Virginia Tech Anniversary

One year later. There are a lot of articles out there about what this day means to people all over the country. To me, however, this day begins and ends at Virginia Tech. We should be focusing our attention on remembering those who were killed one year ago. We should be focusing on the feeling of safety that was fractured on that day. I write this particular article in a classroom similar to those that the event took place. As I sit here, I cannot imagine what the feeling would be like to see someone do what that man did. At the least, the victims deserve to not be forgotten. They deserve our attention to be focused not on other possible tragedies but the one that actually occurred.

It is rather disturbing that it takes a tragedy like this to get the cities and the campuses to take action. Days after the event, campuses around the country were cracking down on emergency systems. An overreaction, in my opinion, as I still do not believe there is much that the officials could have done. Days after the event, students around the country, including me, were glued to CNN and other news services to find out any information on why someone would do this. Days after the event, people wanted to know what actions would be taken to prevent this from happening again. Here in Madison, a girl was recently murdered a few blocks from where I live. Days after that tragedy, police were seen everywhere. There were four to a corner, six to a block, and 15 to a neighborhood. The point is that no matter how many police we have roaming the streets now, we cannot go back and prevent the murder from occurring. The safety we hold so dear is only protected after a tragedy. It is not enough to be prepared after a tragedy. Cities and campuses must be prepared before a tragedy. That is much easier said than done.

I have digressed from the main point of this post. This is a day for remembrance. It is a reminder that life can be taken away so quickly. It is a reminder of the disaster that can strike. Finally, it is a reminder of how we, as a society or student body, can come together and be one to celebrate life as a daily routine, rather than wait to come together to mourn death.