CRIME STORY

 “If it bleeds, it leads,” is the oft-quoted reasoning given for television news or a local newspaper to begin with or headline a story involving human tragedy- auto wreck, police shooting, suicide, murder, and the like. But why highlight a relatively minor murder- however tragic- into a national media sensation when there are even worst tragedies which are under reported and that have major implications for our own lives.

Take for example the national sensualized murder saga involving the murdered Gabby Petito and her missing boyfriend Brain Laundrie. A couple who lived with Brian’s parents who took a cross-country trip in a white utility van. In August, We have a recorded 911 call from a concerned person in Moab, Utah reporting Brian hitting and slapping Gabby and then video from the Moab Police Department showing police questioning the couple and then separating them for the night for a cool-off period. Brian drives back to their home in Florida without Gabby.

Then in September, people begin to realize Gabby is missing. Her lifeless body is found in Wyoming, and he disappears, perhaps in a gator and snake infested swamp. Brian’s parents get lawyered-up and go silent. Media pundits and their consultants pore over the 911 call and police questioning with such intensity that one would think they were searching for a hidden code from the beyond.

So far, it appears to be a great script for a Lifetime movie (I would watch it). But something like a national emergency? Why? There is a certain national political pundit with whom I very rarely agree who makes some sense with her assessment- a case of “missing white woman syndrome.” So, are 21^st century Americans caught up in the old “damsel in distress” myth? Perhaps. Consider maybe this crime story is a distraction from more far-reaching stories-

·       Our southern border is being overwhelmed by would-be immigrants to our country

·       We were shamed by terrorists as we fled Afghanistan without a plan and left hundreds of Americans and friends of America behind

·       The stock market is unstable, and inflation is creeping up

Maybe our national addiction to this crime story is the only we can grapple with some major unpleasant truths on crime in our country-

·       Hundreds of Native American women are missing from tribal lands- in 2020, 5600 women and girls were reported missing

·       Hundreds of inner-city African American children are missing (or killed in gang cross-fires)- nearly 800,000 children are reported missing each year and about one third are Black

·       The FBI just reported that major crimes- including murders- are trending up in our country

I do hope we find out what really happened to Gabby and Brian on that trip, and their families will receive a sense of peace. In the meantime, let’s not forget other parents who are also grieving the loss of their children.