Another day, another abduction and death

Prayers for the comfort and solace of Kelsey Smith's family, boyfriend, his family, friends, acquaintances, and for the wounded communities involved in this tragedy. May the Lord's assurance of her eternal rest in his presence become the way to console those who have had to bear an inconsolable loss.

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When, oh, when are the good hearted people going to wake up and see what is happening to this country, and to this world? It is no longer a matter of having to deal with a number of what we had called "predators" in the world. People have ceased to be people anymore, in all too many ways, and the plastic falseness of our society is stimulating brutal exploitation of people. Whether it is the depraved stalker or the coarsening of society and it's loss of love of children and neighbor, it all results in the same thing... increasing use of and discarding of human beings after they have served their purpose. People seem to be just an entry in a catalog to be evaluated for their usefulness, whether visual perverted gratification, or exploitation on the job. I had a nickname 25 years ago, "The Preacher," said with snickering, and not with listening, but I'm an observer of humankind and I know what I'm talking about. I have seen the transformation of people from human beings with values and feelings to objects to be exploited and used with no concern for their well being.

I remember the great Golda Meier was once asked, when Israel had a rash of rapes and assaults, if women should not refrain from going out at dark, or alone. She replied that instead, the abusers should not go out: why should the women be confined? They are not the problem. She was being philosophical but it's instructive to remember those times of 30 or more years ago, when the baseline of society (even in the turbulent Middle East) was sound of mind and morals, and it was the occasional predator or outbreaks of crime in urban areas that one had to worry about. It's useful to remember this because when we contrast it with today, we have a terrible different picture. The baseline of society is at best negligent and at worst exploitative.

I use the term baseline in its scientific and medical definition, connoting the "at rest" or "natural state" of being. For example a human being's baseline temperature is 98.6 degrees.

Unless people wake up and really evaluate what the baseline condition of society is, it is going to get worse and worse and worse. Use this mental exercise, if you want to stay awake at night. If it can happen anywhere, at any time, how many potential exploiters of fellow human beings are out there? It's a lot, and it's the baseline condition. This poor girl could not go to a store to buy a gift for her boyfriend without being abducted. And every day there is terrible abuse behind closed doors of people from every race, religion, gender, and age. And it's not simply "the predator" and it's not simply "not enough government spending for socialist programs." It is depravity and indifference that have been institutionalized into our baseline society, from loss of family, loss of mindful communities, loss of the permeation of religious practice at all levels of life, and the horrible intrusion of addictions: drugs, alcohol, sex, violence, and pornography. The visual and amoral media has helped to reduce people to being cartoon figures who can be used and discarded. It's a downward spiral and everyone is hurting.