People are laughing and sort of appalled by the American tourist who touched the ancient Annuciation statue in Florence,and caused it's finger to break. I have a background in art history, and felt badly about it- preservation of our shared world cultural history is vital, in my mind. The guy who did it is my girlfriend's brother. Friendly, laughing, charming as Irish-Americans can be. He was over there on vacation with his family. A doctor, a surgeon. So...now his life will be google-shadowed by this episode... Tell you something else about him. He lives in the next town over, a few miles from Newtown. When he got word by phone about the shootings, he and the other hospital staff rushed to the hospital (the closest one to Newtown) and made emergency preparations to receive the wounded. A tense time. But as we know, no wounded came. I heard a little about that night from his sister, but I didn't ask for details. She said that the shooting was traumatic for his fellow hospital workers, of course, and she hinted at the psychological effect upon them of having nothing to do, no way to try to save lives, after their congregation and preparation. I wish this good man's actions on the day of the childrens' deaths could be the event that defined his persona on the net.
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