Those lyrics, "lost and gone forever" were from the American folk song "Clementine."  

I telephoned Linda on Wednesday morning  to say that I had been thinking about her since reading in the San Diego Union-Tribune that an Israeli judge had sentenced bomb maker Abdullah Barghouti to 67 life terms in prisons for his part in Marla's death and those of a series of other victims of his deadly explosive devices.

Linda hadn't yet seen the news article on Page A-13, but surmised Barghouti's sentencing must have been why she had awakened to the "Clementine" lyrics —the only time this has happened again since Marla's death.

I inquired what her reaction was to the sentence given Barghouti. She asked for time to read the news article and to think about that. 

Much later that day, we spoke again.  Linda said she was satisfied that Barghouti would never leave prison, that he would never be given his freedom in some future prisoner exchange. For Barghouti to spend the rest of his life in prison "I think is justified," Linda said.  "He has been responsible for killing so many people.  It's the closest thing that they have in Israel to the death penalty."

So she is satisfied?  "Yes," she responded. "Nothing will bring Marla back, but at least he won't be able to plant bombs.  No other ordinary person will have to be killed by an idiot who doesn't even know them—just because they are Jewish or believe in Israel."

Would she ever want to talk to Barghouti?

No, she responded.  "Someone who has killed so many people, human life can't mean anything to. A person who murders once, that may be one thing—but to kill all those innocent people that he did, he is convinced that he has the right idea.  Nothing is going to change that."

Linda said that what gives her comfort is that "Marla's spirit is still with us.  From what everyone tells me, it will continue to be.  People tell me every day how they think of her, and of us, or how they wear her memorial bracelet.  Businessmen tell me how they have her bracelet on their desks.  Hopefully, she will be remembered forever." 

And might this writer express the hope that Marla will be remembered, long after Abdullah Barghouti has been forgotten. —Donald H. Harrison