Two seemingly disparate events have merged in my mind to mark a turning point in my thinking. One is the death of Iryna Zarutska, in which a racist black killer stabbed her to death while other black onlookers stared dispassionately as she bled to death. I feel anger toward them as if Iryna were my daughter.

The other event is the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Charlie is an example of the best that this nation can produce. He exuded youthful optimism. I saw hope for our young people in him. I also feel anger toward his killers as if he were my son.

I am not comfortable talking in terms of good and evil. For a secular person, such words do not convey subtlety and understanding. However, in reflecting on the deaths of Charlie and Iryna, it seems that I was missing something. Evil does exist in this world. Indeed, it may be the only explanation for why certain people do certain things. Iryna begged for mercy, but she was murdered with no one coming to her aid. Charlie was open and willing to engage in honest discussion with anyone but despite that, maybe because of that, evil forces killed him.

Evil lurks in our society. It comes in confusing forms, but we should not delude ourselves. The veil has been pierced and one should look long and hard at what is going on and what has been going on for a very long time.

Image from Grok.