Do Good

This weekend, five people were found shot to death in Gargatha in rural Accomack County Virginia. It appears to be a murder/suicide. Five more people were found shot to death this weekend in rural Emmington, Illinois in yet another apparent murder/suicide. In addition to this, an elderly woman was dowsed with flammable liquid and set on fire when the elevator she was in stopped at her floor. Her attacker was waiting for her and set her afire over a dispute about money. And finally, rapper Slim Dunkin (aka Mario Hammilton) was shot to death this weekend in Atlanta, Georgia when an argument broke out at the filming of a music video. Who knew being a pop star was such a dangerous job? And these are just the big murders, the ones that made the national headlines. All in all, the weekend before Christmas was a red letter one for homicide squads in this country. Apparently nothing says Merry Christmas like a couple of 9mm slugs in your chest! As I said before, this world is a cold, hard place, and it's getting worse all of the time. Ugliness and violence surround us everywhere we look, but we cannot let this blind us to the goodness and beauty that still exist everywhere. But that's our own fault. The world is as we have allowed it to become. It is as we have made it. In spite of all of the carnage going on, though, there are still bright spots to report about, still good people in this world. The sale of souls is not yet universal. For instance, on Friday, in Miami, Florida, someone wrapped a diamond and sapphire ring in a 50$ bill and stuffed it into a Salvation Army kettle. The gift was accompanied by a note that read, "They need more than I. Do good. A friend." The ring was valued at about $2000. And earlier this month, another $2000 diamond ring was dropped into a Salvation Army bucket in Kansas. Good people still exist. Our local grocery store is selling pre-packaged cases of food. You buy a case, they give it to a needy family. The cases are rapidly disappearing. This weekend, Michelle made cookies and Rice Krispy treats. Yesterday we made gift plates and took them around to friends just to say Merry Christmas. It's a little thing, but often enough, little things are what make people's days or even weeks. And we all can help out. It's a lot easier than you might think. On Saturday, I helped an elderly friend and his wife move. Again. it was a small act, but lots of small but good acts added together can counter big, bad ones. Don't let the bad people win. Let's make the world a better place. Do good.