Speechless

Every once in a while, something monumental happens that changes our lives and the world forever.

We've seen it over the past 10 years. There has been the Columbine shootings, the Beltway snipers, Hurricane Katrina and of course, 9/11.

With each event, the world seemingly stops and we have no choice but to reflect on the important things. It forces us to put our lives in perspective. In a day and age where in which we are constantly on the go, contastrophic events can cause us to take our foot off the gas bit. We say "I love you" more often. We smile a little more than the day before. We focus more on the "little things."


But on Monday, April 16, 2007, the world indeed stopped again, for a couple of hours.

Virginia Tech, located in the southwest area of my home state, became the site of the deadliest shootings in United States history. What began as an assumed domestic dispute quickly transformed into a massacre beyond belief. Innocent lives lost. Bloodshed. Tears. It was hard for me to watch the events play out simply because I've walked that beautiful campus numerous times. Many of my classmates from high school attended and graduated from the school. So as I watched, apart of me was hurting on the inside. I was speechless.

The body count kept rising. 10, 21, 28, 32.

As the events died down, fear and sadness quickly turned to questions. Who? Why? How? Who could have done such a thing? Why did it have to happen here, now and to these students? How could this happen?

As the night went on, we would learn that current student and Northern Virginia native Cho Sueng-hui was the perpertrator of this senseless day. Described as a loner and disturbed, Cho, a South Korea had been living in the states since 1992.

With no apparent target or motive, Cho sifted through Norris Hall going from class to class and firing away. When the police approached, he turned the gun on himself.

He got off way too easy. He punked out.

Naturally, in times like these, one questions where's God? We wonder how a God who is suppossed to be all-loving, could allow this to happen. Why did he allow these innocent students, all with such promising futures, die in such a violent manner. Count me as one who looked up and asked why.

But as I felt anger inside and as my faith was tested, I realized this was a perfect opportunity to find the good in all this and realize that, in spite of the bad times, God is still there. Maybe these people who were killed were used to remind us of who's in charge.

What Virginia Tech, nor the rest of us, can let one evil-spirited person(s) win. We always have and always will get through the bad times. Pain may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning!