The Thanksgiving That Went Up in Flames — Literally
Thanksgiving in America is already a complicated holiday. It’s the one day of the year when you can count on two things: overeating like it’s a competitive sport, and remembering why half your family shouldn’t legally be allowed within 200 feet of alcohol or conversation. The whole thing is basically a parade of emotional landmines disguised as a tradition of gratitude. You can’t have a gathering without somebody starting a debate, somebody crying, and somebody trying to pass off boxed mashed potatoes as “their special recipe.” But every now and then, someone decides to crank the holiday dysfunction dial up past “awkward” and straight into “arson investigation.” And that brings us to the suburban turkey-day special that took place in Lake County, Illinois—starring one 21-year-old man with a short fuse, a long grievance list, and apparently a gallon of accelerant handy. And here’s the thing: we shouldn’t be shocked. Not in this country. Not anymore. This is the same place where people...