Japan is reeling from a terrible tragedy this weekend. On Friday, a man entered an elementary school in Osaka and ran amock with a knife, killing 8 and injuring 13. The slain students were all first- and second-graders, aged 6 and 7, in what is one of the bleakest days in memory in Japan.

Sometimes I’m amazed that people can go so far. When I hear kids are shooting other kids in high school, that’s sad. But it’s to be expected. Teenagers still have yet to grasp the meaning of life, and some ignore it fervently, only grasping to what they’re taught… destruction and violence are now commonplace on TV. What do you expect these kids who feel they’re not loved and who grasp for attention so readily to do? But never did I think I would hear of a man slaughtering children! Kids who are just learning how to count and say their ABC’s. Eight deaths, all between 6 and 7 years old. If there was ever proof than humankind, in general, is evil, this is it.
I wonder if I should cry for these kids.. I wonder if they were old enough to even understand what mortality was, or if they were scared when they felt their life leaving them.
Either way, I wonder if the man even cared about the life he stole from those children. I wonder if he was even human himself!

I’ve always sworn that man was evil. Few seek, and few find the good in themselves. A few even hide this evil side so that very few ever know it exists. But in everybody, there is evil. Some people take it and let it shine, like a badge of honor. They blow on the flames, and let it grow within them. And few let it destroy their soul, so this is all that is left. These people are what makes me sad to be known as human. They defile the world, in my view, and make me wonder if it was better off without us.

And these people, sometimes make me wish I was never created to hear about it. But still, for everything, there has to be an opposite. And thus, there are people who stand strong, and fight against these people. Police, even though I hate their speeding tickets, in general fight for us. Those few bright stars… firefighters, Armed forces, and even the kid down the street who holds his little sisters hand while they cross the street to keep her safe. These are the people who make me glad I’m alive. I still morn for these children who were taken from their parents so early, and even moreso for their parents and siblings who will never know what their child could have become in the world. To them, I dedicate this writing, and only wish I could give more. Someday I hope to have children of my own, and I’ll remember this and hold them close every day of their lives. For they might be taken from me… But then again, they might be one of those glories who help their little sister across the street. And because of that, I await their arrival.

Until then, stay safe, and if you have kids, hug them for me.
If not, hug yourself for me, for you can never be too sure.

~Matt

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Filed under: Uncategorized - @ June 10, 2001 6:13 am