Tragedies Are the Signs of Life: Through the Darkness a Light Shines

By Margaret Ketterer

Tragedy is a complex puzzle of historical events leading to the final finally of what the truth is from the cause of terror. Through the pages you will witness the pain, sorrow, joy from the people who have survived to the loss of those who have given up hope caused from the crush of terror to the loss of humanity. Recognizing history will once again repeat itself. Tragedies are the signs if life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: May 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9781664259591

Margaret Ketterer

Margaret was raised in Saddle Brook, New Jersey where she attended a catholic school. The family moved to the mountain region of Lake Stockholm where she finished her education graduation from a Boces program. She than worked for Helmsley Spear in NYC. Where she continued to go to college to further her degree. Margaret fell in love moving to Germany where her husband was stationed during the Vietnam War. Returning home they took up residence in Scotia NY. Divorced, her children full grown, now retired, she spends time in her garden she enjoys day trips to Boston, NYC, and Niagara falls.  And still sings in the choir. Margaret is kept busy with her two cats Geppetto and Gracie and has two parrots Jojo and Poco. She continues to write her poetry and short stories for her grandchildren. But the one thing she enjoys the most is sitting by the water finding peace and serenity under the sun.

Book preview

Copyright © 2022 Margaret Ketterer.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

844-714-3454

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Scripture marked (KJV) taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-5957-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-5959-1 (e)

WestBow Press rev. date: 05/02/2022

Contents

PART ONE

Chapter 1

A Journey through time:

Chapter 2

World War II

Chapter 3

Stories

Chapter 4

Poems

Power of Government

Expression

Trusted by my Pears

Homeward Bound

Emotions

Torched

Shadow

Feelings of War

Christmas

Christmas Eve

Thoughts

Chapter 5

Effects of War

PART TWO

Chapter 6

Not all floods are harmful

Chapter 7

Johnstown Flood

Chapter 8

Hurricane Katrina strikes

Chapter 9

Evacuation

Chapter 10

FEMA

Chapter 11

Stories

Chapter 12

New Orleans

Chapter 13

Interviews

Chapter 14

Poems

Condemned

Forgiveness

Men of War

Melting Pot

Out of Reach

Sofia

Outcry

Winter

Chapter 15

New Orleans Today

PART THREE

Chapter 16

911 Twin Towers

Chapter 17

When fire strikes

Chapter 18

Stories

Chapter 19

Poems

A World of Death

Time Bomb

Revenge

Integrity

Redemption

Hunted

Coward

Possession

Mercy

Chapter 20

Terrism

Chapter 21

Stories

Chapter 22

New York City, History

Chapter 23

Poems

The Power of Love

Sorrow

Forgiveness

Bridge of Eternity

Angles Among Us

Disaster

Wonders of the World

North Star

PART FOUR

Chapter 24

The World Today

Chapter 25

Stories

Chapter 26

Poems

Prayer

Fourth of July

Falsely Accused

Terror Strikes

War of Tomorrow

Antifa

Chapter 27

Are we following the path to socialism?

Has Greed, Spinelessness and Hypocrite behavior taken over America?

Covid 19 traveled to America during the Chinese holiday of 2020. America had to secure her country by closing the doors to business owners, restaurants and theaters to the damage it inflicted on society. The whole world faced this disaster. Three vaccines were prepared to protect our people from further contamination with booster shots to the virus. The country facing its third year requires children to receive the vaccine to keep them protected from the wide spread subjected to a new variant called the Oracon. The law now requires you to take the vaccine. People who refuse are now subjected to prison time. The nations are still discussing the radical change from schools reopened, to health care, manyemployers are looking for help while citizens sit back afraid to go to work, or do they receive more income to stay at home. Travel, cruise lines and theme parks have been reopened where inflation is feeling the impact fromthe silent disaster of Covid 19. The total of deaths still rise every day with an average of 72% who have received the vaccine. Has the nation become greedy, left to a spineless behavior of being a hypocrite? The virus has changed the behavior of health care causing people with severe injuries to be left behind. They are being neglected without proper care. Hospitals are moving patients who require a four day stay to go home after surgery. There blaming covid. Doors are closed to new patients. A change in personalities has caused greed, to protect oneself. To criticize others who are with lessfortune, creating a spineless attitude of what is. Racism cannot be used as a target, for many blacks in Chicago are being let go by the one thing that should be protecting society, government officials of different color. Over six million people have died from covid 19, 400 illegal immigrants come through the Texas boarder every day caught by border patrol, With new laws in effect they allowed six hundred thousand immigrants to enter America through Mexico, now put on hold. The world has walked away from the one thing that has always kept people together HOPE

Wisdom 3: 23-24 23: For God formed man to be imperishable: the image of his owns he made him. 24: But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world, and they who are in his possession experience it.

