Watch CBS News

Keller @ Large: Dawnn Jaffier Murder Another Reminder Of Collapse Of Civilized Behavior

BOSTON (CBS) - Our deepest sympathies go out to the family and friends of Dawnn Jaffier of Brighton, the innocent woman killed as she participated in a community parade by what police are calling an "errant shot." It happened at 8:17 in the morning on a busy street corner.

8:17 a.m.

They're still investigating what happened, but it sounds like a familiar story – a handful of complete idiots with guns terrorizing the population without limit or shame, totally indifferent to the collateral damage of innocent bystanders.

By all accounts Dawnn Jaffier was a caring, civic-minded woman. I wouldn't say the people who robbed her and us of her future are the same as the creatures in ISIS, acting out their homicidal fantasies on a massive scale.

But I'd say they were cut from the same cloth, and will rot in the same warm-weather climate when they go.

The whole appalling episode is a reminder that even though we are a far cry from Syria right now in terms of safety, the rule of law, human rights and so on, we are not immune from the collapses of civilized behavior in the news this summer.

Boston Globe reporters covering the Jaffier murder interviewed a couple of alleged witnesses who wouldn't give their names and refused to provide more than minimal detail. "Most residents said they had not seen or heard anything, or declined to comment," the Globe reported.

Of course not, they're terrorized, not unlike the people of Gaza, who woke up Saturday to the news that Hamas thugs had executed 18 people for allegedly conspiring against them, seven of them in front of a mosque where people worshipped inside.

I wonder about any society that tolerates the terrorizing of its own, ours included.

Unless our attitude going forward is – this is intolerable.

Listen to Jon's commentary:

Keller at Large Aug 25 2014

You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News.

MORE LOCAL NEWS FROM CBS BOSTON

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.