A Real Tragedy

September 7, 2009 — I vaguely remember hearing about an Iowa high school football coach being murdered when the tragedy occurred this past summer. Then a niece of mine phoned me a week ago this past Friday evening and asked if I was watching the high school football game being telecast by ESPN. I was not and I should have been. Then this commentary appeared on usatoday.com http://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/football/2009-09-06-ed-thomas-accused-killer_N.htm and after reading I realized I should have paid closer attention. This isn't about football folks...it's about life and how cruel using drugs can be.

The story of this accused killer, and a young man to boot, is told by a childhood friend of his and admitted drug user himself. The friend details how they drank a little beer and smoked a little weed and how after high school got into doing meth quite regularly. He details how this got worse as time went on and he could plainly see how his friend was changing. The news account also details how this young man's parents tried and failed to make a difference in his drug usage. It apparently was too late as the demons had taken over in his mind. It was noticeable to all that knew this young man.

So is smoking a little weed harmless? Is drinking a little beer harmless? I firmly stand and say NO IT IS NOT HARMLESS! Just today I had someone tell me that last night they polished off an 18-pack of beer and "...boy did I get drunk..." they stated. It was as if they were very proud of that fact. They then went on to explain that they had gotten into an argument with their wife, but they could not recall doing so. It was as if the drinking made it all okay to get into an argument because they knew they would not recall it the next day. How foolish that is and how irresponsible. Oh, to be sure I have had my bouts with alcohol, but I can honestly say that as drunk as I have been sometimes I could always recall what a fool I was at times. Being drunk is never an excuse for not accepting responsibility. I am glad to say that I have moved on from those days!

Every parent that is trying to get their child to say no to drugs and every friend that is trying to do the same thing with one of their friends should read the above commentary. More importantly, every drug and alcohol user/abuser should read this story. The facts are undeniable regardless of what the pundits say. The use, even if you believe it is innocent or "recreational use", of drugs in anyway shape or form leads to deadly tragedy...and yes I include alcohol here.

This Iowa community is recovering from this tragedy and an F5 tornado all in the same year. The events that have transpired and how they are reacting to them clearly define just how strong these folks are. They know what it takes...they know the hard work involved...they know they must go on...and they know that there is a valuable lesson for us all to learn. It's what really matters!