It is difficult for me to stop thinking about Gaffney's recent nine days of horror and terror. What resident could?

Worse than any possible nightmare, Gaffney has experienced it not once but twice. More than 40 years ago a similar rampage of four senseless murders by the man who became known as "The Gaffney Strangler" occurred. Who of us here then has ever forgotten? To ever forget such fear, terror, and sadness

may be impossible.

In my library is a small book titled, DON'T WASTE YOUR SORROWS. I have had it a long time and used it often. It is appropriate to do so again. The book suggests our worst and most painful life's experiences can have some salvageable value, if we can learn something from them.

Is it possible to learn anything from something as horrible as Gaffney has experienced? At least we are compelled to try!

Surely, it reminds us again how very fragile and uncertain earthly life is. For any of us to see the sun rise in the morning does not assure us of seeing it set that evening. To

give a loved one a kiss and tell them goodbye as we depart for the day is no guarantee that we will be together again at the end of the day. Any day, an unexpected event can change our earthly life and family forever. Things, relationships, and persons who are an integral part of our life and of irreplaceable value to us, can be unexpectedly lost in a moment. Since no one knows what tomorrow holds, it confirms the importance of knowing the God who holds tomorrow that the Bible reveals and offers to us. We learn the importance of appreciating and relating each and every day to our loved ones as we would if we knew it would be our last day together. Life is fragile. Handle it with care!

From the Gaffney experience, we can learn that the Bible is correct when it declares of unregenerate persons "the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9). What else can explain such horrible acts of violence as murders, rapes, and abuse of innocent persons? Yes, we do live in a world of sin, ignorance, and folly. Satan may appear at times to win a few temporary battles, but be assured it is God who is still in control and ultimately wins the war for all eternity.

From the Gaffney experience it is very clear that our criminal justice system is very broken. It is very sick. It proves we cannot put our confidence in human institutions to keep us safe and protected. Over the years I have written about this in many columns. Indeed it is sick when violent persons with criminal records pages long and spanning years are released and/or paroled from prison to perpetrate their violence on others. Five of Gaffney's beloved citizens have been murdered and three family circles and hearts broken for life by a man released just two months earlier and even released on bond after being arrested for a probation violation.

Violent acts continue to occur across the country by persons with long records released from prisons. It will continue until we citizens with a strong united voice cry out, "ENOUGH! We have had ENOUGH!"

If our government can give vast amounts of money to solve various problems at home and abroad, then we should build the prisons needed to protect our own citizens. For sure the answer to the brokenness of our criminal justice system is not in massive release of prisoners due to overcrowding, but in building more and less luxurious prisons.

A human life is not cheap. It is precious. It deserves to be preserved and protected at all cost!

(Dr. French O'Shields is a Gaffney native and a retired Presbyterian minister.)