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A Tragedy Hits Home
You don’t need to know someone for their tragic death to hit home. Anything associated with the tragedy – the location, their jobs, or even the sudden, inexplicable loss of innocent life – can trigger the equivalent of a gut punch.
That happened to me yesterday upon learning of the death of US Rep. Jackie Walorski, the five-term Republican US Representative from Indiana’s Second Congressional District. Two of her young aides – her district director, Zachery Potts, 27, and communications director (press secretary) Emma Thomson, 28 – perished while traveling via car north on a two-lane Indiana state road (19) when the vehicle she was riding crossed the southbound lane, killing another driver. Horrific.
On the general topic of tragedies hitting close to home, uou remember last weekend, when a drunk driver plowed into a group of bicyclists riding for the Make-a-Wish charity? That happened less than a mile from the house where I grew up.
Note that the Washington Post couldn’t resist noting that Walorski was one of those dirty Republicans with skepticism about election integrity when they noted her passing.
I didn’t know the party affiliation when the announcement was made. People kept saying that she was involved in the election coup, so I assumed she was a Democrat and involved with the Russian Collusion Hoax or the successful coup of 2020.
What a loss. I confess that I had not heard of her, so I greatly appreciate your warm gazette of her station and situation, and the description of the environment.
I’m sorry I didn’t know about her until now. Her congressional district is not a next-door neighbor to mine in Michigan, but there is only one district between us. Thank you for the tribute.
I’ve done a lot of bicycle riding in that country. I’ve done many rides to Goshen, Nappanee, and La Porte and a smaller number to Wakarusa, Elkhart, and South Bend. The area has some of my favorite places, but the map database of such rides as I have recorded shows that I’ve never gotten closer than one mile from the intersection close to where that crash took place. That makes it hit close to home, too.
The Chicago Tribune printed nothing in this morning’s paper. I actually looked through every page of the pamphlet looking for it. Such a shame, like a thief in the night.
It is beautiful country filled with salt-of-the-earth people, as is southwestern Michigan. Thanks for your note.
I’ll echo that. I worked for that area at the state legislature. Tough, lovely people.
Thank you for this piece, Kelly, and thank you, Ms. Walorski for your service.