Newscoma

It was late yesterday afternoon, right before 4 p.m. when killa texted me about the two guys who were planning a mass killing spree and an assassination attempt on Barack Obama.

One of the men, Daniel Cowart, was from Bells. Bells is roughly 45 minutes from here as the crow flies.

My phone exploded. Everyone started calling and I was calling other folks. The story kind of exploded in a way although this wouldn’t be something we would cover. We are a local paper, but people wanted to know what was going on.

I didn’t know anything either. Remember, we are a news paper that doesn’t have a wire service. So I was as much to the mercy of the Internet and cable newsers as anyone else.

Needless to say, these two boneheads who had delusions of going on a murder tour dreaming of beheading and executions have to be taken seriously, despite their ineptitude. One person said “it’s just a couple of kids.”

No, it’s not.

Columbine was a bunch of kids. Heath High School in Paducah was a bunch of kids. That’s not getting it for me.

I’ve thought about this off and on all night. Am I surprised by this? No, and that saddens me. I’m not surprised at all, actually.

When you mix guns and burning psychotic stupids, there is a problem. Did these two men have a plan? Yes.  I also believe that their combined passion for their plan for murdering people is frightening.

I worked in the domestic violence field for a long time. Every threat is serious. I’ve seen too many women not take threats seriously and get hurt/killed in the process.

I realize I’m rambling a bit here, but this story got under my skin.

Hate is a very scary thing.

As I’m suffering through an unreasonable, and very unexpected, bout of insomnia, I’m watching the news as I sometimes do. My bed is currently my enemy and I’ve fought with my sheets for several hours. I imagine I will be asleep very early on a Friday evening.

I wish I was now, but I digress.

The assassination of Benazir Bhutto is dominating CNN, and I’m pleased to say that’s it’s not a Larry King repeat or a rehash of a five-hour old Anderson Cooper broadcast.

It’s actually news as it’s happening.

The network is playing CNN International and it’s been very informative about the life of Bhutto. The entire Bhutto family are like the Kennedys when you think about it, wrought with tragedy from a well off political family where death apparently was always on the horizon, sitting on the sidelines, waiting and watching. Her father was hung, one brother allegedly poisoned, another brother killed by gunfire and then Bhutto’s assassination yesterday. They’ve determined that she was shot in the throat and chest first, then the suicide bombing occurred and you know the rest.

Probably my biggest dilemma as I look toward my schedule later today is meeting with a Verizon manager who gave me a $700 phone bill this holiday season (which I’m not happy about) because some dimwit didn’t transfer my service to a new package (no worries, I have the documentation and it’s nothing more than just a hassle).

“I don’t fear death…I don’t think it can happen unless God wants it to happen because so many people have tried to kill me.”

Times Online quote from Bhutto

And then I have to put into perspective that I don’t have people trying to murder me all the time. In watching the interviews from the former prime minister, I honestly don’t know how Bhutto dealt with constant threats on her life and the deaths of her father and siblings. If you look at her history, she was human. She made mistakes. She was no saint. I mean, who is.

But today, she is the current face of a political martyr.

And, in times when the darkness surrounds me as it does at this moment except for the images on my small television, I wonder what it’s like to live with a mission and to know you will most likely die for your beliefs.

And I sit and wonder about the ramifications that will happen in the long run. None of this bodes well for the Middle East.

Or for the United States. We are a global community.

Actions always have reactions.

(I took the question mark off the title if this shows up in your feedburner. It’s confirmed.)

CNN is reporting that Benazir Bhutto was killed at a rally. Right now media outlets are being very cautious about the news. It’s still not confirmed.

The reports are conflicting citing she was injured in a suicide bombing and other reports are saying she was shot.

This will dominate the news throughout the day, I’m sure. CNN is reporting yes. MSNBC is not making the call yet.

No, they are saying that she has died as well.

Still watching.

Still no independent confirmation.

Bhutto has been assassinated.