This has not been a good day, either personally (a kid urinated on me) or nationally (“Virginia Tech Shooting Kills at Least 33″). Join me in marveling over how disparate those two events are.
Now I did not go to Virginia Tech; I do not even know many people who went to Tech. But I went to another public university in Virginia, the College of William & Mary, so I know many people who know many people who went to Tech. And so, untouched, I am still affected. I don’t yet know which of my friends are hurting right now, but some of them could be, and for that reason I am hurting. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by this truly disturbing and upsetting event.
It is amazing to me (now and after every tragedy in recent memory) how quickly we all turn each happening into another check-mark in the great column of Why We Are Right, how quickly each disaster is exploited by everyone with a point to prove. (I am not trying to set myself above the guilty parties here. I’m sure this entry evinces some sort of bias, and I’m sure someone will quite happily point it out to me.) If the tragedy wasn’t so great it might even be amusing to see how the gun lobby and anti-gun activists have both seized on the same event to talk about how inherently correct they are. My own politics aside, this event is not about gun control. It is not a testament to how all college students should be packing heat so they’re not sitting ducks in case a madman decides to open fire. It is not unequivocal proof that banning all guns will prevent future incidents like this. Yes, it’s a nice talking point for both sides, but this is about the Virginia Tech community and about a human tragedy. To quote Democratic Conversation (I’m sure you can guess their stance):
This fact is the epicenter from which all the spin will radiate. With all of that, here is the worst part: the students, teachers, and staff of Virginia Tech will be drowned within the vortex of this spin.
Do the world a favor (I’m looking at you blogosphere! I promise that someone–where by someone I mean the mainstream media–will still be spinning this even if you refrain for a few days) and forget the politics for a minute and remember the people. Think about thepirateroyal’s description of college, “It’s a home. It’s comfortable and safe. It’s like walking into the place you grew up in, only the hallways happen to be outside and your “parents” happen to be people with multiple PhDs and more brainpower than anyone you’ve met previously,” and remember the people for whom that safety, that second home, was forever ruined.
Quick edit for clarification 16 April 2007 at 11:11pm: I in no way intend to imply that this situation shouln’t be looked at in terms of gun control. Surely there’s a lesson or an example in here somewhere, and I recognize that partisan bickering and bipartisan dialogue share many common elements, the most important of which is the free exchange of ideas and opinions. My point is that we should mourn first, debate later. Now, not even 24 hours later, it is a time for mourning.
