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Friday, May 25, 2007

I don't understand the world

Talk about a rough day for good news on the Internet.

Surfing through websites earlier tonight, I found a link to this story about Josh Hancock's father suing basically everyone involved with his son's death. Josh Hancock, for those of you who didn't follow the story, was a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals who was killed when he drove his SUV into a parked tow truck on a St. Louis freeway a few weeks ago. It was a horrible, tragic thing, but he was driving drunk (twice the legal limit for Missouri), talking on his cell phone, and some reports say he was high. Now his father is suing the restaurant that served him drinks and (this part boggled my mind when I read it) the tow-truck driver and the guy who was pulled over being assisted by the tow truck. The guys Josh drove into while drunk. The guys who are lucky to be alive.

Seemed like crap to me. Obviously I don't think Josh acted maliciously, but from my position as an armchair lawyer a state away it seems pretty obvious that he was at fault and that he was lucky to not have his bad choices end anyone else's life. But then I was reading through my blogroll and came across another story that puts me in a more empathetic frame of mind. Maybe Josh's dad is just being a dad and trying to do everything he can other than accept that his son is gone.

Jaq and his wife lost another child today. Only a year and a half after their son Quinn passed away at age one their daughter Fiona died on the day she was born. I have no words; I'd be surprised if anyone does. I don't have children and I still can't get my head around what it must be like to have to go on after one's gone.

Tomorrow I leave for camp and I've no doubt it will be wonderful and energizing and uplifting and healing like summers at camp have always been for me. Right now I feel almost guilty about looking forward to it, though.

Peace, Jaq (and Mrs. Jaq.). Peace, Mr. Hancock.

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