Virginia Tech Massacre: A New World – Again?

The world changed again today – or did it? The Virginia Tech Massacre reminded us again of the delicate balance between life and death. Working in a newsroom, I’m grateful that upon hearing about the Virginia Tech Massacre that I felt that same gut wrenching pain, heartbreak, and fear so reminiscent of my feelings following the Columbine tragedy, Hurricane Katrina and the devastating horrific events of 9/11.

The reaction means I am still a breathing, feeling, human being – despite the sensory overload that I experience every day. Today, every person I exchanged a glace with, spoke with, conversed on the phone and computer with -all had that same feeling of dread. We’re not desensitized to what occurred in Virginia, but with great reverence for the families who lost loved ones – the question beckons – did the world really change today, overall, for Americans? Will this incident really wake us up to the pain in our own backyard, in our schools, among our youth?

The argument can be made that we live in a different world every day; and that we respond as best we can to such chaotic incidents. New laws, safety policies, maybe even new psychological approaches to students fighting depression, might be born of this deadly event. But has the world really changed? Isn’t that always the reaction when chaos strikes?

The truth is that this awful event once again, simply brings the daily strife experienced throughout the world, America, which is especially disturbing for us. We’ve experienced this pain before, but I dare say how quickly we forget about the sheer terror and magnitude of such an event, after time. The reality is that the world didn’t change today. It just hit closer to home. Again.

In Iraq, Afghanistan and Sudan, such disgusting displays of violence are common place, but it’s oceans away in our consciousness, no matter how much it’s covered on the news. I’m not being cynical. I just hope we don’t forget the sick feeling that was brought forth from today’s horror. I pray we learn from it. I pray we are never desensitized to the repulsive nature of what happened at Virginia Tech.

I pray that somehow, with a new awareness, someone is able to spot such future situations before they occur. And on this historically infamous day – just four days from the eighth anniversary of the Columbine Massacre, I pray for the parents who still grieve for their beloved children, and for the families of the college students who now join them in a unique club, that no parent ever wants to belong to. Their world did change today, and will never be the same again.