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Once upon a time in a place called Georgia, a writer named Flannery O’Connor succeeded in capturing the darkness that dwells in the hearts of many, even those who flaunt themselves as upright and moral. O’Connor’s characters were labeled grotesque by many, who believed her treatment of these genteel southerners was an insult to their region. For instance, her often discussed short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find” features a ruthless serial killer who, along with his sidekicks, brutally slays a family that takes a wrong turn on a family vacation. The Misfit scolds one of his cohorts who labels killing as “some fun.”
The Misfit responds, “It’s no real pleasure in life.”
I’ve been thinking about the gothic works of O’Connor a lot recently while reading the newspaper and watching television. The summer months often mean an uptick in violence, and this year is no exception.
Almost two weeks ago, a Scranton man became the latest person to suffer some horrendous meltdown in a South Irving Avenue home. He is accused of beating three young men to death before driving to Wilkes-Barre with some blood still clinging to his clothes. Randal Rushing blew kisses to the media while being transported from a Wilkes-Barre apartment building after his capture. He had apparently settled down for an afternoon of video gaming after a night of bludgeoning and stabbing of his victims. “I had fun,” he told the press, a giant grin on his face. O’Connor’s contorted southern fiction can’t hold a candle to real life northeastern Pennsylvania.
In the middle of July, another unspeakable act of violence unfolded in Shenandoah, Schuykill County. A Mexican man named Luis Ramierez was viciously assaulted on July 12 and left on Lloyd Street in the city. He died of his injuries on July 14. Authorities were criticized for the speed of their investigation, which led to heightened racial tensions and accusations that high school football players were being protected.
Late last week, four young men were arrested in connection with the death, including two facing upon counts of homicide. They all had some connection to the football team.
Sadly, the reaction of locals interview by WBRE-TV reporter Eric Deabill paint the town as a terribly ignorant place. Let’s hope a lot of people were at work or refused to be interviewed.
“They were real good football players. Now the team is going to go down the drain because they did something stupid,” commented a former football player to Deabill.
A full grown adult offered, “They’re good kids. I thought they were real good kids. I guess they were just being kids. I don’t know, bad kids.”
Kids being kids might occasionally soap some windows, disrespect elders, blast loud music from their cars or engage in some other correctable antics. Yelling ethnic slurs while reportedly street fighting with the father of two and eventually leaving him for dead is barbarism.
One of our callers today said high school is all about sports with the opportunity to sporadically learn something. The sad events described above deserve a teachable moment.
While writing about her dark, twisted characters, Flannery O’Connor created balance in her real world by raising peacocks. It helped create a balance in her world. What can we do to create one in ours? |
Paul Harvey
