Poor Amy, Life Isn't Fair...

We know Amy Bishop shot and killed several colleagues, we know she shot her brother "accidentally" in 1986 and we know, if we read deep into the story in one newspaper , she was , " a far-left political extremist who was “obsessed” with President Obama to the point of being off-putting." Well, we know that last part is irrelevant, right? ~ If she been a Ron Paul supporter or been a gun rights advocate, this would not have been news at all, it wouldn't even warrant a mention ~  But I point it out because there is a bigger picture.

(note: the ~ sign denotes sarcasm)

She also was a suspect in the attempted pipe-bombing of a Harvard professor in 1993 which has gone unsolved. Who would want to kill a doctor who works at a Children's Hospital? Amy Bishop? With the other pieces of the puzzle in place, I'd say she becomes the prime suspect.

If Amy Bishop deliberately killed her brother, then getting away with the crime contributed to her subsequent act(s), because humans need to atone for their deeds, not just for society, but for themselves. If they escape punishment, one part of their psyche is tormented by guilt while another part creates a compartment in defense, which in turn allows the person to believe they won't suffer outside consequences for their actions, yet perpetuates and feeds a kind of inner demon.



But it is from the neighbors that we get one of the more telling insights into Ms Bishop's character:

"Bishop once stopped a local ice cream truck from coming into their neighborhood. According to WBZ-1030 radio, she said it because her own kids were lactose intolerant, and she didn't think it was fair that her kids couldn't have ice cream.

Ipswich neighbors recall confrontations with Amy Bishop - Local News Updates - The Boston Globe:

Fairness is very difficult (in fact, impossible) to achieve, especially when our multi-faceted society that rewards different people differently. Sometimes brilliant academics are lousy teachers. Sometimes affable and charming professors, light on brute intelligence are actually better teachers. Some...many professors don't get tenure. Some, in fact, many, musicians don't get a record deal.

Kids who are not lactose intolerant have a right to eat ice cream. The pursuit of "fairness" often results in  doing harm to others in small ways and monumental ways. Depriving others of a life because you don't feel you have a life; and depriving neighborhood children of the joys of the ice cream truck because you don't think it is "fair", it's all part of the same mindset.

Life is especially unfair for those who were injured and lost their lives because of this woman, yet we will for years hence focus on giving Ms. Bishop a "fair" trial and she won't even be deprived of ice cream in prison. No, life isn't fair at all.