There's a fine line between support and celebration

Frontiersman Editorial Board

After two apparent burglars were shot and killed by the pastor of a Big Lake church last week, a chorus of supportive voices were raised for the pastor. It must be a trying time for him, and it is right for his congregation and others to rally to his side. So far, Troopers have not released many details about the alleged burglary and the resulting shooting.

While it is right to support a friend and community leader who is under stress, our community should also take a moment to reflect on what has really happened here -- and to consider the proper tone to project over an incident that, like it or not, is at least as tragic as it is heroic.

Should we say that our thoughts and support are with the pastor and his family in a difficult time? Of course. However, we can't forget that, if this was a simple burglary -- no matter how many times the church had been burglarized -- it is a tragedy for at least two Valley families. Support is the proper tone, celebration is not.

Unfortunately, many people around the Valley seem to have taken on a celebratory tone over the violent deaths of these two men.

We've heard comments like, "Maybe this will send a message," and "Good. They got what they had coming." The community hosted a pot-luck in the community this weekend to show support. Whatever the reason for the pot-luck, one has to wonder at the concept of throwing a party when two men -- even men who were engaging in a crime -- have been killed.

It is fairly clear that deadly force is acceptable by law when a person is confronted with a life-threatening situation. If someone is in your house, and you are convinced they intend to do you or your family harm, you are justified to respond with deadly force. It is yet to be seen if that was the case here. Whether it was or not, our response is what counts.

It is true that these kinds of crimes are all-too common in the Valley. It is also true that we must respond to them so that we can all feel safer and more secure in our homes. In a society of laws, however, the proper response is to equip the police and the courts with the manpower and resources they need to do their jobs. It is not an acceptable solution, in our society, to encourage and celebrate vigilantism. While we may be frustrated with the authorities' ability to keep up with crime in the Valley, the proper response is to help increase that ability -- not to take the function of justice out of the courts. No matter whether the killing of the two men was justifiable in the law or not, we should not turn the incident into a cause for celebration.