Winter blew in sideways yesterday, slithered across roads and smothered fields. It was a day to be grateful for good winter tires, an all-wheel drive car, a warm house and hot chai tea. In fact, once inside the house we found it hard to believe there was a storm outside. We have the luxury of comfortable isolation from even the harshest of winter’s onslaughts.
Sometimes we hear things that jar us from our warm, secure places: over 300 children rescued during one of the largest child pornography busts ever. Among the 348 people arrested are teachers, coaches, and law enforcement personnel. Absolutely abhorrent. How is it that a whole city can rally around a 5 year-old boy with an awful disease and give him the world of his dreams, while others systematically exploit childhood for their own twisted satisfaction? There are things in our world that evoke levels of disgust and anger so deep that words flee in their presence.
As large and as successful as this investigation was, it only scratches the surface of a storm that has blown across the globe, slithered into neighbourhoods and smothered our children. Can we afford the luxury of comfortable isolation?