Invasion of Privacy

I woke up this morning and said my morning prayer. Then I went to my desk to browse the Internet--my morning routine. But my desk was empty. My laptop was missing.

After further investigation, I found my cell phone, charger, and some money missing also. I was shaken, of course, and asked my son to call the police because I didn't feel I could do it.

The officer spent about three hours at our house. He did the initial investigation while his partner inspected the outside. They found a window screen which had been removed. He questioned family members, trying to put the burglary into a time frame. Then he called on a police photographer and waited with us.

While we waited, we talked. Some of the conversation was political, in an intellectual way. I mentioned that by far the greatest amount of terrorism against Americans is perpetrated daily through murders and other felonies. He agreed, noting that murder rates in the U.S. have far surpassed more sensational figures such as the number of soldiers who have died in Iraq.

I've shared my story with my mother and some friends today. All noted the sense of violation following a break-in. That's probably one reason why I'm still awake. Whoever broke into our house last night already took my most valuable material possessions--I'm a writer and I miss my laptop greatly. Now I just worry about my family.

I wish the war on terror would address the problems we have in our own country--and sometimes in our own homes.