Virginia Tech
I know we will read profound statements regarding the tragedy at Virginia Tech all month. I have nothing profound to say. My writing style is more conversational than poetic. Yesterday, I would try to catch the news between meetings at work, watching events unfold. It's hard to even grasp what those affected personally are feeling. As I was driving home, a car passed me on the road that had a Virginia Tech bumper sticker. I remember thinking, "I wonder what he is going through. Did he attend there? Do one of his children attend now? What is he thinking?"
I think people in Austin felt a particular empathy with those at Virginia Tech. After all, prior to yesterday the University of Texas had the dubious distinction of being the location of the deadliest student-perpetrated shooting in U.S. history. No one I encountered was relieved they are no longer on the top of that list. They just felt grief for those at VT. Today, Governor Rick Perry ordered flags at half-staff. University of Texas is going to darken the tower (the very tower Charles Whitman positioned himself with a sniper rifle) in honor of the victims at VT.
I hope the people at Virginia Tech feel the thoughts, prayers and sympathies from people all over the nation, possibly all over the world. I hope they feel the loving comfort of God in the midst of this horrible evil. I also pray the family of the killer find peace. I can only imagine how horrified and guilty they must feel, even if they did nothing to warrant that guilt.
Lord, help us to get through that which we just can't understand.
I think people in Austin felt a particular empathy with those at Virginia Tech. After all, prior to yesterday the University of Texas had the dubious distinction of being the location of the deadliest student-perpetrated shooting in U.S. history. No one I encountered was relieved they are no longer on the top of that list. They just felt grief for those at VT. Today, Governor Rick Perry ordered flags at half-staff. University of Texas is going to darken the tower (the very tower Charles Whitman positioned himself with a sniper rifle) in honor of the victims at VT.
I hope the people at Virginia Tech feel the thoughts, prayers and sympathies from people all over the nation, possibly all over the world. I hope they feel the loving comfort of God in the midst of this horrible evil. I also pray the family of the killer find peace. I can only imagine how horrified and guilty they must feel, even if they did nothing to warrant that guilt.
Lord, help us to get through that which we just can't understand.
2 comments:
"The wrong place at the wrong time" is a phrase ibrahim, not that college is a wrong place. And let's be honest, this could have happened under any administration. Bush couldn't have prevented this atrocity and neither could have anyone else.
Jenn, thanks for your response to Ibrahim. I deleted his comment entirely as I think it is insulting to the memory of these students to try to make their deaths a political statement.
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