last week when i caught a glimpse of the evening news, i instantly froze on the spot. the anchor told a story about a murder case, which may be something that we are usually immune to, but it hit home in part because it was committed by a student attending a high school near my workplace. but also because he killed his mom and left her for eight months in her room, afterwards leading a normal life, at least on the surface, going to school and taking the sat, etc. according to the report he confessed he killed her because he could not stand his mother’s pressure over his grades and the ensuing harsh beatings for years.