14 Dead, 18 Shot Friday 4/3 at 10:30am in Binghamton, NY 2 blocks from my office sits the American Cvic Association. it runs on a shoe string budget/ a United Way Agency, and remains as one of the main reasons that we are the greatest Democracy on the planet. We evacuated after the bomb squad arrived Friday at noon. Just got back from my neighbors funeral. She was teaching English as a 2nd language and was killed in cold blood because a wacked out prick was laughed at in class. She leaves behind 10 children 17 grand children and my 2 nieces that ate her cookies and played in her doll houses. We are all mad and sad.
Such devastating and horrible news. I was greatly saddened by that terrible event, and I am so sorry to hear it has reached so close to you and your family.
Words can't adequately express the feelings that this creates. In fact it's pretty hard to get your head around a tragedy like this. Mostly you compartmentalize it by saying to yourself that it happened somewhere else to people that you don't know, but then you find out that you are only one step removed. Please know that our thoughts are with you and your community. Tom
Thank you all for the support. Talking about it helps. I can't stop thinking that if one person had committed a random act of kindness(RAK) towards this person that this migh not have happened.
That is possible, I suppose. Perhaps you could have done that? At the same time, you may already have done it -- or many other people -- but this person was just incapable of or unwilling to accept any kindnesses or affection or assistance of any kind. I will not deny you the reality of your fears and self-doubts, but I'll encourage you to take a few moments to talk this out with some close friends. If there is fault to be found in you, then it is something we share in common. Who is to say I should not have been THE one to have changed his life. Or, perhaps I should have been ONE of THE ones to have done something different. Well, you can see how this goes. I think the "perfectly executed" act of kindness is one for which you really do not know the full extent of its effect and value. Ponder for a few moments, at least, the kindnesses you've offered in recent years. Are you anxious to take responsibility for all of the great things that happen to the people you've touched? Not likely. So why take significant blame (personally, not socially) for one sadly-misguided soul?
I can understand your grief, and I wish you comfort in the days coming. Also I must say: No-one knows the crap that flows through the mind of a demented killer that would blame others for their lot in life. It's easy to lay blame on people that may be seen as not openly trying to solve the demented persons problems in life; but, when do we say that they are responsible for their own destiny, their future... and when do we say that the responsibility for heinous acts against innocent folks lie squarely on the shoulders of those that perpetrate those acts. It was evident that the murderer was having difficult times fitting into American society... well, what else is new... life IS tough, and people have to adapt and improve themselves if they want to be successful... the murderer's crime against his neighborhood isn't something that could really be prevented IMO, not because of a lack of a RAK, but because the murderer was not your average/normal/run-of-the-mill person trying to live in American society... the murderer blamed others for his failures, and sought out to trap and intentionally murder helpless people to enable him to be marked as a suicide-by-cop... which even then he didn't have the balls to complete. It never hurts to improve another persons life with the random acts of kindness and generosity... but we must also keep in mind that there will be some people that you cannot reach, that you cannot uplift, that you cannot help with whatever act you perform for or with them because they will not accept that they need to change themselves, or their behavior, to attain the goal(s) that they envy others have attained. Don't beat yourself up because some moron with a gun takes their frustration out on innocent folks around them... that has happened throughout the history of man... while it is truly a sad event, it is usually not something anyone else but the shooter can stop.
+1, and probably worded more kindly than I would have. It's magical thinking to believe that some "act of kindness" would/could have changed the course of these events. Indeed there may well have been dozens of acts of kindness bestowed upon the killer and yet he did this anyway. There's one and only one person guilty here...the shooter.
and yet this is a recuring act more and more frequent in these last days "as the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one"Fifty years or so ago an act of that sort would have a song written about it, " Hang down your head Tom Dooley" but today In a few days it will be old news. How sad
Over weekend 50 ACA students became US Citizens. It is why we are greatest Country in World. Colombine Anniversary today. Our high schools are safer. But, not many other places. Saw my favorite movie on Saturday "Pay It Forward" with Kevin Spacie and Helen Hunt. Need for more of that in this world.
