4/17/2007

a day like today

...puts it all in perspective. I had to turn it off. The television, the news, the constant death, death, death.

What happened today at Virginia Tech took a while to sink in, and then it really sank.

I cannot imagine what those students, parents and professors must be feeling. My arms ache from work and I'm exhausted, but I live. I'm overcome with sadness for those who lost their lives today, or because of today. And I am happy--I feel fortunate--that I am alive. Why does it take such tragedy to realize the value of ones life and the fleeting temporal quality of it all? "I'll live" is such a statement of benign resignation, a cynical acceptance of life as it is, when it should really be a passionate enthusiasm of carpe deium. The Columbine shooting of 1999 was called a "massacre" by all news reports--13 people were killed, 12 students, and one teacher. Tuesday's shooting at Virginia Tech cost 32 people (not including the gun man) their lies.

I don't know what will happen in Congress regarding gun laws, and I do not necessarily support excessive legislation that will outdo the 2nd Amendment, but I do think something here must be done. An "incident" (and that word always makes something sound so much pettier than it is) like this cannot occur without reaction on a broad federal level. Either regarding school safety protocol like training of campus security, campus security measures, student notification...something. Campus security needs to step up and explain what happened. Why were students allows to go to their classes? Why did two hours elapse, allowing the shooter to go back out and shoot others? The proper response--and it is obvious that something was awry--could have saved at least 30 lives, and prevented more than a dozen injuries.

I am disgusted. What a senseless waste of life. It's easy to point fingers, but its more important that the story comes out quickly and factually correct. Explanations are necessary. Proper change is key. It's also good to remember that the only person directly at fault here is the psycho who decided to act out whatever visions he had in his head and make others--other innocents--pay for this. Where is the justice?

What is this world coming to?

3 comments:

alex said...
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Meeshell said...

Every time I watch the news about it...I feel like vomiting. It's just too sad...and when you focus on each of the people as individuals, and not just some number...it makes it all just so much more real. I can't bear watching the interviews of close family and friends. Having to see how hurt and sad each of them are. Each of the victims had such bright futures laying ahead of them...all ended within a day. I think during the time of the Columbine shooting I may have been too young to really understand the extent of how horrible it really was. It didn't hit me as close to home b/c I wasn't in high school myself at the time...I was still in middle school. Yet seeing a story like this, which could happen anywhere...even on my own university campus, really truly scares the shit outa me.

alex said...
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