Slow healing wounds

"How can we help? First, if you are the praying sort, pray for healing of the families. Then, pray for healing of our great country. Finally, before we judge either side, first seek to understand. I think that is the best we can do."

What a week. Turbulent, gut wrenching, and heart wrenching all at once. The shooting of Steve Scalise. And then the not guilty verdict of Officer Jeronimo Yanez in the shooting of Philando Castile. What do these two events have in common? They both demonstrate how the social fabric in our country has become dangerously thin. So thin, it is on the verge of tearing.

First the Scalise shooting. Authorities have now found out that the shooter of Congressman Scalise had a hit list in his van of six Republican legislatures. Most, if not all, were members of the Freedom Caucus. The man had a visceral hatred of Republicans, especially the most conservative ones. The sad irony on the day Scalise was shot, he was not one of the six on the list. The shooter just decided that a ball field full of Republicans was too tempting of a target. Fortunately for all, the shooter was a lousy shot. Plus, the Capitol Police were at the ready. 

It was announced a Republican Congressman was going to cancel a town hall meeting. Why? He feared for his safety. And why wouldn't he based on many of the town halls so far this year? And now mix in an assassination attempt at Republican law makers. What is next? Do all our law makers need to wear some kind of body armor and have Secret Service protection? Have we really become that lawless?

On the local scene, my heart goes out to both the Castile and Yanez families. One unfortunate incident, and a life is lost and countless others changed forever. Officer Jeronimo Yanez will never be the same. He took a life. Talk to most anyone who has taken a life, even in war, and it is life changing. He will probably never be a police officer again. And his legal troubles might not be over. There might a civil lawsuit in the future.

One week, many wounds. All slow healing. Even though Steve Scalise is not totally out of the woods as yet, there is continual slow improvement in his condition. To be shot in that area of the pelvis, is very damaging. One surgeon is confident Scalise will someday walk, maybe run again. But this wound will take a long, long time to totally heal.

The woulds with the Castile and Yanez families are a different matter. These are also slow healing. Only they might never totally heal. After the verdict was read, the continued mistrust of the police by certain segments of our society has grown deeper.

How can we help? First, if you are the praying sort, pray for healing of the families. Then, pray for healing of our great country. Finally, before we judge either side, first seek to understand. I think that is the best we can do.