moved by this man's testimony. Perhaps I've seen my first Christian.

    By Blogger Capt. Fogg, at 5:41 PM  

  • senjgvkoAs a Christian woman on the west coast, I am deeply saddened. I feel as a society that we need to listen to all people. We as a human race are so caught up in our ownselves that we don't take time to listen to each other. There is no reason these young people should of died. I have a deep respect for a community that can turn the other cheek in this case. I will continue to pray for all families involved, but will also pray for all Americans to listen to each other.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:04 PM  

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