Remembering Virginia Tech
Two years ago today a pathetic coward killed 32 people on the campus of Virginia Tech. The shooter, whose name isn’t even worth repeating, killed himself after a two hour rampage that became the deadliest shooting incident by a single gunman in U.S. history.
The killing spree gripped the nation, sparked a multitude of policy debates, and was mourned by millions. Five faculty members and 27 students were killed. Many others were wounded by gunshots or trying to escape.
Acts of heroism were reported after the attack. Professors and students fought for their lives in rooms all over Norris Hall. Doors were barricaded, hidden offices were located, and second-floor windows were opened for victims to jump from. Some of the people holding doors shut were shot and killed. Some of the leaders hiding students were shot. Some of the jumpers were badly injured. Multiple survivors reported brave, final actions by wounded students that allowed others time to escape.
As someone who works at a college, I find it impossible to really believe this could happen anywhere, but that’s how everybody thinks. In the Virginia Tech massacre, the shooter simply entered classrooms, shot the teacher, and then opened fire on seemingly random students. Like most campuses around the country, Va Tech is a weapons free zone, so no one was able to defend themselves. By the time police arrived, the murderous monster was ready to shoot himself in the head, something he should have done weeks earlier.
There have been other shooting incidents in U.S. Colleges just within the past year. Three people were shot at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix last summer. Police are also investigating an apparent murder-suicide at a Michigan Community College as well. Another shooting took place in an Illinois college in February of last year. That same month, a woman entered a classroom at Louisiana Technical College, killed two female students, then shot herself in front of about 20 classmates.
How quickly we forget. Imagine the helpless terror or these poor victims. Families often lash out about what could have been done. That’s natural because these deaths are so needless. How do you stop someone willing to lose their own life to take yours? 
Cowards prey on the helpless. They are complete losers and failures, unable to accomplish any useful purpose. Notice they never storm into a police station for one of these shooting sprees. No, they choose office lunchrooms and college computer rooms and nursing homes.
They choose the innocent, and for that we mourn. All of us are preoccupied with death whether we think about it or not. Dying is the hardest part of life, and no one gets out of here alive. The needless loss of life is impossible to comprhend because death is impossible to comprehend. We live in a dying world where sickness is prevalent and bad guys sometimes win. All we can do is try to be ready for whatever may come.
In the meantime, let’s remember and honor those who were robbed of the gift we still have–another day to live.
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Life. Culture. Education.
Life as Pop Culture Professor Clay Morgan
In The Matrix, Morpheus tells Neo he can take the blue pill and go on believing whatever he wants to believe. Or he can take the red pill to stay in Wonderland and find out how deep the rabbit hole goes.
This is a red pill type site that provides information in an entertaining way. It’s about clear thinking and good writing. It’s about finding meaning amidst the absurd. It’s about humor and truth.
I’m a writer / speaker who teaches history and political courses at a couple of local colleges. Where is local, you say? Well, that would be Wonderland of course.
On topics ranging from pop culture to the meaning of life, my brain’s always poppin’. Take the red pill and unplug.
We can honor them best by being prepared to defend ourselves so we can effectively defend others if need be. This means being aware of the law and following it; but not to the detriment of being capable of repelling attacks like the one this coward pulled off against unarmed students. Sometimes the bad guys use good sound laws to carry out their evil fantasies…
Norman folks don’t like violence of any kind, let alone with guns. But we can’t wish evil away right?