We have all had the occasion to pick up a newspaper or see a news report on television concerning a crime that shocks our entire being. The criminal mind, if not anything, is often both vile and creative. Just when we think we have seen or heard it all, we get wind of another crime that simply cannot register in our minds. But, it does not take long before we get to the point that we cannot even remember the facts of the case. I have been in many conversations where someone would ask me about a crime that had dire and grisly details that should be burned into their mind. Who was the victim? How were they killed? Did anybody get arrested in that case? I just do not remember. Unfortunately, our level of retention is only still good when it comes to trivial things such as who J. Lo might be dating this week. While this is sad, it is also somewhat understandable. We now live in a society and culture where things that do not affect one personally, become not that big of a deal.

I have seen conversations go from news reports about a murdered child to what someone might cook for dinner that night. It is not that people do not care or have compassion for those who are suffering from a certain victimization, it is more so of a "there is nothing that I can do about it" philosophy that allows them to disconnect from the tragedy and move on to more important issues that are relative to them. This approach may not meet the ethical or moral standards that we all know that we should strive for, but for most people; it just works. We probably cannot expect the typical person to get caught up in a case to the point that they might grieve for the victim. That is understandable. However, we do need to acknowledge that people all over the country are being victimized, based on a criminal act, everyday.

The week of April 18, 2004 has been designated as National Crime Victims= Rights Week. This is the week that many of us put faces with statistics as they gather to remember those loved ones that have been lost to them. They remember the way things were before their loved ones were snatched from their lives, based on nothing that they did to contribute to the tragedy. They remember their lives before and reflect on their new lives, as they strive to go on. It is typical in memorials and reflective ceremonies to remember those victims who are no longer with us. But, what about the many people who are left behind and are every bit as much of a victim themselves?

It is true, they were not shot, stabbed, raped, or whatever the circumstances might have been that led to the loss of their loved ones. However, based on the one act, that did take the life of the actual victim, entire families are destroyed. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, and so on and so on, will never be the same. Forever changed by a common bond of violence.

No one expects abnormal reactions from people simply based on reading an account of a crime that left someone dead. But, perhaps we can at least acknowledge their loss to ourselves and ponder the ramifications for just a moment. On any given day, any of us could be another statistic that will fade quicker than the ink on the daily paper. However, long after the ink has faded and the paper turns to yellow, for some people the incident will be as fresh in their minds as the moment that they found out about it. On this week, let us all recognize those who grieve and are in pain and adjust to a life that they neither asked for or deserved. Let us say a special prayer for those who hurt and thank God that for one more day, we have been spared the tragedy that consumes so many.