This is a beautiful and righteously angry sentiment.
Unfortunately, crime is part of the human condition.
Even the original Good Samaritan was a man who came across another man who was robbed on a road, stripped of his clothing, beaten almost to death, and left in the road to die.
I do agree that a (peaceful) revolution is needed to address legislation that frees criminals who are almost certain to be recidivists. There are centuries of empirical evidence proving this to be statistically true.
Until then I don't think we have much recourse but to continue to do our best to avoid precarious situations.
Of course Eliza SHOULD still be waking up early if she so chose and going for her run. She should still be with her family and getting ready for a new crop of students this year.
I agree that mass demonstrations (peaceful), petitions, letter-writing campaigns, and voting for poiticians who share our values may help to change some laws regarding crime and punishment.
But crime will never end.
I cry for Eliza and I cry for her family. We all know there are so many victims everywhere of whom we have never heard, because they haven't gotten the attention that Eliza Fletcher or Gabby Petito have. IMO that's on the media.
There are always going to be Jack the Rippers out there. There are bad seeds everywhere.
No, we don't want to be cloistered at home. I have a 40-year old daughter, a nearly 18-year old granddaughter, a nearly 8-year old granddaughter and a 9-year old grandson. A 26 year old niece. A sister, a mother and father. I worry endlessly about all of them.
I want Eliza to have enjoyed her run and continued on with her day. But the reality is that I wish even more she had turned over in bed and gone back to sleep.
It's completely unfair. Of course. But in hindsight, it would have been the lesser of two evils----being forced to withdraw from something she loved to do, or to be slaughtered.
Jmo and I have mixed emotions even about what I wrote.