Virgnina Tech in the News and In Our Prayers

I had a lot to write - and i still might write it. However, I was a bit preoccupied today getting information on the shootings at Virginia Tech. My cousin's son, David is an engineering student there. My friend's son teaches there, and Andrea and i were Tech students back in the early 70s.

In fact, Andrea lived in Ambler-Johnston for the first two years she was there. She, her father, my uncle, her uncle, 3 of my cousins, and a host of others are all Tech graduates. It brings things close to home.

It takes one person with a demented sense of what it takes to settle a score or some other form of perverted thinking to ruin so many lives and create a ripple of horror that will haunt hundreds and perhaps, thousand of people for decades. It is a level of damage that simply cannot be repaired.

Good can come, but we must recognize the event as something evil. What makes it so ironic is that it was evil through the auspices, if what is typical rules, of someone who most likely has no criminal record and has given no indication that he would ever do such a thing.

And in an act of utter cowardice, he turned the gun on himself before he could answer for his deeds.

I take no pleasure in the image of anyone standing before God to give such and answer. Nor does God.

We are the one who need answers. We are the ones who require accountability - here and now. We are the ones who must somehow understand that which cannot be understood. We are the ones who must learn whatever we can in hopes of preventing such a future travesty.

But there will be no satisfactory answers - only speculation and clues. There will be finger pointing an d assignment of blame as the second guessing moves on. There will be lawsuits and accusations. Most of all, there will be tears and heartache.

How can such a thing happen?

We live in a world where unimaginable evil is possible and there is some sense of relief that it is restrained as much as it is. This is close to home. It shakes us.

It is happening every day in Iraq and we don't understand that either - but it is easier to dismiss. it is "over there" and it is "them." Somehow, the fact that it is a war zone makes it more tolerable to us.

It is never tolerable.

Remember the families of the dead and all of those who are severely injured in prayer.

Here is a link to the campus paper, The Collegiate Times for a unique perspective.