Ripple Effects like waves or the path of electricity travel wide and far.
It was a ripple effect of the happenings in our America today that had my podiatrist in a downcast mood yesterday. He, a good man, a man who likes his work, loves his family and his children, was really downcast yesterday over the news that a youth, thirteen years old as reported by some in the news, fifteen years old as reported by others, was doused with gasoline and set on fire by a group of his peers two days ago. My podiatrist a man who volunteers to coach baseball to teenagers and has a child in that thirteen to fifteen year old range really felt the angst in his own soul of such an outrageous attack against the life of such a budding young human being.
His downcast mood, like the path of electricity traveled along its way and served like a switch to turn my own downcast mood on.
It is surprising sometimes where ripple effects will find surges. The case of this 13 (perhaps 15 year old) burn victim found an exploding fountain of emotions in the heart and soul of a man who has given so much not only to his own same age child but to the rest of his children as well, and to the kids that he has coached throughout the years on the baseball field.
This morning the television was reporting that the burn victim is in "grave condition.
Yesterday his physician was reporting on television that the young man had not even "entered the woods yet. Meaning that the young man had not yet entered the state where he would face the need to combat not only "infections due to the fact that he has no skin to protect him from then but that he is also facing the need to fight innumerable "organ failure since, the physician said, "no body was created to live in the burnt state or condition.
My podiatrist, being a medical doctor, probably knew all of that yesterday and probably knew it from the minute he heard the news of what a group of his peers did to the young boy who jumped in a swimming pool to try and put out the fire that was consuming his body.
The culprits are in a juvenile facility lock-up. One of them is facing second degree murder charges and the possibility that he might be tried as an adult.
Wilted young lives all of them, from the young burnt victim who might die, to the culprits locked up in a juvenile detention facility facing the possibility of many years of imprisonment. Derailed lives all of them. Derailed lives for the parents of all of them as well.
Wilted and derailed lives as the consequence of the greed and hate permeating our society today?
The report is that the burnt victim owed $40.00 to one of the fire-setters, who, when unable to collect his due money, tried to steal the burn victim's father's bicycle. An act which was reported to the police by the burn victim's father which caused the bike stealer to be arrested and eventually and which further led to his influencing a number of mutual friends of his and of the burnt victim's to set their friend on fire.
Ripple effects which now involve the walloping health care bills that the burnt victim's parents are going to be faced with, regardless of whether the young man is currently insured or whether anyone might be willing to insure the young man and not refuse him medical insurance because of what they know will be insurmountable health care bills.
Ripple effects which will now need his parents to face a life changing situation the ripple effects of which may tear at the bonds of any marriage, any work or job situation, any journey of the family as they had known it up to this point.
Ripple effects which now has local television stations asking for anyone who wants to donate to a pool of money to help defray the cost of caring for this young boy who, if he survives, is faced with years and years of medical follow up care.
A care which, by refusing to even consider or to vote for Universal Health Care for all, Congress is refusing him and his family.
A care which greed and a president who thinks that insurance through employers is the only option, or decent option available to this country, denies him.
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