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I didn’t watch the news last night, so I didn’t hear until this morning about the shooting at Virginia Tech.
My heart breaks for all those involved. Yes, even the shooter and his family. What happened in his life to make him think that this was the way to handle it? If it is a case of severely messed up brain chemistry, what was going on in the lives of those around him that couldn’t find him help?
And yet, even those words sound like I’m trying to blame someone other than the man who took a gun and brutally committed this act. I’m not really trying to place blame. I’m just trying to figure out what would make a person do such a thing?
It would feel so much safer if we could figure that out. Oh! It was caused by eating sugar and carrots! Well, let’s not do that anymore!
But I don’t think we’ll ever be able to pin it on any particular cause. And that’s what is so frightening about the whole thing. The idea that someone could live their life normally for so many years and then imperceptibly over time come to decide that wreaking horror on the people around you is a step you are willing to take.
It’s too unpredictable. And we like to think we can predict things. Control things (see my post from yesterday, for example.)
Maybe life, and death, can’t be controled that easily.
And that freaks us out a little. A lot.
All the philosophizing aside, I think what is needed here is compassion. For the victims and families of course. For the first responders, absolutely. But also for the school officials who maybe wish they’d made different choices. And for the people in the media who are being drawn into another feeding frenzy. And for the perpetrator and his family. And for all those souls out there who see this and begin to think “maybe I should…” I just wonder if a little compassion couldn’t go a long way here.
— — —
A year ago (or longer) on This Journey…
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It isn’t raining rain, you know… 2008
Finished 2007
— — —
A year ago (or longer) on This Journey…
-
It isn’t raining rain, you know… 2008
Finished 2007
— — —
A year ago (or longer) on This Journey…
-
It isn’t raining rain, you know… 2008
Finished 2007
