Psycho Killer, Qu'est-ce que c'est?

I sat on this blog for the better part of the day as I thought it was a little gloomy and the point of writing is to encourage you--not discourage. But the subject hasn't left my mind and I am just going to publish and see what you think.
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I'm still trying to wrap my brain around this guy in California who flipped out and killed 10 people including himself. Fresh from a divorce, unemployed, desperate---rage and evil drove him to commit an act that, according to his neighbors and acquaintances, was totally unexpected. Companies, institutions, economies--and now people are failing in spectacular fashion.


In the end, it seemed that all Bruce Pardo had was neighbors and acquaintances---no friends. The owner of the coffee shop he'd frequent was interviewed as were the next door neighbors, a former roommate, and some high school classmates. As police and news reporters unwind his history no one is coming forward as a friend.


My pastor touches on this often. "(He/She) needs a friend." Imagine the impact of a friend for Bruce as his life began to crumble. I can't comment on the marriage, perhaps it was doomed from the start---even more reason to have a friend who could ask, "are you sure?" When Bruce felt the need to buy the Hummer and the Escalade--a strong buddy could have helped steer him back to reality---and common sense.


I know it's much more complex than this--I'm oversimplifying the issue--but my point is that this guy was alone. It appears he lived and died that way. We can't be super-people, sniffing out the troubled and the angry---swooping in to fix the mess. But, out of the 300 million + people in this country, wasn't someone involved enough in his life to pick up the phone or stop by the house just to listen?

The tension is building in our country--we all need to be better friends.