rejoice rejoice, we have no choice

While Clifford Olson was on his deathbed, I read a number of posts on Facebook, news sites and articles, where the authors or interviewees rejoiced that he would soon be dead. It's not hard to understand, especially for the families of the 11 children he murdered, but I still couldn't say "YAY!" and cheer. I saw an interview with Howard Lutnick, CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald. He lost his brother along with several hundred of his employees in the World Trade Center. But when asked about the death of Bin Laden, he said he didn't have the same enthusiasm as did those who chanted "USA USA" outside the White house. But, he said, "I am glad that he can no longer, by his own hand, be responsible for any more deaths."

When I was growing up, there was a boy I knew who caused me an incredible amount of suffering. He harassed and tormented me for years and no one did anything becuase he was popular and good looking and I was nobody. He had friends who thought he was great. I did not.

A few years ago, he suddenly dropped dead of a heart attack. I was shocked and suprised, but I didn't feel grief or sorrow. But I realized that he was gone from the earth, and I would never see him again. There was no chance I would ever run into him or find him on Facebook. I didn't feel avenged, as it had been so many years. I hadn't sought revenge, or caused his death. I felt bad for his family but I didn't mourn him. I wondered if it that made me a terrible person.

Later I was chatting via email with a colleague I corresponded with and told her about it. "Why should you feel grief for someone who made your life miserable? You don't have to mourn him. He has other people who mourn him, you don't have to be one of them." Another woman told me about a girl she'd known in grade 8 who made HER life miserable, so much so that she was afraid to go to school. One day, she got to school and everyone was whispering. Apparently, the Bully and her boyfriend had died in an accident during the night.

Later, she said, "My friend and I met during lunch and of course we were shocked, but at the same time, we were almost relieved that we'd never have to be afraid of going to school again. We weren't terrible people. It was like when Hitler died!"

I think the only person now who really has regrets about Clifford Olson is an ex con by the name of Lussier, who tried to kill Olson while in prison in the mid 70s. Now out of jail, Lussier regrets his many crimes and the pain he's caused his family. He had been sexually abused as a kid and when Olson took a very young inmate as a sex slave, Lussier decided it was time to take him out. Inmates disliked Olson for being a predator and snitch. He stabbed Olson who of course survived. He knows that by succeeding he'd have faced another long stretch but it would have been worth it. "Today, all those kids would still be alive."