I don’t have anything illuminating to say about this tragedy. Like most everyone reading this, I’m sad and confused.
There was an on campus shooting at my university while I was a student. Two women, roommates and friends, were murdered by a man who was obsessed with one of them. He’d held a fairly large group of students hostage at one point. He let most of them leave. But not two women. I hope the familes and survivors have found some peace in the intervening decades. I’m sure today’s events refresh their grief.
Peace. We need peace. Peace will come. Let it begin with us.
–Ann Bartow
I am incredibly moved by your comment. Peace. Yes indeed.
I too am sad and disturbed at the events at Virginia Tech. I just hope that coverage and commentary of the event will include discussions of the role of gender and sexual violence. School shootings are a very gendered phenomenon. We need to use this as an opportunity to examine how we’re raising young boys and men. What does it mean to be a man in our culture? If one looks at popular culture, it apparently means one is supposed to be strong, aggressive, tough, heterosexual, and stoic. Are these really the healthiest characteristics we want young males to emulate? What about sensitivity, compassion, etc.?
all the words in my mind and soul fail! So I must fall back to the words of those much wiser than I. As C,S,N &Y once said “teach your children well”
if we don’t all seems lost :>(