I've tried several times to say something to both DW and Kelly (via Allan), and ended up clearing the message because the words sounded lame. They still may, but please consider this a mumbled "I care, and I'm sorry these things happened to you, and I feel totally ineffective. But I care."

Jeremy sounds like he had a profound effect on a lot of people's lives, and that's all any of us can hope for. We all can make a difference to others. Jeremy will live on in the memory of everyone who's lives he touched.

Kelly, The Beanster said no one knows how they'll react in such a situation, and it's true. We all think we know, but we can't until it really happens. What happened to you was truly horrifying. I hope the fear soon begins to fade into memory, and you're left remembering that what you did made all the difference in the outcome.

Mudcat seems to be a place to make friends. For the most part, we imagine others sitting in front of their computers typing, and we imagine how they'll feel when they read our words. We try to imagine how they felt when we read what they wrote. We're more likely to read what people say, instead of what we think they mean. Other places on the Internet, people are often flamed or ridiculed for discussing their feelings, as opposed to just their opinions. The fact that it doesn't often happen here is why we can argue without seeing people with opposing views as evil incarnate. It's why we can forgive, and it's why we want to.