Sad and Infuriating

Last week, Matt's 82- year- old grandmother was attacked and brutalized by two young thugs.

" Two men followed her home from the shopping mall, a distance of a few miles over quiet residential streets. One man remained in an idling silver sedan while the other attacked, wielding a chunk of broken concrete that officers found later in Grandmother's car. The attack broke five of Margaret's facial bones, including three around her left eye, the bridge of her nose and left cheek. She sustained deep lacerations that bled profusely and remain grotesquely swollen and bruised. She will need surgery to mend the facial fractures and a later procedure to repair her left eye, currently sightless. The attackers drove away with forty dollars in stolen cash, a few credit cards and a checkbook."

It is customary to call such humans "beasts" or "animals", but I don't know many animals that would so brutalize an elderly female of their species.

Libby wrote him thus:

"I'm for bringing back the pillories and stocks -- stake the mo-fos out in the town square with a sign that says "These two "men" mugged and robbed an 82 year old woman." And let them take whatever abuse comes their way. And after that, stick them in jail for about 20 years. And for God's sake, don't let them pass on their genes which appear to be defective and rotten to the core.

"When, oh when, will our society make it not worth anyone's while to do things like this??

"Compassion? Only for your grandmother. Revenge? Sweet."

Kipling, as always, said it well:

"When the Himalayan peasant meets the he- bear in his pride,

He shouts to scare the monster, who will often turn aside.

But the she- bear thus accosted rends the peasant tooth and nail.

For the female of the species is more deadly than the male."

It is good to know that Matt's grandmother is also angry and unbowed.