In Any Given Time and Place

    Since the school year ended, Kalispell has had several incidents of teens harassing the homeless. The Director of the Warming Center, which is closed due to milder weather, is blaming our city council. She considers their attempts to remove transients from public property so that our parks, expensive walking trail, library, etc. will be safe for the rest of our residents, as tacit authorization to abuse the homeless. Sunday two teens beat a homeless man to death. He was described as small and gentle and was in the process of getting into an apartment. His 18 and 19 year old murderers have been arrested. They may see themselves as vigilantes for law abiding residents harassed by transients, but law abiding people would never accept such a lame defense. There is no excuse for their crime. I understand the Director's frustration at this needless cruelty, our own son died due to an irresponsible drug dealer, but we do not assume that his actions were authorized by someone else--not even by Biden's policies. The dealer acted on his own. If the killers were stupid enough to record their crime and post it on social media, I seriously doubt they know Kalispell has city councilmen, much less know their policies.

    The fact is, in any given time and place, there are bullies looking for someone to abuse. The fact that harassment of homeless started recently probably has more to do with school being out than city policy changes. But this is a lot more serious than the summer's typical smashing mailboxes and underage drinking parties. Their actions, like those of the mass murderers who have become so prevalent, spring from man's sinful nature. The Bible describes such bullies as "worthless men", the kind that hung around the public square hoping a fight would start so they could get in on it. The riot-ready kind that beat on Saul. The kind that called for Christ's crucifixion. Some people, like the Jan. 6th rioters, get caught up in the action and behave uncharacteristically. But for others, looking for victims is a lifestyle. I am certain that the investigation into these murderous teens will reveal years of bullying others both in and out of school. 

    In any given time and place, there are predators among us. In schools, they look for timid kids who won't fight back when bullied. In bars, they look for people too drunk to behave responsibly. In churches, they look for trusting souls to take advantage of. Predators can sense vulnerability like sharks detect blood in water. Despite attempts by well meaning cities and charities to mitigate the hardships of living on the streets by providing food, shelter, and supplies, they cannot protect anyone from the evil within mankind. The reason a homeless, harmless old man was murdered Sunday was because of the heartless who live among us, in any given time and place.