It was nothing but rudimentary self-help psychology that had me go to yesterday's memorial for Robert Lopez, Jr. A noontime service was conducted in Spanish, attended by the parents and about fifty neighbors. The parents wore colorful bandannas folded like headbands which I took to be a cultural sign of grief.There was no anger, just stunned murmurs in response to the prayers. "Santa Maria" was invoked countless times. Absolutely heartbreaking.
A slight case of insomnia had me go back very early this morning.
(Roberto's story, by Esmeralda Bermudez and Andrew Blankstein, is here. Some good photos too.)
9 comments:
The senselessness of it is dumbfounding. I hope your being with grieving others helped you in yours.
I stopped with the candles and didn't read the story. But it made me think of this: I'm not anti-religous, just not religous at all. But a few years ago in Notre Dame I paid for and lit a couple of candles. My cousin said, "I know who those are for," and I thought he meant for my father. "They're for your dogs," he said; and he was right.
Maybe I'm not religious because I can't spell religious?
I've been following this story too (I'm in L.A.). It's appalling how this kind of thing happens and we are so dulled to the horrific nature of what just happened. Because it happens so frequently, we're jaded. We're numbed the reality of that incident. A child was lost. A child was lost in a terrible, painful, senseless, crime that will be looked at as an accident. It's an accident because the MURDERERS didn't kill who they intended to kill. This isn't the wild west. Do you think this kind of thing happened in the wild west? I doubt it. We are wilder.
This is more than a crime. This is terrorism. Terrorism without purpose.
And I thought I couldn't feel more sad. I've been struggling with all the children killed in Gaza... and now this story puts a local face on similar senseless destruction.
It's a beautiful shot, K. Thanks for this. And I do hope you are feeling some comfort in your own grief.
As usual an incredible photo and in this case a very important piece of work!
We hear these stories all too often, senseless and heart-wrenching.
You have captured a memory of Roberto, warm and full of light.
I hope your heart heals soon.
It astounds me when things like this happen. Completely horrible. Thank you for your sensitive photo and story.
I would like to exchange links with your site www.blogger.com
Is this possible?
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