Maybe it's time we switched our Avitars to to pay respect to 2wheelingdawg and start a fund for His Widow and young Family?????
Maybe it's time...
Well, let me put it this way:
When the guy down the street dies and you hear about it you feel sad. You feel that way because you know he was a human being and he had someone who cared about him and you know they will grieve. You feel sad because (in most cases) a contributing member of society, regardless of how small, is gone and their contribution is gone as well. You feel sad because you are human and so were they.
When a police officer or a fireman dies, you feel sad. Sometimes, you feel sadder than you would for the guy down the street because this person seemed to go out of their way to make a bigger contribution to their community. You may even go so far as to join in a larger remembrance of the police officer/fireman than you would have the guy down the street. Does this make the guy down the street any less important? Does this make you a bad person? Is this an unfair recognition that our society places on the police officer/firemen?
When a president dies, we grieve as a nation. Flags are lowered, moments of silence are had throughout the world and dignitaries come from all around. Does this mean the president was more deserving than the guy down the street? Does this mean we think of a president's life as more valuable than your neighbor?
The answer is this: Most of us cherish life at ANY level and feel saddened when it passes. We also know that death is a fundamental part of life and we accept it. We all find our own way to express our feelings for this loss and to move forward.
Tim's passing has received an inordinate amount of attention on this forum and it is for one reason and one reason only: He was an avid and respected contributor to our society. He was no more important as a human being than anyone else... he was no less important either.
I feel for anyone else who dies in our community and the family/friends they leave behind. I would do what I thought was proper and in my power to help with their grief and their situation. If someone thought it was necessary to set up a fund for them due to financial hardship, I would contribute what I thought was proper.
Tim's memorial is approaching and we will all have a chance to put his passing behind us and just hold the fond memories. I look forward to this time as do most people who have been affected by his untimely death. No memorial section on the forum is needed; no permanent tribute to his contributions should be placed on the banner, etc. We will remember him in our hearts and in our postings. That is the way is should be.
My best to all of you...