What are Tragedies

Throughout history war, acts of terror and disasters have affected America. Through our books we can try to understand the cause and effect that it put on our people from the bible to the early west of the native Indians a journey through time suffering disease, starvation, wildlife, wars to keep us a free nation. Our American heritage of different cultures brought together as one.

Tragedies are accidents that occur every day. Homes destroyed by fire, bankruptcy, death, diabetes, cancer. Things we take for granted until one day the same problem affects us. Nature is the same causing a hurricane, twister, and flood consuming everything in sight. Through the pages you will relive our history, stories of sadness how they relate to the dramas of life and how to survive the darkness that had surrounded them. Poetry will speak for the diseased, the disabled, touched by feelings of sorrow, the depressed, and the unwanted. For others may you find contentment in prayers?

Tragedies will show how as Americans, we stood up and took charge to come together as a family to defeat what was in our path. What it means to be free when we are threatened by a plague. How fear can be defeated when we stand together as one.

The following pages consist of three different forms of Tragedies

1. World War II, a surprise attack on the United States still alive in our hearts today.

2. 911 Terror Strikes America, Revenge towards Afghanistan Iraq, and Iran.

3. Hurricane Katrina, A silent cry can a disaster be prevented.

57200.png

PART ONE

57290.png

1

A Journey through time:

America our homeland was built on the bible. Many Europeans left their home to travel to America because of their religious beliefs and the right to choose. Christianity has become a part of us. Our holidays are still celebrated honoring our heritage and traditions. Through the years many civilians have died defending their faith leaving customs to those left behind to worship false Gods.

Is war among the nations not the same? What if Adolph Hitler succeeded with his plan to rule the world? Would there be a religion today, or a government left to control our thoughts.

Schools have been informed not to allow the Lord’s Prayer to be said in classrooms. Tom Sawyer books were pulled from the shelves. Our government considered the contents to be racist, sexist to our children. The Hardy Boys, written by Nancy Drew was cited for being poorly written. Pocahontas an Indian who became a Christian was abandoned by her father because of the life she had chosen but she remains a legend today.

Have we become so socialistic to allow the government to have that much power over us altering the constitution allowing us to be free? What would we learn if we read between the lines not allowing our minds to be consumed through false media?

The bombing of Pearl Harbor was very difficult for us. America was attacked destroying our military base classified a state of emergency. There was no hero a figure that the public could look up to, we were either wealthy or poor. The stock market crash brought everyone to a level of despair leaving thousands to a soup kitchen. Without an income landlords were forced to evict causing the homeless rate to excel. Remaining families gathered together sharing one home in order to survive the depression. Many of our men volunteered out of respect for our nation while the government drafted husbands and fathers into World War II, leaving the woman to take over their positions in the work field. The heritage of the American Women was getting stronger taking care of a home, children and working for less pay. The Mafia was now allowed to rule taking over the streets of the cities. Papers were filled with gangster stories, murders, and fear. The police focused on one man in particular Al Capone. (Chicago) Today we relive those years from Hollywood. The era of violence has now diminished focusing on a little girl named Shirley Temple, bringing back hope to our country. Gifted with many talents, this child has taught us to survive through the tragedies her character portrayed holding onto faith, and never giving up hope. Her song and dance routines throughout the seasons filled our hearts with laughter. Hollywood began making films of World War II. Bob Hope traveled the world entertaining our troops replacing sadness with laughter. We witnessed trials for the torture of many Jewish families and we survived the holocaust. Soon music was back with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and don’t forget Lawrence Welk.

Elvis Presley became the King of Rock and Roll expressing his music while the public thought it should not be allowed they finally accepted the king when he was asked to take the stage with Frank Sinatra, changing the style of music for generations to come.

Our President, [John F. Kennedy] deeply admired by his people, all had their televisions on the day he was escorted through the streets of Texas. Body guards were surrounding him with his wife Jackie by his side waving to the public, losing his life to his killer (Lee Harvey Oswald) leaving the nation in shock. The presidency now falls into the hands of Richard Nixon followed by impeachment for what the Americans remember as the Watergate scandal.

Again the Kennedy family was afflictive by another assignation watching Bobby the brother of John and Teddy shot down in cold blood. Books soon filled the stores with titles the Kennedy conspiracy.

Vietnam a tragic war a stalemate brought us to the hippy generation. All nationalities were treated equal Woodstock held 500,000 rebellious anti war Americans for three days to the generation of folk music from the song writers of Peter Paul and Mary,