When it hits closer to home
Couple of months back we visited this idyllic college campus, a peaceful small University town, nestled in the beautiful Shenandoah valley. We loved the campus and talked about how laid back life must be if one was a graduate student there. We met some students and professors in the Engineering department. And we thought it was one of the nicest places to send one's kids to college if one lived in the DC Metro area.
And then, this horrific thing happens.
As I watched the tragic news unfold on TV in utter shock and disbelief, trying to come to terms with what happened and why, and figuring out if all the people we know who go to Virginia Tech are okay, I couldn't help but feel a strong sense of helpless anger at the people who put guns into the hands of crazy, mentally unstable people, capable of such barbaric acts of violence. And deep inside I know inspite of all the outcry and media attention, this too shall pass and people will forget and move on. And we'll still be able to go out to a store and purchase a gun to go kill a few more innocent kids in school. It makes me sick.
For the people of Blacksburg, VA and the students and faculty at Virginia Tech, for the ones who lost a child or a friend or a classmate, for the ones who will be scarred forever with the images of the massacre, my thoughts and prayers are with you.
Update: A very nice post that echoes my thoughts can be found here.
For the people of Blacksburg, VA and the students and faculty at Virginia Tech, for the ones who lost a child or a friend or a classmate, for the ones who will be scarred forever with the images of the massacre, my thoughts and prayers are with you.
Update: A very nice post that echoes my thoughts can be found here.
posted by M (tread softly upon) at 7:55 AM
18 Comments:
Hi M
I take your comment space to share a prayer with the Virginia Tech Community, the students, the faculty, the parents, and all who were there
Yup, the whole thing sucks no end! I have friends who graduated from Vtech so it kinda hits me even more.
this is insane; it feels weird coz this incident can happen in any campus and to anyone.
Sharing your prayers...take care
You are right about the fact that after the initial furore everything sort of gets lost in the aftermath. Except may be the loss and pain of the families involved. Read this article in support of people carrying guns to work and school and having guns at home. So gunfights are the solution to our problems. Or so it would seem from what Mr Pratt suggests.
it is just horribly painful..this random taking of people's lives...America scares the hell out of me at such times..
...and what about the kids in Sudan, and the kids in Iraq? No matter how you see it, this was an accident, gun-control or no control. Some loonies even said that if they did allow guns on campus, then may be the victims could have resisted - with guns!
33 people and the whole world sits up and takes notice. Why can't they do that for the 33 kids killed elsewhere, every day? Why don't we care when a couple of dozen people are blown up in train blasts in India, every other month?
It's distressing when the value of your life depends so utterly on where you live.
Nevertheless, very sad incident indeed.
its shocking cos it happened in a place where ppl go to learn and become better citizens of the world. It's supposed to be the safest place!
Keshi.
It is distressing to think of this, given the fact that they had so many indications of the stability of the person. More distresing is the fact that it might pass like all other shootings and killings.
I was swampped with papers to finish and readings to be read. I am back now, hopefully more frequently :-)
prayers!
I was speechless as I watched the report on TV. Horrible... Where will all this lead to? I really wish the affected families find some strength and courage to bide their remaining life...
(Borrowed the picture from your blog. Hope you don't mind)
amen to that
Faces full of tears, such pain and desperation
you can almost feel it blowing in the air.
Clouds billowing, a cold and sad reminder
of what stood, but is no longer there.
Hands out reaching to soothe the broken hearted
we can't see beyond the tears for the lost souls.
Terror's wrath forever etched inside our hearts now
we question if we ever will feel whole.
I agree with Rapid I movement. Don't doubt for a second that the shooting incident was a tragedy. But I am going to treat this incident the same that I would any other tragedy that I hear about.
yeha its really bad.
I know this comment is late but what the heck.
It was and is a terrible tragedy, made all the more heinous by the sheer randomness of the act.
It was a tragedy. And yes agree with R.i.m. as well as Bharath in that it is even sadder when we fail to see people dying everywhere in the world. The world is a sad place. Made sadder by the lunatics who decide to take matters into their own hands.
yes, my prayers are there for those suffering souls n for those left friendless .
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