There has just been too much bad news lately. I rarely turn off the news, even when I ought to, and it's been pretty grim lately. Last time I wrote, I was getting ready to cover to the funeral of that kid from our county who was killed in Iraq. The Navy wouldn't let us take pictures of the flag-draped coffin. It supposedly was at the family's request. I am highly dubious about that. I could go on about that, but I won't.
Right on top of that, we had the madman going off at Virginia Tech. Those things always get me very sad at the ridiculous waste of human life. All because our government and the people in charge don't have the balls to take on the gun lobby. Here we had this young man who obviously was very troubled, and he was able to walk into a gun store and arm himself adequately for his "school project." Same as it ever was.
That's a topic I've given up on. The gun lobby here in the States has the politicians so deeply in their hip pocket that nothing will ever change under the current system. Think about some of the comments made after the Virginia Tech shooting--that if the students had been armed, they could have taken the gunman down. Yeah, sure. Just like Dodge City.
You know, there was talk in the office that we ought to do a story about all the preparations our schools have taken to guard our students against armed madmen. A feel-good story easing the local fears. But that's stupid, isn't it? The schools locally now lock some of their doors during the day, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out which is the front door. Their only security consists of the principal and his power to issue detentions.
Then there's the local law enforcement. We have a few local police departments with a few officers, a sheriff's department with about 10 deputies and a State Police post in town that is constantly threatened with being closed due to Michigan's never-ending state budget crisis. If there ever is a real emergency/hostage type situation, the State Police would race down here from Marquette. About 90 miles away.
As for the local gun dealers, I'm sure they are just as diligent about keeping their products out of the wrong hands as any other gun dealer is. If their money looks the right shade of green ... it's a deal! The madman in Virginia didn't raise any red flags, right? He had no police record. So to me, it's not a question of if there will be a next madman grabbing the headlines. It's just a matter of when and where.
Sound like I'm frustrated?
Other frustrations. After I sent an e-mail to S last Monday, she wrote back to tell me that her mom had died that morning and she was having a rough day--she was in California, and her mom was in Wisconsin. That night, I wanted to call her just so I could offer my condolences and good wishes. I called her number twice but got recordings both times, and then it was too late. (She told me later that the recording goes on when someone is on the phone.)
In truth, this was no big surprise. Her mom had been in a nursing home for some time, and her health had been going down. But it was her mom, and S was feeling down, and I wanted to give her my sympathies. It was a highly important thing for me to do for one of my best friends ... and I couldn't get through!!! I had to say the words in an e-mail, and, under those circumstances, that doesn't cut it with me.
Then, when we were driving to visit my mom on Friday, my wife told me that (according to a sister) her dad had cut back on the medicine he was prescribed after his battle with pneumonia. The thinking is that he's more likely to get sick again by doing this, but he doesn't seem to care. He feels he has lived long enough and wants to be with his wife, who died in 2000. Can't blame him.
Later, while we were taking my mom to dinner, she at first used a walker in the corridor, but she seemed unsteady, and I suggested we take the wheelchair instead. She agreed. She just seems more and more frail. She turns 85 late in May. Food for thought.
There has been good news, though. Honest.
I have been immersing myself in the NHL playoffs. My policy this year is that I'm watching every game I can. The games have been exciting--some more than others, of course. I am focused on hockey now--I'll only watch a little baseball and nothing of any other sport--basketball, car racing, golf, etc.
The Red Wings can win their first round series in six games tonight. The Canucks have gone to the seventh/final game against Dallas, but that one will be in Vancouver. Alas, the Minnesota Wild fell in five games to the Anaheim Ducks. (FWIW, I'm thinking about getting a green baseball cap with a Wild emblem--I think they have a great logo.)
I also got good news at work. They are taking away some of my news/meeting responsibilities, including the "temporary" ones that have been sucking up the most time for the last few years. Hallelujah! They're important beats, and I want to do a good job with them--but that means detailed stories about complex topics, and they take up a lot of time when I've got so many other things on my plate.
The word I got is that starting in May, someone who used to be with the paper will take those beats over again, and I can devote more of my time to my other duties and responsibilities. Ironically, I have two such meetings in the next two days, but those will be the last ones.
I've taken a bunch of pictures lately, but this post is long enough the way it is. I'll put together some shots for you in the next day or two. (If tomorrow night's game doesn't go to quadruple overtime, that is.)
I also have a challenging set of questions to answer from Chandramoon. She sent them over today. Not the kind of questions I can answer in a sentence or two. So that's in the pipeline. Yeah, another long post.
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