Merry Christmas?

Once again, less than ten days before Christmas, the world is in turmoil  Maybe we should be stocking sugar cubes and carrots for the steeds of  The Four Horsemen, not milk and cookies for Santa.  Once again, innocents are slaughtered at the hands of those gone mad, and what's worse, many are young.  Too young.  We are still reeling over Dec. 14th two years ago, a day that used to full of happy anniversaries for me.


Now, it is the anniversary of horror.


On my way to work today, I mused yet again why anyone would murder in cold blood, and why they need to murder so many.  I try to understand, and feel some compassion for a person that distressed, that full of despair.  But what selfishness to take everyone with you.  Why little children who can't have lived long enough to harm anyone?  Why cruelty in other circles towards helpless animals?


The real horror, the domestic horror as Shirley Jackson might have understood it, is that these were innocents supposely in safe places.  Children going to school.  Remember that holidays at school?  Parties and programs full of Christmas and Hannukah songs.  Treats, packages wrapped up for the teacher?


Or, how many of us stop for coffee each morning.  Indeed, it's the highlight of the day for some of us.  That 34 year old and 38 year old killed wasn't thinking of death yesterday when each walked into a Sydney cafe. 


Peace on Earth, Goodwill towards all of us; where is it? Are we even capable of it.