News of the day
The news of the day: “Lebanese troops deploy as part of the cease-fire” and “Suspect confesses to Jon Benet Ramsey’s killing”. World peace must be just around the corner. But I must confess that troop deployment as a signal for the end of armed aggression rings hollow for me. And the capture of Jon Benet’s killer is certainly welcome news for her family too long shrouded by media speculation and public suspicion, I’m not sure the news affects my sense of personal safety in the least.
I find myself wondering about the sheer number of law enforcement hours invested is finding Jon Benet’s killer. The local Boulder effort became a national search and then international, finally culminating in collaboration with official in Thailand and now an extradition hearing. The investigation involved an unbelievable number of false leads and dogged determination by a fine team of investigators over a ten year period. Following the extradition (international flights for prisoner and guards) there will be months of trial and years of prison (presumably maximum security).
How much have we, will we, spend to find Jon Benet’s killer? And how much will we then spend on the trial and incarceration? The figure must certainly stretch into the seventh digit.
Although Jon Benet’s death was a incomprehensible tragedy, so too the death of Ryon Smith. [Ryon Smith’s lifeless beaten body was found in his squalid home in Cahokia IL on Christmas Day, 2006.] But while we have and will spend millions solving and avenging the murder of Jon Benet’s killer, we are oblivious to Ryon’s. And I wonder why?
Is it that Jon Benet’s beauty pageant face is just too cute? Is it the salacious mystery of practically-perfect-parents being suspects in the crime? Does the wealth of the Ramsey family drive the investigative diligence?
Perhaps it is all of the above and maybe more. But my faith tells me that God weeps just as deeply over the death of Ryon Smith. My faith also wonders if God notices how much of our communal wealth we spend on Jon Benet’s death and how little we spent on Ryon Smith’s life. What if our communal priorties shifted and we invest more with the most vulnerable of our society?
Perhaps it’s easier to place our trust in the Lebanese troops marching south and John Mark Karr in custody. But still I wonder…
I didn’t forget Ryon Smith’s death on Christmas Day, 2005. Neither did the investigators that arrested and charged his useless mother and her dirtbag boyfriend with murder two days after he was killed. Further, they were indicted on murder chages by a grand jury in February 2006 and are behind bars awaiting trial.
It is quite possible that just the opposite of what you stated is at work in this instance. Maybe the Ramsey’s wealth hinders an arrest in this case.
Either way, I personally don’t care how much is spent to find Jon Benet’s killer. It is worth every penny to me. Hopefully one day they’ll arrest someone for her murder also.
August 21st, 2006 at 11:20 pmHolding the killer accountable, for Ryon and Jon Benet, is the least we can do as a society. But when I remember Ryon, I find myself troubled that there were too many warning signs ignored by too many people for too many years. And Ryon was but one of millions of kids on the margins. So I agree with you, but still I wonder…
August 22nd, 2006 at 12:22 pmThanks for thinking about this with me.