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In his spiritual autobiography “Confessions,” St. Augustine of Hippo wrote that “evil is nothing but the removal of good until finally no good remains.” In his later work “The Enchiridion,” he observed that God, who is supremely good, can bring good even out of evil.
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I recalled these timeless thoughts on the nature of evil and the reason for its persistence as I read the words of one person intimately close to the horrific tragedy in Butler, Pennsylvania last weekend, and reflected on the actions of another.
In her first statement after the assassination attempt on her husband’s life, former first lady Melania Trump said something profoundly beautiful: “political games are inferior to love.” Those last three words – inferior to love – resonated, for so much was said with so little.
HERO TRUMP RALLY VICTIM COREY COMPERATORE DIED SHIELDING FAMILY AND ‘WOULD’VE DONE IT AGAIN,’ FRIEND SAYS
Even though likely still in shock, she was able to see unadulterated evil, terrifying and ugly as it may appear up close, for what it is. It is the presence of nothing, only the absence of goodness. This is an important insight at a precarious moment in the great American experiment.
Every husband and father prays he has that valor within him, that he would choose the greatest love – to lay down his life for his family – if ever the time came.
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Mrs. Trump’s words show how to lower the temperature of our national discourse. If evil, like a shadow to light, is the absence of the good, then goodness, while still so much more, is at the very least the absence of evil. This means evil is defeatable by displacement.
MELANIA TRUMP’S CALL TO ‘ASCEND ABOVE THE HATE’ SHOULD BE RALLYING CRY FOR ALL AMERICANS
In a finite world, every act of goodness crowds out the space for evil in a zero-sum sense. Choosing good halts the diminishment of the transcendent that, by definition, is evil. And the greatest restorative good of all is love, as the former first lady so succinctly suggested.
FILE – Former first Lady Melania Trump speaks at the National Archives Naturalization Ceremony.(CSPAN )
As befits a firefighter, Corey Comperatore’s loving choice came not in words, for he had no time to reflect, only action. As soon as shots were fired, he used his own body to shield his family from a barrage of deadly gunfire. In the end, he traded his own life to save the ones he loved most dearly.
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Perhaps Mr. Comperatore thought about it a thousand times before, so at the time of choosing it was muscle memory. Every husband and father prays he has that valor within him, that he would choose the greatest love – to lay down his life for his family – if ever the time came.
Corey Comperatore was the Trump rally goer who was killed on Saturday in an assassination attempt on former President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Facebook)
The Comperatore family need not wonder whom their father and husband loved, or how greatly. Love, a volitional act, is willing the good of the other; the more selfless the act, the more pure the love. In the end, Mr. Comperatore loved with a self-emptying heart, as purely as any mortal man can do.
In a tragedy’s aftermath, Mrs. Trump counseled a nation on how to avoid future evil. When evil is inevitable, a hero firefighter showed his countrymen how to make greater good out of it.
St. Augustine is proud of both of them, a fact he can share directly with Mr. Comperatore.
Oshae Brissett is coming off his first season playing for the Boston Celtics.
The former Syracuse star finished the year with averages of 3.7 points and 2.9 rebounds per contest while shooting 44.4% from the field and 27.3% from the three-point range in 55 games (one start).
This summer, Brissett became a free agentwho is available to sign with any team in the league.
On July 21, he still remains unsigned.
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Brissett had an excellent two-year college career with the Orange.
However, he went unselected in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Mar 14, 2019; Charlotte, NC, USA; Syracuse Orange forward Oshae Brissett (11) goes up for a shot against Duke Blue Devils guard Tre Jones (3) in the second half in the ACC conference tournament at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports / Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Brissett has played five seasons in the NBA for the Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers (and Celtics).
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His career averages are 6.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per contest while shooting 41.6% from the field and 33.7% from the three-point range in 227 regular season games.
He has also appeared in 10 NBA playoff games with the Celtics.
As for the Celtics, they are coming off a sensational year where they were the first seed in the Eastern Conference with the best record in the NBA (64-18).
They beat the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to win their first title since the 2008 season (16 years).
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Apr 7, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Oshae Brissett (12) moves the ball against the Portland Trail Blazers during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
At 26 Brissett is in the prime of his career, so it will be interesting to see where he ends up playing next season.
With the Celtics, he would be at the bottom of the bench, while another team could potentially provide more of an opportunity to get on the floor.
Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies will play Oneil Cruz and the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday at PNC Park, at 1:35 PM ET.
The Phillies’ 3.48 team ERA ranks third across all MLB pitching staffs. The Pirates have pitched to a 3.87 ERA this season, which ranks 12th in baseball.
Before watching this Phillies vs. Pirates matchup, here is everything you need to know about Sunday’s action on the diamond, including viewing options.
Phillies vs. Pirates: live stream info, TV channel & game time
Game Day: Sunday, July 21, 2024
Game Time: 1:35 PM ET
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Stadium: PNC Park
TV Channel: SportsNet Pittsburgh
Live Stream: Fubo (Watch for free)
Watch the MLB on Fubo!
Phillies vs. Pirates odds & betting lines
Favorite: Phillies (-143, bet $143 to win $100)
Underdog: Pirates (+120, bet $100 to win $120)
Over/under: 9
MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Sunday at 3:06 AM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.
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A black bear was euthanized after biting a woman in Cheshire on Saturday afternoon.
According to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, officers from the Environmental Conservation Police responded around 4 p.m. Saturday to reports that a black bear had bitten an adult woman.
The woman sustained minor injuries in the attack and refused treatment, DEEP said.
Cheshire police said the bear approached the woman while she was sitting in her backyard in the area of Cornwall Avenue and Oak Avenue.
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The 280-pound male bear — which police said was “slow moving” and did not appear healthy — fled the area before officers arrived on-scene.
DEEP said EnCon officers located and euthanized the the bear following a search of the area. The bear was subsequently turned over to DEEP wildlife biologists for testing.