Stylized line drawing of mark playing the flute

Tragedy and Perspective

By now, most people in Louisville have heard the terrible story of Ray Etheridge, the homeless 12-year-old who was found murdered in Cherokee Park.

This is a devastating tragedy and my heart breaks for this poor boy's family.

Now is the time to hug our children as tight as we can. Now is the time to be grateful for our good fortune and to mourn this terrible loss.

I know a lot of people's minds immediately go to horror stories of child-predators and serial killers and I want to urge everyone to be rational. It's ok to be sad and still be rational.

I want to remind people of some important facts:

###Most people in the world are decent.###

###Our children are not in constant danger.###

###Crime is at a 40-year low and crimes against children are even lower.###

###The most dangerous thing for a child to do is still riding in a car.###

It is not the time to hide from the world. It is not the time to live in fear.