thoughts on the news of the day: dust storm

hmmm…..

            According to the Associated Press, a huge dust storm dropped down on the Phoenix, AZ area last night, severely reducing visibility and delaying flights as strong winds toppled trees and caused power outages for residents of the valley.

            Have you ever been in a dust storm?  I remember living in West Texas in the late 90’s and driving through one on a highway between Big Spring and Andrews, Texas.  The enormity of the storm and the difficulty seeing in the midst of it impresses me even now.  Sand particles suspended in mid air make for almost impossible visibility and the fierceness of the winds cause you wonder if the paint on your car will remain. 

            I think of the Casey Anthony case as a dust storm also.  Whirling on the scene, it captured the interest of the nation and held it suspended while the trial was going on.  Did she do it?  Did she kill her own child and fail to report it for a month afterward?  The jury said no.  Well … at least they said that the prosecutor did not prove that she did.  But like dust rising into the air, clouding the vision of its surroundings, the findings of the jury only further clouded the truth. 

            So Casey Anthony will live with a dark cloud over her head for the rest of her life.  The doubt will always remain; the suspicion will whirl around her like a dust storm that never ends.  The dust will never settle. 

            And if she is actually guilty of the crime, that may be punishment enough.

            hmmm…..