Life and death

Life

"Everyone has a story about Mary," her daughter-in-law and one of Hillsboro's all-time finest citizens, Helen Hiestand, told me Monday afternoon.

I had one of my own.

Mary Hiestand passed away recently at the age of 97.

She was a member of the Hillsboro First United Methodist Church, the American Association of University Women, the Hillsboro Retired Teachers Association, and the Towne Club.

It was probably her membership in the latter that prompted one of her telephone calls of clarification to a once-young sportswriter who, on occasion, wrote about other events or at least answered the phone once in a while.

"That's Towne Club with an 'e'," I remember a nice woman telling me many years ago. I can't say with certainty that it was Mary, but I learned – from that moment on – that there's an "e" in Towne Club.

I mentioned to Helen this afternoon that many years ago, I used to have about five or 10 people that I knew I could count on to correct my occasional lapses. Mary was one of them.

Others included Millie Barnes, Betty Powell (both of whom are well known in local newspaper lore), John and Jean Carson, Eloise Postle and some other wise and thoughtful community leaders.

I always appreciated their corrective input.

In reading Mary's obituary last week, I recalled a previous story that I'd written about her husband's passing, maybe nine or 10 years ago. Hall of Fame trapshooter Joe Hiestand was, indeed, an officer and a gentleman, who served us well in the Legislature.

I may be wrong, but it seems to me that Highland County is missing more than it knows from the passing of community-minded citizens like Joe and Mary Hiestand. I know that I miss their wisdom and leadership.

• Memorials in Mary Hiestand's name may be sent to: Hospice of Hope, 215 Hughes Blvd, Mt. Orab, Ohio 45154.

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Death

While the passing of one our finest citizens was a combination of sorrow and a celebration of life, another death in our community was limited to tragic sorrow.

The death of any child brings additional grief, not only to the child's family, but also to the community. And if it doesn't, it certainly should.

We are told today, from Hillsboro Police Chief Nick Thompson, that the mother of the child has stated that her son died of pneumonia and that the mother and her boyfriend buried the child in Highland County.

Pardon me for saying so, but that reasoning simply is not acceptable. By God, it is not.

If what Chief Thompson said today about Whitney Johnson and Nathan Ritze is accurate, there ought to be a special place in Hades for both of them.

As a parent who has done his level best to be a decent father with a love for his children that cannot be adequately expressed, when I read stories like this I revert to "protection mode."

My mind tends to localize the tragedy to the often asked "What if?" scenario.

"What if" this were my child?

"What if" this were our neighbor's child?

"What if" I saw this child or his siblings – with possible signs of abuse – in school or at the store and did nothing?

What if.

Ritze, 25, and Johnson, 26, are being charged with abuse of a corpse, a felony of the fifth degree, and tampering with evidence, a felony of the third degree. Both will be arraigned at 8 a.m. Wednesday in Hillsboro Municipal Court.

Maybe someone will have mercy when it's all said and done. Fortunately for them, we have a very judicious system for that.

Right now, personally, I'm a little short on mercy. (And, yes, I've read Matthew 7:1.)

While neither one of these humans can likely comprehend it, I'll bet they're both happy now that the good ol' United States of America is a republican form of government. Why is that relevant? Glad you asked.

If our great nation were not a republic (a state in which supreme power is held by the people), and if it were a democracy (control by the majority), one juror's vote could not save them.

Suffice it to say, even if they don't realize it themselves, their respective attorneys appreciate this constitutional reality.

But as far as I'm concerned, with all the readily available taxpayer-funded medical services to each and every one of us, there's simply no excuse for such a horrendous act by any human being. Ever hear of calling 911 for an ill child?

"I've been doing this over 35 years, about 26 years as chief," Nick Thompson said. "This is one of the toughest cases that I've seen."

Chief Thompson, as he usually does, has measured his words. As a public official, that is understandable.

I am not a public official.

I'll conclude with this: As it should be, a jury will determine the guilt or innocence of these people. But anyone who perpetrates such actions against a defenseless infant ought to be on the receiving end of someone's … never mind. (I'm told not to complete that thought.)

We can't have this.

We can't tolerate this.

We have to take a stand and say "no more."

If any of us sees an abused child, we ought to realize that we have a societal responsibility to report it.

Enough, already.

Rory Ryan is a father of three. He's tired of these stories.