O Hideous Night.....

A Los Angeles man horrified the world by dressing as Santa, showing up at the door of his ex-wife's parents, pulling a gun on the eight year old child who answered the door, and shooting her in the face.



He then began firing into the 30 guests assembled for a Christmas Eve party and finally, he took the device he'd disguised inside what looked like a wrapped present- which was actually an incendiary fluid - which he sprayed around the house, igniting it. He left- shed his Santa Claus togs and drove to his brother's house, where he took his own life. (Too bad he didn't perform his act backwards.) Stories of this nature are always terrifying, but throw in the Christmas trappings- the impersonation of one of the jolliest, most benign myths children share everywhere- you have truly, the nightmare before Christmas. The toll of dead inside the burned home now stands at nine. I guess that means there could be more...good lord!

The people who knew this man described him as pleasant, friendly- an usher in his Catholic church- and harboring the kind of evil most people never come in contact with in a lifetime. What unbelievable hatred must have hidden itself inside this undetected criminal. Another scary story. Another Christmas horrow show. It seems in the last few years-- the shootings at a mall last year, the man who opened fire in the Crystal Cathedral a few years back-- these are becoming the norm. It certainly doesn't remove the shock when we hear of them, but their frequency does make one question the ability of mankind to celebrate joyfully and peacefully at least once a year as brethren. For the truly lost, this seems to be the time of year many of them choose to come out of hiding and begin their killing sprees. Again......how gigantic their hatred must be.

God bless us, everyone. And keep us safe.

Man's Most Abused "Friend"

With all the horrors in the world, why bother with a mention of the kinds of torture we subject animals to...some folks would say that....and they would be dead wrong. I believe cherishing life extends to all living things, and the ones we bring into our homes should be given warmth, safety, care...and yes, love. There was a very disturbing story in the local news that concerned a house with 40 pitbulls, many injured and obviously chewed by other dogs. Dog-fighting parephrenalia was found, and although some neighbors attest to the fact that the man who lives there is a 'lover of animals'-- those horrid conditions tell a very different story.



Who could be so cruel as to watch animals fight to the death, and place bets on that kind of bloodsport? Additionally, there was a dog found decaptiated and skinned on property in the Pittsburgh area. Who- other than the depraved- would do such a thing?

See, that's what happens when folks begin to think in terms of "it's only an animal", and from that frame of reference it's so very easy to begin to think, "it's only a hobo"- "it's only an old woman"- it's only, it's only, its only.

The gradual slipping into the degradation and the use of people often begins with those critters that have no speech, no 'rights'. Life is a circle. Breathing, feeling pain, wanting acceptance and comfort- these things include every living thing. Every one......and nothing is an 'only'.