Any time people are killed, be it in a war, in an accident, or to the hand of a murderer, it is a tragedy. Everyone has a story, and the end of the narrative of a life, especially when it is cut so short, is a terrible event. It cuts deeply into us. It forces us to look at uncomfortable facts. It evokes emotions that are both strong and confused. Should we feel sad? Or perhaps angry? What is there to do against a villain who has already taken his own life? The situation is one that frustrates many people, and without an obvious place to take out their aggression it becomes easy to blame authority figures. It is natural to demand greater security, to say that if there had been a greater Police presence it wouldn't have happened. But the reality of the issue is that the police responded with amazing speed, and the plan laid out to secure the area was executed flawlessly. From the aspect of the police, there was hardly any mistake made. Everything was done as it was supposed to, which leaves one more place to place the blame...
Ourselves. Surely we can't stop every psychopath from realizing his dream of violent retribution on the cruel masses, but one simple way to help lower the number of shootings is to be decent to other people. Columbine was provoked primarily by a desire for revenge, perpetrated by a few angry and confused teens. It was a waste of young lives, and truly seemed to start the trend of school shootings. Cho at Virginia Tech had shown warning signs early on. His writing was violent, his behavior was disturbing and erratic. He had been investigated for stalking two women, even. But why wasn't he put back onto medication, or seeing help? Where was a friend to help him get back on the right path? Where was the friend to stop this most recent attack, to see that their friend was on his medication and sane?
It sounds like I am suggesting a sort of "peace and love" perspective, but that's far from it. I am merely saying that we, as Americans, have lost our decency. We have to treat our fellow man, be they here at home or across the globe, with decency. A basic level of respect will earn respect in return. It'll never heal the wounds of the world, I am sure, but it might keep a young man or young woman who feels desperate, crushed by the weight of the world and the burden of living, from going to the gun.
It's worth a shot at least.
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