Post by nathanael on Aug 1, 2008 13:18:41 GMT -7
The beheading of the man on Greyhound bus is a horrible story. My condolences to family of the victim. It's obviously untrue that "God didn't love the victim." God's love is more certain than the fact that I am now writing. The victim is now on God's bosom, comforted by angels. But this is not what I want to write about. The world is becoming a jungle. The Greyhound buses are the preferred transportation of all kinds of paroled inmates and mentally deranged, released from mental hospitals. When a bus finds itself at a desolate stretch, many things can happen. I don't know how I would have reacted. It was probably too late. The guys in the back had a chance to tackle him. In Argentina, where I sort of grew up, the best protection against knives was a poncho, which is a vicuna scarf so strong, that a knife cannot pierce it. Many people used heavy jackets to protect themselves from the crazed gauchos. This was my idea of how I would defend myself if attacked. But this isn't what I want to write about either. Someone should have had a weapon on this bus to protect the other passengers, since for the victim it may have been too late. The driver must be responsible in some fashion and the company. A surveillance camera is a must in deserted areas. I never experienced anything similar on a bus, but saw many strange characters on Greyhounds. In Alaska, I was on my way to Glennallen, in Anchorage, when a heavy-built young guy asked for a ride. It was a 200 mile trip at night and I consented for it is better not to be alone if the car fails. It was Christmas Night, so I started a conversation about Jesus. I gave him my sandwich for he was "hungry." When we arrived, a convenience store was open very late. He went to the store. On the seat, I saw a huge rusted kitchen knife he was sitting on and which he apparently forgot. I descended and went to the store. He was in the bathroom. I quickly alerted the lone owner that I didn't trust the guy, and I did not want to leave him alone in the store, for I was driving back. He rushed upstairs without a word, and came down with a gun. He concealed a gun and acted as nothing happened. The guy decided to go back with me another 200 miles, to Anchorage. I sort of panicked, but couldn't say no, on Christmas Night, for there was probably 60 below Fahrenheit. I was responsible for him for there were no hotels at Midnight in Glennallen, and he had no money anyway. So I drove him back to Anchorage. I had no gun in the car, but I didn't need it after all. He just sat on the knife the whole trip. Who knows what went through his mind. It appears that the hitchhiker changed his mind in Glennallen, and decided to go spend the Christmas with the girlfriend "from whom he said he was fleeing to Canada." That's the end of the story. I left him in front of his house. I am convinced that Jesus may have watched over me that night, and that the shop owner needed a gun in case the guy decided to stay! This seems to be a good argument in favor of gun possession. Had I left that guy there, there would most likely have been violence. Or may be not, for God, on Christmas Night, does strange miracles!
