April 16, 2007

Amplification of my earlier post.

What a mess.

It's easy to be stoic about a situation like this when you don't have a personal connection to it. I grew up in Blacksburg, most of my friends still live and work there including an EMT who shuttled the wounded, and a bus driver who's buses were earmarked to carry them to the hospital.

Several other friends and their parents work at VT. An old friend used to liv in Ambler Johnston.

I know people by 2nd and 3rd degrees of separation that were shot (and survived) and had direct contact with the shooter.

The solution isn't as simple as more or less guns in everyone's hands. A law isn't going to stop this. We live in a strange world that teaches us that this behavior can lead to some sort of resolution.

There's corruption and demeaning behavior everywhere. No single source can take responsibility. Music, video games, the government, business, popular culture isn't geared towards making a harmonious society. Almost every aspect of my life is exposed to cut throat greed and I'm not blaming any one of those.

This event is not a surprise to me. It hurts, it's confusing and I don't understand it, but it's no shock that it happened. The difference for me is that I'm connected to the location and people.

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