Either we live by plan and die by plan, or we live by accident and die by accident. This according to the master playwright and novelist, Thornton Wilder.  I was reminded of this quote from The Bridge of San Luis Rey when I heard a play based on this novel will be presented in Tucson in May.

I recalled how much I enjoyed teaching the novel because of the philosophical discussions it engendered even with the most recalcitrant students.

The concept, so simply stated yet so profound, truly pinpoints how a person feels about the world. My primary question to the students about this concept was whether it is a valid “either/or” because it seems to take free will out of the picture. And yes, it can relate to the murder of Stacey Burns; the anniversary is now just 19 days away.

Was it in the plan that she be removed from this planet in such a horrible way? Was it just an accidental set of circumstances placed people in her life at the wrong time? I don’t believe that either explains what happened. Human beings have the gift of free will, of acting or not acting on a thought or desire or ambition. We can direct our own plan. Unfortunately, Stacey did not get to complete her plan because an evil person, who did have free will of their own, chose to act. It wasn’t in God’s plan nor was it an accident. It was a deliberately evil and horrid act.

Seven years and counting, folks . . .What’s the latest that is happening in the intense, ongoing investigation of this murder?

Comments are more than welcome.

Duke