Thursday, March 09, 2006

Scarier even ...

An attorney for Cloyd, Tommy Spina, declined comment on the charges, but added: "This is not a hate crime. This is not a religious crime."

This was a statement made by the attorney of one of the three college students arrested for the church burnings in Alabama.

This is scarier than if it had been a group of religious zealots. This is scarier if it had been a hate crime. While both of those are terrible, the acts of violence would have a pusher. This - no reason - is scarier.

It gives way to the speculation of what we are growing in our society. What are we producing when a few college students, as a prank, set fire to churches and destroy them?

What does this say about us as a society? Have we so glorified the violent and senseless that now those are the only things that our young understand or desire?

I see teenagers every day. I see the ones that worry me. I see the ones that are just teenagers. There are many on the line, wavering, could go either way, looking for someone to say the right thing- do the right thing. I try to be that someone.

Unfortunately, there is not always someone there.

That is scarier.

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