For parents here and throughout the nation, the empathy they feel for the families of Virginia Tech is wrenching. People of compassion everywhere share the shock and horror of Monday’s mass shooting, the deadliest in U.S. history.
Acts this unimaginable cast a permanent imprint on the national psyche. The Virginia Tech massacre will darken our memories alongside Columbine, Oklahoma City and the University of Texas clock tower. A tragedy that unfolded over a couple of hours Monday will be discussed for months or even years as details emerge and more is learned about who did this and why. The why, of course, won’t make much sense.
As in the aftermath of other mass killings, experts will look for ways to improve campus security in Blacksburg and elsewhere. Law enforcement and other officials will study the response and learn from it. Debates related to gun violence surely will be renewed, with some calling for greater controls on the possession of firearms, others for more people to be armed for self-defense.
Criticism of university officials and police also may follow, judging from Monday’s initial reaction. Students questioned why there were no public-address announcements on campus after the first two killings. Authorities defended their actions, saying they made the best decisions they could with the information they had. There will be plenty of time to deconstruct and debate all that.
For now, though, the nation’s primary focus belongs on the victims and their loved ones. Their needs are paramount in their time of anguish. At least 32 innocent people, most or all of them young people, have been murdered. To those left behind, those who must move on through unspeakable pain, the rest of us can offer our support, thoughts and prayers.
We have all been hurt by this tragedy, and we will all need to heal. Parents will need to help their children cope, in part by encouraging them to talk about their feelings. Adults will need to help each other through the inevitable fears and feelings of frustration. Simply, we will need each other. And those who are suffering most will need us all.
To the Virginia Tech community: You are not alone. We grieve with you.
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