Sadness is a fact of life. If you are at all human, you have times in your life when you feel sad. There are times when your heart is broken. I've had my share of heartbreaking situations and do believe as long as I live I will continue to have heartbreaking moments to deal with, to endure, to overcome. Colorado has had her share of heartbreaking moments. Columbine took the lives of school children and teachers by a senseless act of two suicidal and mentally disturbed boys. Many stories of faith and courage and goodness came forth from the ashes of their heartache. Such is the case with the movie massacre in Aurora, Colorado this past weekend.
As we watch the horror described which took the lives of at least twelve (including a little six-year-old girl), we can but cry for the loss of humanity. We share the sadness and heartache of these families. We mourn with them. It's horrendous. As I've listened to the many stories of horror, I've also heard of the self-lessness of men who threw themselves over their girlfriends and literally gave their lives to protect the lives of others. As incredibly heinous as the madman's actions were in this awful crime against humanity, we witness the incredible goodness of man. No, their goodness does not negate the evil. But their goodness gives us hope that in the midst of evil, good still lives among us.
Yet, we are still sad. We are still heartbroken. Sometimes I think the sadness we feel assures us that we are indeed human. In a world desynthesized to the evil, the violence, the heinous acts we see every day, we sometimes wonder if we are coming to a time in history which projects nothing but godlessness. One time Mother Teresa spoke at a prayer breakfast meeting in Washington, D.C., where she boldly challenged President Clinton and Vice-President Gore regarding our country's pro-choice positions. Mother Teresa said, how can we expect the world to value life when we accept and allow the murder of helpless, innocent babies in the womb every day of the week.
Last week I read where Planned Parenthood in Florida was offering discount coupons to women for abortions if they had them on Sundays. This is heartbreaking. Actually, I think it is sick. New York's mayor is out to protect the public health by eliminating large softdrinks, or outlawing the use of trans-fatty food. They outlaw cigarette smoking. But it is okay to murder babies; it is legal to destroy life in the womb...because of pro-choice. Where is the pro-choice protection for a baby's right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?
We condemn the evil of this deranged orange-haired murderer in Aurora, Colorado. And well we should. Yet, when 24-year-old Tonya Reaves was rushed to an Illinois hospital from a Planned Parenthood Clinic following an abortion, the Cook County coroner ruled her death "accidental". Where is our sorrow? I suppose since she made the elective choice to terminate her pregnancy, then it was ultimately her choice that brought about her accidental death. Reasonable people should have reasonable expectations of protection from society's madness. Yet, here we are amid the sadness and heartbreak of paths we may never cross in life.
If the evil we allow in this world goes unchecked, we must ask ourselves the question Mother Teresa asked. Can we reasonably expect others to have a respect for life when we do not have any respect for the protection of life in the sanctified space of a mother's womb? It's sad to consider. It's heartbreaking. And in some ways, I think sheer madness.
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