Huber

Funeral Home & Cremation Services

952-474-9595

Pediatric Rehabilitation Clinic.

Occupational Therapy.  Speech Therapy.

952-443-9888

Victoria’s Corner Bar.  Nightly Specials and Menus.  952-443-9944

Buying or Selling Victoria?

Call Nan Emmer.  612-702-2020

Weinzierl

Jewelers

8 First Street in Waconia.  952-442-2885

Preschool and Childcare in Victoria. 

Call 952-443-2121.

MVT Excavating

No job is too small.  952-446-9341

The Key

The Key to advertisers

in the Victoria Gazette. 

Located at www.VictoriaGazette.com.

952-443-2808

Specialized assisted living for those

with memory challenges. 

Victoria.  952-908-2215

Headlines

and bylines

Front Page

Feature Story

From the

Editor

Addie’s

Drawing

Letters

to the Editor

Victoria

Moments

Hook

Line & Sinker

Calendar

of Events

Click here to

Advertise

Email

the Gazette

Return to

Home Page

Order

paper Gazette

Notes and

Quotes

The Scoop

at City Hall

Home Page

The Victoria

GAZETTE

From the Editor

         For some reason, some people have a will to do bad things to others.  They’re not satisfied to live their own lives to the best of their ability, trying to acquire a modicum of virtue and wisdom along the way, but are out to destroy, damage, isolate, or sabotage the good work and life of others.

         As I’ve often repeated to my children, who see with my eyes and understand with my understanding, it’s nothing new under the sun.  It began in Genesis when Cain killed Abel.  From those earliest days in human history, then, there was a decision and will to harm others. 

         I could have said, even a will to harm blood brothers, but that would be redundant since we are all blood brothers.  In case you haven’t heard it or read it, science has given us evidence that proves all human beings come from one set of parents, no matter the color of our skin or location of our homeland.

         At the other end of the behavioral spectrum, we find that, for some reason, some people have a will to do good things for others.  They try to live their lives to the best of their ability, which includes being generous, gracious, uplifting, even sacrificial, for the sake of others.

         As I’ve stated before within these very pages, men of good will were clearly acknowledged a couple thousand years ago when the angels said, “Peace to men of good will.”  A thinking person understands this implies there are also men of bad will. 

         Surely I am going someplace with all of this.  Yes, I am thinking of the unnamed individual or individuals, meddling people without mettle, or whoever created or unleashed the computer virus that affected my entire operating system only a week ago.  I probably should not take it personally, since I’ve learned that the virus turned things upside down for other people as well, maybe you too.  But it affected me personally, and was costly, and I can’t cast it aside easily.

         As with many big and little businesses around the country, it is no longer possible for me to do a newspaper without every piece of software and hardware functioning well, perfectly in fact.  Nearly all news, columns, letters, photos, and other Gazette communications arrive in my office digitally.  I prepare ads digitally, lay out 44 pages digitally, and transmit the completed layout to the press digitally.  I do my invoicing and bookkeeping digitally.  And, of course, my online version of the Gazette and many other online creations are only available digitally.  I even think digitally.

         So when a bad virus (there’s really no such thing as a good virus) invades my system, I am literally shut down until the thing can be tracked, removed, and sent to kingdom come.  This is an expensive time-consuming job and I’m grateful there are companies who specialize in such diagnosis and treatment, much like probing the human body for evidence of a life threatening disease and then prescribing the remedy.

   Just as avoiding the flu virus means not picking your nose and not touching doorknobs in a public restroom, avoiding a computer virus means not opening unnecessary attachments and not clicking on foolish links.  It only takes one time to catch a bug.

         And so I return every now and again to the very beginning for answers.  Why would somebody send out a batch of viruses to kill the lives of our computers?  Why did Cain kill Abel?  Why did people kill Jesus Christ?   It’s because there are people of bad will and people of good will.

         It isn’t an occasional flash of passion that creates a computer virus and infects the unsuspecting public, just as it wasn’t a flash of passion that flew two airplanes into the World Trade Center.  It isn’t a momentary lapse in judgment or mere human weakness that causes horror in the world.  It is, instead, the buildup of ugly sentiment and the fostering of bad will and the perverted pleasure some get from it.  It is a cold and calculating mind that sets out to destroy or damage the good that belongs to others.  It is a sickness, a twisting of mind and soul.  Sad, yes, but also dangerous for the rest of us.

         I often remark that I am comforted with thoughts of the next life, where there will be lasting peace and mercy for men of good will.  Those who seek to harm others will finally meet the justice they deserve and I suspect it could include a very bad virus that torments them to the point of wailing, weeping, and the gnashing of teeth!

          My computer system is fine again (as you can see since you’re reading this newspaper), and I’ve always had backup, but now I’ve also got backup off site should anyone of bad will once again invade my otherwise good and peaceful life. 

         I’m glad to be creating and publishing all these many pages of the Victoria Gazette each month, with the help of so many of you in this fine community.  It is my honor and privilege to keep bringing you the most comprehensive current news and history of Victoria on record, among other good things.

March 2010