Defining the Problem

Love, love, love the talks that Dennis Prager gives, ala the Prageru.com site. Invariably they are uplifting, informative and enlightening.

Recently, he gave a talk under the inauspicious title: ' Prager University, Part 8' carried by the American University website — which only carries the best of the best of what is out there on the internet.

This speech was no exception to their policy.

The topic of this particular offering was on the subject of “Happiness.”

Here are a few snippets from Prager's presentation:

“ Most people think of happiness as essentially a selfish issue. I want to be happy and I want to be happy for me. I would like to suggest that in fact, happiness is far, far more than a selfish desire. In fact, it is a moral obligation. I know that most people have never thought of happiness in this way… whether or not you are happy and — most importantly — whether or not you act happy is about altruism, not selfishness.

Because it is about how we affect other's lives.

And that's what makes it a moral issue.

Ask anybody who was raised by an unhappy parent whether or not happiness is a moral issue, and I assure you the answer will be ' yes.' It is no fun being raised by an unhappy parent, or being married to an unhappy person, or being the parent of an unhappy child or working with an unhappy coworker. Our happiness affects others… profoundly! That's why happiness is a moral obligation. People cannot be guided by feelings, because it is how we act that affects others, not how we feel.”

Now that pretty much encapsulates what happiness 'should' be.

With that in mind, let's take a peek at what

Continued on Page 14

‘Wordaholic’ By Robert L. Hall ROBERT HALL (cont.)

made the Highland Park shooter happy. First, there this, from the Daily Mail, by Jennifer Smith and Paul Farrell, 5 July, 2022:

“ Police at first said that Crimo ( the shooter) was not known to them but on Tuesday, they revealed he was interviewed twice by authorities in 2019.

“ The first was in April 2019 a week after he threatened to kill himself.

The second was in September 2019, after he threatened to ' kill everyone' in his family.

“ Police recovered 16 knives, a dagger and sword from his home but he was not arrested.

“ Instead, he was able to turn 21 and buy two assault rifles in Illinois, along with three other types of guns. It remains unclear why the two previous incidents were not flagged when he legally purchased the weapons.”

Perhaps that would explain why the shooter was living in a small apartment behind the house owned by Bob Crimo Jr. (his father) along Pleasant Avenue in Highwood-instead of inside the big house with the rest of the family: Mother, sister and brother. He was in the back yard-you knowlike a family dog might be.

Small wonder there… right?

Other points of interest?

Oh, yeah, the shooter's father owned 2 restaurants, we learn — also from the Daily Mail:

restaurants in the area, White Hen in Ravinia and Bob's Pantry & Deli in Braeside, Illinois.”

And yet, his son the shooter was a laid-off sandwichmaker from Panera Bread.

Huh? Wonder why he wasn't working for his own father at one of the familyowned businesses? That would seem logical, wouldn't it? That is, unless you were a spaced-out basket case that ran off all the customers with your crazed looks, scraggly-hair, unkept appearance and, oh yeah… tatoos all over your face, neck and body. Some of the hazy tats were mystical images of past BLM and Antifa website posting images-all look like he took a ball point pen and self-mutilated himself, applying them crudely under his skin.

And these aren't any 'artistic' tats. Oh, noooooo.

These are roman numerals and numbers — especially the numbers 4 and 7.

Which, perhaps not coincidentally — and I think decidedly NOT — is the date of the 4th of July (the 7th month of the year) backwards.

Imagine that?

But, don't let that deceive you into thinking that was his only target. Oh, no, no, no.

There's also this little tidbit:

“ Rabbi Yosef Schanowitz is quoted… as saying that he recognized the suspect from an incident that occurred in April 2022. The rabbi said: ' During the last Passover holiday, that person entered the Chabad synagogue. We have an armed security guard sitting in front… I approached him and sternly asked him to leave as I noticed he was not a member of our community.' “ In a separate interview with

the congregation's head of security Martin Blumenthal said of Crimo: ' He was definitely sizing up the synagogue.' “ Blumenthal said that Crimo was wearing all black clothes and black gloves ' in the goth style.' The head of security said that he checked Crimo's backpack for weapons but didn't find any.

“ He added: ' He said his name was Bobby and he lived in the neighborhood. I watched him the whole time.' Blumenthal added that Crimo then left on his bike.”

Who says that armed people on site is not a deterrent to mass murderers?

This one certainly was!

But, you know… he certainly must have had his good side, right? Well, he was an 'aspiring rapper.' Who isn't!

And, of course, he posted his body armour, his guns, pictures of potential shootings, blood, cops, and something else. We found out about the last thing from his get-a-way attempt at the July 4th mass-killing spree, when he was spotted in a woman's wig, a frilly neck choker, blouse and skirt, on the lam from the police.

He's a cross-dressing LGBTQ.

Some want to deny it, but like the ex-FBI agent I saw on NewsMax pointed out, he wasn't using a woman's dress just as a disguise… he was on the social media in the past, decked out in the same female attire.

So, let's see: suicidal and murderous rage in the past, ignored by the police who failed to enforce red laws already on the books, in a dog house in the back of his folk's half-million dollar house, father won't hire him and he's unemployed, dresses in women's clothing, posting images of slaughter on social media, after casing a local synagogue for possible attack, then kills 7 and injures over two dozen more during a July 4th parade.

Oh, one image I saw and heard about remains with me. The one of a 2-year old little boy, found under his fallen father's body with his mother mowed down beside him. Parentless and whose life is forever changed now. From just a few of the 70 shots that rang out that day.

But, you know, the Highland Park shooter is happy.

I believe that Chris Plante, a Washington, D.C. radio commentator probably put it best when he said: “ The problem is not my gun… the problem is your kid!”

Robert L. Hall is a resident of Marion and has a Bachelor’s Degree in music from the University of Memphis and a Master’s Degree from Florida State University. He is the pianist for Avondale Baptist Church and a writer of fiction on Amazon eBooks.