Lancaster, PA
Like millions of others, I am stunned by last Monday's attack by a milk truck driver on a group of Amish schoolgirls. It emerged over the course of the week that his invasion of the one-room schoolhouse was meticulously planned. He brought along lumber and hardware for barricading the building against the police, restraints for his prisoners, and KY Jelly (apparently) for his intended sexual assault(s). His was a church-going family; in fact his wife was leading a mothers' prayer group at a mainline Presbyterian church at the very time he was assembling his supplies.
The suicide-esque note to his wife included the disclosure that he'd molested two young relatives when he was twelve, and had dreams that he would do so again. The note also mentioned his anger with life, and God, particularly in relation to the death of an infant daughter some years ago. As was the case for my wife and I, this loss was followed by the births of three healthy children. I understand the Job-like questioning over the death of a child. Been there, cried that. What utterly baffles me is how this grief, alienation, doubt, guilt, and fear translated into a planned exit from this life that would feature violence against a bunch more children.
One thing I have not yet come across in any commentary on this event: as with last week's attack on a high school classroom in Colorado, young men and/or boys were present at the beginning. In Colorado, boys the same approximate age as the girls held hostage were sent out by the assailant. In Pennsylvania, the boys were younger (oldest of them perhaps 13?); after being sent from the building by the assailant, they ran for help. In both cases, the boys followed the gunman's orders to leave their classmates, friends, and sisters to their fate. None of us really knows how we would react in such a situation, of course. But does it reflect on how we're raising our sons today that (apparently) that both groups of boys so obediently left the premises when they were told to? Would my sons do any differently? Would I?
The suicide-esque note to his wife included the disclosure that he'd molested two young relatives when he was twelve, and had dreams that he would do so again. The note also mentioned his anger with life, and God, particularly in relation to the death of an infant daughter some years ago. As was the case for my wife and I, this loss was followed by the births of three healthy children. I understand the Job-like questioning over the death of a child. Been there, cried that. What utterly baffles me is how this grief, alienation, doubt, guilt, and fear translated into a planned exit from this life that would feature violence against a bunch more children.
One thing I have not yet come across in any commentary on this event: as with last week's attack on a high school classroom in Colorado, young men and/or boys were present at the beginning. In Colorado, boys the same approximate age as the girls held hostage were sent out by the assailant. In Pennsylvania, the boys were younger (oldest of them perhaps 13?); after being sent from the building by the assailant, they ran for help. In both cases, the boys followed the gunman's orders to leave their classmates, friends, and sisters to their fate. None of us really knows how we would react in such a situation, of course. But does it reflect on how we're raising our sons today that (apparently) that both groups of boys so obediently left the premises when they were told to? Would my sons do any differently? Would I?
Or am I asking an improper question? Go ahead, set me straight!
posted by Aaron @ 7:49 PM
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