The Sad Story of Oscar Pistorius

Many of us who are fans of the Olympics awoke to horrible news this morning.  Oscar Pistorius, the legendary South African runner, who had both legs amputated below the knee before his first birthday was charged with murder this morning in the shooting death of his girlfriend. Pistorius won two gold medals and a silver at last year’s Paralympic Games in London and reached the 400-meter semifinal and 4x400 meter relay in the regular Olympics.  The first stories that surfaced were that perhaps she had entered his home unannounced and been mistaken for an intruder. Hours later, more stories appeared that indicated a history of domestic disturbances.
It's hard to hear this story, given the gun control debate in the news, and not think about what a different outcome there might have been had a gun not been in the house. Maybe Pistorius would have hit her or knocked her down-warning enough for her to flee for good but with a gun part of the equation, she sadly didn't have that option.
Our hearts go out to this 30-year old victim, who had her whole life ahead of her. Oscar Pistorius was, until today, thought of as a hero who overcame great adversity and was a good role model. This sad story should serve as a reminder that anyone among us could be an abuser and the signs are often not there until its too late....more on this story tomorrow.