THE MORE THINGS CHANGE......

In  a discussion with an elderly acquaintance about the tragedy in Dallas, she said, "It's Biblical prophecy;  it's near the end of the world."

I answered, "Nothing has changed; don't you remember another Texas incident;  in 1966 when Charles Whitman killed 14 people at the University of Texas bell tower and then went home and killed his own mother?"

She said she did not recall that incident.  As it is indelibly etched on my brain, I was stunned that she did not remember.

I said, "You do know that the Disciples predicted the end of the world would happen in their own time."  I could tell that she did not believe me, but she did not challenge my assertion.

I continued, "The French have a saying plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose:  the more things change, the more they remain the same."

Later, in telling my brother about the conversation, he said, "Yeah, that guy was an ex-Marine;  wasn't that at Austin?  he was an engineering student;  they didn't allow that bell-tower to be opened for years after that."

I find it interesting what items people recall.  Why do we remember what we remember?

When we went to the internet to check, we learned that Whitman had shot 49 people, killing 14, but that he had murdered not only his mother, but also his wife, but that he had killed his wife and mother prior to his massacre at the bell tower. The bell tower remained closed for 25 years.