Simply Tragic

I awoke this morning to news of a press conference on the murder of a child and the subsequent arrest of another child for her death. It is always sad when a young life is lost and even more sad when it is one of our own. Surely, no one, especially no one in Jefferson County, is untouched by this story. Two young lives were lost on Saturday evening and two families will never be the same. It is simply tragic.

For me, one of the most difficult parts of being the new media is walking the line between reporting and sensationalizing. While I truly believe in the people’s right to be informed, I get queasy at the idea of someone else’s horror becoming just business as usual. Maybe that is wrong but I just don’t care. We all have to live with the choices that we make and I feel strongly that there are no winners in situations like this one and no one gets a gold star for shining a light on grieving families or school children that have lost their friends.

Perhaps propriety is one of the things that we have lost in this fast food society. Have we become so numb to the pain of others and so desensitized to tragedy that we must always up the ante to get a response? How sad. How truly, truly sad.

For the families of the young victim and the accused, my prayers are that you find comfort and peace. The children of White Pine School and the staff are in for a very rough week and I pray that the staff finds the words to say. My prayers are for them, the students as they try to understand what is simply not understandable, and the community as it grieves for their children. For the police and first responders, they stare tragedy in the face nearly everyday and still this must be so hard for them. My prayers for them are for resilience and knowledge that despite those that they cannot save and the tragedies that they cannot avert, they are necessary and appreciated in our community, our angles here on the ground.

When you lay your head down tonight, if you are inclined to prayer, remember our friends and family, our neighbors, as they work to heal their community. I fear that it will be a long way home.