Watching the news is depressing

[blamebrampton]

Zahra Baker is a young Australian girl, recently living in North Carolina, with her father and stepmother. She's probably dead now, and the most likely culprit is the stepmother. 

That's all horrible enough.

But the North Carolina police chief who was announcing the news had clearly hoped that it was a case that could happy ending. Or perhaps he has a little girl at home. Or perhaps he just never wanted to be confronted by the fact that a child could be seen a too much effort to live. It was all he could do to hold back his tears and keep his voice level, and you could feel the pain radiating from the man as he spoke.

And even though it's too horrible for words, I couldn't help thinking: that's the sort of person you want to be your chief of police. Because he was not thinking of that girl as a case, he was thinking of her as a person, a person he had hoped to save. I just hope that whoever he has at home, they gave him a hell of a hug when he got in last night, and they give him another one tonight.

Comments

[emmacmf.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's awful. And yes, you want someone who cares as chief of police.

[mahaliem.livejournal.com]

Watching the police chief made me tear up.

[knic26.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, that happened very close to me. I didn't ever manage to hear the whole story, but I did see part of the chief's press release on TV.

You could really tell that his heart was in this case.

[embolinaoz.livejournal.com]

It's demonstrations of compassion and humanity like his that make you believe the world could be a better place.

It is possible.

[illereyn.livejournal.com]

I remember watching a snippet of his speech to media, and being pleasantly surprised that he obviously cared about Zahra as a girl and not a case. It made me want to hug him, too.