Please say a prayer for those affected by today's shooting at Virginia Tech. It's a sad day, again, in our country, and there's lots to say, but for now, just pray for the victims, those dead and wounded, and their families.
And make it a point to tell your own loved ones how much they mean to you.
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19 comments:
I didn't hear anything until after school when I was at the club working out in front of two channels of news (I guess ESPN had something else to report). I think that what you said is quite possibly the best thing right now. Thank you.
There is so much lately...makes me wonder why I brought kids into a world like this. My heart hurts for those families. It certainly puts my mundane life into perspective.
So frightening...so wasteful. There aren't words to describe it.
Thanks MM!
Amen......
I'm wondering what we as a society have done wrong to create such monsters....
Tukey was born nine days before 911 and I remember thinking why would I do this to a child.
Yesterday, I also thought that Columbine has made us more desensitized to events like the one that occurred yesterday, because since I know it's happened before, I guess it doesn't shock me.
It's scary to let our children out into this world and to trust they will be safe. I just heard the bus rumble by to take two of my three angels away. I pray they're safe all day long and will hug them tightly when they get home.
RR-That's an interesting thought, that society is to blame for creating the monster who did this. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Maybe it was something in his DNA? Maybe... I have no idea what would make someone want to do something so catastrophic. I felt sad this morning for the kid's parents and thought it would be nice to write them a note. Can you imagine how they feel too. Wow. So many lives affected by one person's cruel deed.
I guess I feel like you just never, ever know... when we let our children go to school, or a friends house, or to the park ( when they are old enough ) is that an open ticket for any crazy person to take advantage of our trust? You truly just never, ever know...... It scares me to death.
I pray for all those affected by this. How could something so horrible happen?
Manic – thank you for putting the absolute sorrow into words.
I believe you are right about the world desensitizing such things. There is also a desire to place blame – the gun industry, the parents, the school. I don’t think it is that simple.
Like you, I think about the parents and how heart broken they must be – losing your child is tragic, losing your child without knowing what disturbed them so much that they would act out in such a horrific way – I am sure that they will never find peace.
Anywho – your blog, sorry for the hijack.
Frannie
Anywho – your blog, sorry for the hijack.
Oh Gosh, Frannie--not my blog, hijack--this feedback from you readers is what keeps me blogging. You have no idea how much excitement I get from hearing everyone's thoughts! Really! So, thanks for your thoughts on this!
I'm in CO. When my oldest was in kindergarten, there was a police chase near his school and an officer was killed.Coincidentally, it was my son's co-teacher's husband! Then, there was Columbine here in CO. I think my son was in 4th grade. When 9/11 happened, I left work to get my son! We had another high school shooting in Bailey, CO.
I have had to have "the talk" with my boys more than once. The one where you tell your kid that if bad people come to school with guns, you are to find the smallest possible place to hide and stay there until you hear or see a fireman or policeman calling your name.
It doesn't matter what town or state...violence could happen anywhere.
The cause: Growing anger and desperation in human beings due to the crappy economy, the war in Iraq, global warming, hopelessness and uncertainty for the future.
Off my soapbox...
It is a sad day, but like all sad days some wonderful things happened that we all missed because the news media only covers sensational stories. There were babies born, people got married, kids got A's on their report cards, people had birthdays and anniversaries. Somewhere someone saved another person's life, or loaned them money, or helped a friend in need.
We can't be afraid for ourselves or our children to be part of our society. This is an isolated incident - sensational because of its size. As parents, if you do your best and teach your children to love and honor each other, chances are they will never face one of these situations.
Big tragedies, like yesterday or 9/11 when my neighbors lost their son, are horrific. But we can't allow them to take our focus away from all the good things in the world. If we do, the bad guys win.
Amen to everything you said.
I'm with you on that. I live in Virginia and VA Tech is one of the best schools in the country. It's so tragic...I grieve for the families.
I don't claim to have the explanation for what brings a person to do what this guy did. But, I wonder...doesn't it seem like "back in the old days" if a person was despondent, confused, tortured, whatever, he took it out on himself? Why is it that more and more often, these guys have to take as many people with them as possible? Is it a function of a society obsessed with its fifteen minutes of fame?
My good friend's dearest friend, has a daughter at VA Tech--she is fine (thank God) but did lose a friend in this senseless violence...here is what I replied in my email to her:
I too have been watching the VT coverage, it is both sad and maddening...there are people of this world who need more help than any human can offer. And they always leave us with the question--why? Thank God your friend's daughter is safe, I can't imagine as a parent or friend sitting by wondering (even if it is a little while) if your child is safe, unharmed, alive. I pray for healing for those of VT...The Lord will guide you always, Isaiah 58:11
I can't add much to this beautiful heartfelt post. Thanks for doing this.
Tragic.
ya know, i like the way you delivered your post here. "short, sweet, and to the point". and everyone who left comments , did so gracefully.
I, on the other hand, apparently didn't succeed, the other day; on my own blog, as I attempted to view this situation from both angles. from that of Cho, as well as the victims. (the dead, the injured, and the survivig friends, families, etc). NOBODY, commented. i was a bit surprised at that, then realized, people just don't want to have controversial discussions. but another "part" of me wonders... did i reveal too much about myself, or was what i said , just said wrong... or just better left unsaid?
i don't know, because no one says anything, either way.
regardless. it is a tragic loss for all of us. for those who knew and loved the victims, including Cho. and the rest of this country who mourns with them as well.
Anon, I would really be interested in reading what you wrote, if you weren't anon, I could find out. Care to let me in on where to find your blog.
It's a tough subject, and I try to look at it from everyone's point of view, including the students who decided to blow off class that day, Cho's parents, the staff at the school, the kids who teased him in high school. And I have been stressing to my children that if someone looks lonely or shy, that all it takes is a smile and a hello, maybe, to make that person feel less alone.
In this situation, I do put some of the blame on those who outright were mean to him. I wonder how they feel knowing that parts of what they said or how they acted toward another human being might have helped fuel Cho's anger.
I don't know. I'll probably piss people off for this opinion of mine?
I really don't think anyone who teased him is in any way, indirectly or directly, responsible or has anything to do with his actions and his choices.
Making fun of someone or simply not being friendly to someone is no crime, and besides, many facts show that there were many who were in fact friendly and made an effort to talk to Cho, he was usually the one to send signals that he didn't want to socialize or communicate.
Making fun of someone is school or making a rude comment--those things are part of life. People aren't always going to be kind to us. Reacting to that by committing a criminal act is a choice only a few make and they, and only they, who make that choice are responsible for their own actions.
Besides, I don't believe he did this because some kids teased or bullied him. He did this because he was mentally unstable. This is not a normal response to bullying or teasing. Only those who have some sort of tendency toward this behavior would react this way in any circumstance.
I share your concern for those affected by this tragedy, but I can't relate to putting any blame on anyone but the perpetrator of this crime. He alone chose those actions and he alone is responsible.
(Now, if he were somehow affected by medication or a mental illness and didn't understand his actions, then I would probably not consider him responsible but I still wouldn't consider anyone who was mean to him at some point blame-worthy under any circumstance. Being treated badly doesn't give us license to take out our anger at innocent people.)
And by the way, this and then the New York rape/torture incident that happened this week, and I just feel so dejected about the world. That rape had me asking myself how does this happen, how do people become like this, and how can one person do this to another. If you don't know what I'm referring to, it's probably better not to read about it--it's just too disturbing.
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