Nineteen people shot. Six of them dead.
No matter how you look at it, those numbers are horrific and you don’t want them to add up. Even
more horrific is obvious senselessness behind those actions. It’s just insane.
I was struck by the stories of selfless heroism and care
given by those on the scene – some getting injured or even killed in the process. While the stories
of all the killed and wounded deeply touched my heart, I was particularly touched by the final acts of Mr. Dorwan Stoddard.
The best article I could find on the web that tells his story is here and I can’t
really add any more than that except to say, “What a hero and what a real man!”
There really should be posters of this man being sold all
over the country.
Whether
it was shielding others from bullets, caring for the wounded, dead and dying, or tackling the obviously disturbed young man
(his name isn’t worth to be mentioned in this piece. Sorry, dude.), people – strike that – heroes forgot
about themselves to help others.
These
people are a shining example of what we and our politicians and media darlings should be looking like as we live our lives
and as politicians and pundits do their jobs. Instead, a new world record was set in how quickly the situation
was turned into a political debate and as to who is to blame for the shooting.
In the mean time, a lunatic, Uncle Fester look-alike smiles at the thought
of his tragic work and the notoriety he’s receiving.
This time, it was the Left who waxed holy and self-righteous while placing blame of this
despicable act on their opponents on the Right. Words like “vitriolic”, “inflammatory”,
and “hate speech” have been hung around the necks of Right.
All the while, “Uncle Fester” is still smiling.
The Right has been guilty of like-kinds of blame-laying
in times past, as well. Both sides have been guilty of climbing the political ladder of public opinion
on the backs of those victimized by criminal, social and political acts. What blows my mind is, exactly one week after the
shooting, one of the wounded allegedly made what was perceived as a death threat to a member of the Tea Party.
What an ironic twist of events.
“Uncle
Fester” has got to be thrilled with this unexpected turn of events.
There’s nothing heroic or sacrificial about verbally and politically
hiding behind the caskets of the dead, the hospital beds of the wounded or the tears of the survivors. Doing
so just leads to more casualties of some sort and, usually, the unvarnished truth is the first to go.
For once, wouldn’t it be great if both sides of the
political spectrum (voters as well as all levels of government and media) took “The Stoddard Approach” in living
their lives and doing their jobs? We need to speak and work in terms of what is good for our country and
not just what elevates a political ideology. Our government needs to do what it has sworn an oath to do
without thought to polls or political survival. Mr. Stoddard’s wedding vows were honored in what turned out to be his
last act of love to his darling wife, Mavanell. His only thought was to shield his lovely bride with absolutely no thought
for his own physical well-being.
Citizens, broadcasters and politicians would do well to live by the same creed. I would wager
that, if by doing so, we would smack that evil grin off of “Uncle Fester’s” face for good.
Note: As I edited
this piece for publication, the news is talking about the memorial services for Mr. Stoddard, hero, husband and a real man.
