"Two distressing human dramas, for days now, have captured the national spotlight. The battle over Terri Schiavo's right to live or die. And the killing rampage by a troubled 16-year-old, Jeff Weise, at a high school on an isolated Indian reservation in Minnesota.

In the Schiavo case, the bitterness between Schiavo's husband, who has fought to have her feeding tube removed, and her parents, who wanted to keep it, runs deep.

The school shooting, by contrast, has provoked a spectacle that is, for the nation today, unusual. ... [I]nstead of splintering in recrimination, the Minnesota Ojibwa tribe is reaching back into native traditions and rituals for efforts at healing and forgiveness. The community is grieving as much for Weise and his troubles as for his victims.

[T]he Ojibwa reaction is a valuable reminder that by pulling together, a family or community can do much to forgive and heal. Years from now, the tribe may be more at peace with itself as a result of this conscious effort."

Get the Story:
Editorial: A tale of two tragedies (USA Today 3/28)

Relevant Links:
Red Lake Net News - http://www.rlnn.com
Red Lake Nation - http://www.redlakenation.org
Red Lake High School - http://www.paulbunyan.net/rlschools/hs.htm

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