Sad. Just wondering if Bush / Chenney is somehow involved or connected in this?

My condolences to Mr. Butcher and his family. They will be in my thoughts today.

As a father who has also lost a son, I wish to give a message of healing and hope to Mr. Butcher.

Chuck my sincere condolences to you, your wife and your extended family. My mom died of a sudden heart attack last June. I have not, however lost a child yet. I know how much a son touched a dad's heart. Keep you fond memories alive and may you go in peace.

More thoughts & prayers here from another guy you don't know Chuck. Your well written post was difficult to read and god only knows hows tough it was to write. I feel for you man. Buried more than my share of loved ones for my age including an older brother who ultimately did himself him. We all had to put some distance between him over the years and knew that he was on the wrong path but that doesn't take the sting out of it much. I know it had the most profound affect on my father & mother and I won't pretend to understand the depths of their grief. Take care.

The loss of a child is a terrible tragedy. I was deeply moved by what Chuck wrote about the loss of his son, and I can't even imagine the depth of his pain.

Things like this should make us all remember that the little things we get all worked up over every day are really meaningless.

@noel: if you're trying to make some sort of witticism here, understand that a man actually has lost his son here. Someone has suffered a great tragedy. Maybe mockery isn't the cleverest thing in some situations. Even I have more class than that.

Also, you misspelt "Cheney".

Keep it classy, dude.

I have just developed the energy to back track links, Carla my friend, I thank you, and all the others as well.

I would like to propose to you that taking the time to read something obviously sad and then the emotional effort to respond creates a growth of humanity in that person, an increase in the humane instinct through practice. If Nick has added to the stock of that character attribute in a small way in that many people then his life and death has some small meaning in the scheme of things. Nearly 200 commented.

By sitemeter over 3000 visited these posts, my intention was that Nick be spoken for and that some might find something of value for themselves and their condition. What I got was an outpouring of support and my wife was consoled by my reading of some of those words. Maybe it is a small light, but in those dark circumstances that amounts to a floodlight.

For obvious reasons I've been slow on the uptake, TJ I think if someone is moved they should pick something close to their heart, knowing that any such action is a net improvement of our species.

Again, thanks to all Chuck

<h2>Chuck, thank you for encouraging people to regard their thoughts and emotive movements as just as real as the work of their hands. Thank you for taking this to the subtle level of being human. I send you and your family prayers as your son travels his next road.</h2>