Senseless Tech violence leaves us numb
Issue date: 4/26/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
The story of the Virginia Tech massacre ended with a final gunshot that finished Seung-Hui Cho's life. We are left with the aftermath of unanswered questions, unsaid words, and unfulfilled lives.
How disturbing, how soul-shaking is it, to know the depth of one person's power against a society that, for good or ill, tried to help him? Cho was angry as hell, and he couldn't take it anymore. He let the world know his anger with the end of a pistol and with hateful images and words that has been seared into our national memories.
How concerning, how frightening it is to know how much more needs to be done with campus safety, with mental health programs and with even the simple concept of being kinder to others. The blood and violence was pointless and random, yet if nothing is done to prevent these acts, then the early deaths of 33 lives will have truly been a waste.
Yet, how comforting, how soul-saving is it to know the depth of love and selflessness of a society against that selfish rage. Against one Cho, there was a Dr. Liviu Librescu or a Waleed Shaalan, people who willingly put themselves between the bullets and their friends. They died so that others may live. They laid down a challenge to measure our best efforts against, and our attempts to meet that challenge might as well be endless.
The senseless murders at Virginia Tech will happen again, for all of our efforts and best intentions. We will see tragedy, tears and despair. We will also reinvent ourselves. We will counter senseless violence with renewed purpose.
We will see life in the future. We take solemn comfort in VT professor Nikki Giovanni's words: "We will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears and through all our sadness ... We will prevail."
How disturbing, how soul-shaking is it, to know the depth of one person's power against a society that, for good or ill, tried to help him? Cho was angry as hell, and he couldn't take it anymore. He let the world know his anger with the end of a pistol and with hateful images and words that has been seared into our national memories.
How concerning, how frightening it is to know how much more needs to be done with campus safety, with mental health programs and with even the simple concept of being kinder to others. The blood and violence was pointless and random, yet if nothing is done to prevent these acts, then the early deaths of 33 lives will have truly been a waste.
Yet, how comforting, how soul-saving is it to know the depth of love and selflessness of a society against that selfish rage. Against one Cho, there was a Dr. Liviu Librescu or a Waleed Shaalan, people who willingly put themselves between the bullets and their friends. They died so that others may live. They laid down a challenge to measure our best efforts against, and our attempts to meet that challenge might as well be endless.
The senseless murders at Virginia Tech will happen again, for all of our efforts and best intentions. We will see tragedy, tears and despair. We will also reinvent ourselves. We will counter senseless violence with renewed purpose.
We will see life in the future. We take solemn comfort in VT professor Nikki Giovanni's words: "We will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears and through all our sadness ... We will prevail."
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Patrick
posted 4/26/07 @ 9:41 PM PST
The mass media hasn't covered Waleed shaalan's story very much. For example, Time magazine didn't even put his photo on the cover with the other victims. (Continued…)
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