Charger Opinion

DC area sniper a reality check for all

Spencer Huddleston, Charger Staff

How terrible would it be to die unexpectedly while doing an everyday task? Picture this-- you have stopped at the Gas ‘n’ Go, filled your tank, and you have gone inside and purchased the same coffee and honey bun you have eaten every morning for years. You have given a sincere smile to Lucy, the forty-seven -year-old cashier that calls everyone from children to construction workers “baby,” opened the door to return to your car, and suddenly your life is over.

No last rights, no hugs goodbye, no “Have a good one, baby!” Not even a “Honey, I want you to know how much I love you.”

Nothing.

You have a one-way ticket to the afterlife, without being permitted to look back. And people wonder why schools are closed? Concerned mothers are now keeping their kids at home, reminding them how much they are loved. Why? All these loving families have now come to the bitter realization that life does not last forever, and that scares them. Everyone we care about could disappear with the squeal of braking tires, the ear-splitting report of a rifle, or even the subtle ceasing of a heartbeat.

We pass people everyday who mean the world to us and it does not cross our minds to say anything, not a single nice word.
America needs to wake up and see communities like Montgomery County, which has had the hardest impact from these shootings. Until we realize that people like Lucy at the gas station and maybe even the man taking precious lives with a single shot deserve a kind word and a caring smile, we will never be truly comforted.

Article prepared for web by Jenny Anderson.