Rarely, historically, a Greek-American is accused for committing a crime. So we are justifiably proud of how rare it is.

We are, undeniably, a law-abiding minority, with strong family ties. Hard work ethic. Peaceful.

It is for these reasons that the barbaric murder – 20 stab wounds in a matter of seconds – of Alison Rouso Elling, at 61 years of age, an innocent, unsuspecting woman out in the middle of the day in Astoria, by what the authorities claim Peter Zisopoulos, a 34-year-old Greek American man shocked our community.

Similar killings, without reason, expressing bottomless hatred against persons unknown to the assailants, are taking place at an increased rate in New York City, lately.

However, the fact that a Greek-American is accused by the authorities of such a thing causes pain and raises questions among all of us, not only to his family, which is sure to be in a state of deep pain.

We still don’t know much about Peter Zisopoulos. What we know, so far is that his mother revealed, according to the New York Times, that he was ‘schizophrenic’.

If that is indeed the case, then we don’t know if he had his medication and if he did if he took it, or if something else happened.

Of course, there is no justification for what he is accused of.

Today our Community mourns the loss of an innocent life by one of its members, as the Authorities claim.

It turns out, thus, that we are not an… island in the middle of an ocean. We live in a society with all the good and bad things.

Nonetheless we continue to be an oasis of law and order in a troubled world.