Wednesday, November 19, 2008

No Peace, Even In Death

I've been doing a lot of writing this week on the tragic, needless and completely avoidable death of Christopher L. Thomas, Jr.

Even though I am usually on the verbose side, I can not find the words to describe my feelings about today's turn of events:
The dispute simmered throughout the service but erupted near its end, as people lined up near the open casket to pay their final respects.

Several people began to taunt Thomas, who sat at the front of the Serenity Funeral Home chapel, his eyes closed.

Who threw the first blow was unclear. Thomas was punched on the left side of his face. He was removed from the chapel and taken to a couch, the left side of his face severely swollen, a bloody gash beneath his left eye.

In the chapel, chairs were thrown aside and flower displays were knocked over. Several people grabbed the boy's casket to keep it from being flung down.

As people cried out for calm, the fight spread to the funeral home lobby and into the street. An ambulance arrived at the front of funeral home just as the casket was carried out the back and loaded into a hearse.

I'll have nothing more to say about this tonight, except that I hope that wherever little Christopher may be, I hope he is finally coming to know some peace.

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