I spent most of today at work, with no internet access, and no television to turn onto CNN. The news of the shooting at Virginia Tech came to us from the radio and from what carryout customers told us. Vulnerable. Helpless. Hundreds of miles away, but it could have been next door.
Sometimes, I really truly wish I wasn’t an atheist. And it isn’t because I question my religious belief (or rather, my lack of), but because I think there’s something very comforting for people who do believe in a supreme being. I wish that when I heard of horrible shit like the shootings today at Virginia Tech that I could say to the victims and their families “you’ll be in my prayers”, but of course, I don’t pray, and while I feel for their loss as much or more than any religious person of any faith, my lack of religious belief also means that I can’t focus my energy on praying to that supreme, omnipotent being with the fervent hope that he, be He, She or It named God, or Allah, or Yaweh, or Buddah, or whoever, might just listen to my prayer and take action to comfort and revenge. And on a day like today, I wish I had the ability to take that power, omnipotently, and do something, anything, to prevent, stop, interupt, that gunman’s bloody rampage in Virginia.
After September 11th, a French newspaper famously proclaimed, “Today, We Are All Americans.”
Well, today, we’re all part of the Virginia Tech community — not because this happened at VTech, but rather, because it could happen anywhere.
You can still say “I feel your loss” or “You are in my thoughts”. Not believing in God means you don’t have to ask why God could let such a thing happen in the first place. Stuff happens and that’s it.
Comment by jain — April 16, 2007 @ 9:53 pm
Well said snay. I’m an agnostic, and i have trouble with times like these too. Sometimes words are comforting, and all they have to be are words, nothing else.
Comment by evilspock — April 16, 2007 @ 10:07 pm
Well done kiddo.
Comment by Broadsheet — April 16, 2007 @ 11:44 pm
I would liek to say that this was a beautifully written post, but instead I will say that its a damn shame it had to be written.
Comment by bluepaintred — April 17, 2007 @ 1:45 am
This is just beyond sad. Never have I ever had such a bad feeling in my bones. It was rough trying to call all of my friends at VT and not being able to get through.
I’ve also found it hard for me to not get in my car and drive down there, just to see what I can do to help.
Comment by Allie — April 17, 2007 @ 8:05 am
[...] I’d like to echo The Snay’s sentiment that today we are all V-tech, “Well, today, we’re all part of the Virginia Tech community — not because this happened at VTech, but rather, because it could happen anywhere.” [...]
Pingback by Being a College Student Shouldn’t Be This Dangerous | Josh Smith Online — April 17, 2007 @ 8:16 am
“because it could happen anywhere”
This thought sends shivers up and down my spine.
Here’s hoping it never has to happen again.
Comment by Miche — April 17, 2007 @ 9:05 am
I am outraged that so many students died for no reason. After the first shooting, campus should have been shut down. Someone was shot in a campus dorm and the shooter had not been arrested. There was a killer on the lose at a campus and Va. Tech chose to not close school and allow thousands of students to attend class and many of them were shot.
The president of the campus should be fired and never allowed to work with students again. This total lack of common sense is shocking and people died because of him.
Comment by Ryan — April 17, 2007 @ 9:13 am
Jain – Doesn’t mean I don’t want those omnipotent powers, though.
EvilSpock – Yep.
Broadsheet – Thanks.
Bluepainted – Amen.
Allie – Probably nothing you can do. I’m sure they’re swarming with medical personnel.
Miche – Sort of a vain hope, I think.
Ryan – From what I understand, VTech is the size of a small town. I don’t know that it would be possible to shut it down. There’s a good post on the topic here.
Read Brian’s comment on that blog.
Truthfully, I’m on campus right now and I expected to see it crawling with cops.
Comment by MalSnay — April 17, 2007 @ 9:18 am
Blogging is the new praying.
(Sort of.)
Comment by al — April 17, 2007 @ 9:30 am
Good post, Snayman. I don’t think you need to believe in a god to put good thoughts and energy out into the universe. I believe in God but I also believe in karma and the energy of the universe. You don’t have to pray, you can go do something good out there – help assure that there’s one less kid ready to fly off the handle.
Comment by S* — April 17, 2007 @ 10:02 am
If anything, I’d think this is just more proof there is no god.
What is wrong with North American society that this happens here regularly? Just this year: Dawson College in Montreal, the Amish school and now this…
Comment by Jazz — April 17, 2007 @ 10:11 am
I am an animist. As such, I too do not pray, with very rare exception. Usually what I say to people is, “You are in my thoughts.” People seem to find it just as comforting that you are concerned and thinking of them.
And VTech has been in my thoughts, that’s for sure.
Comment by Lynda — April 17, 2007 @ 10:15 am
good job snay.
Comment by angry ballerina — April 17, 2007 @ 10:39 am
Jain: So if something bad was going to happen to a city, we shouldn’t warn them or tell them to evacuate simply because it is a city and some people might not be able to get out?
There was a killer on the campus. You don’t continue to have classes. Everyone is connected. Whether it be a cell phone or internet. If Va. Tech cancels class, even commuters would get the message from friends or families. Especially if everyone was told that campus was closed due to two shootings on campus. I blame the administration along with the shooter. The shooter killed two people and the administration helped him kill 30 more.
Comment by Ryan — April 17, 2007 @ 11:39 am
Ryan – I don’t think Jain was saying that, just that, y’know, shit happens. And canceling classes is a lot different from shutting campus down – could you shut a college campus down quickly? A big question is manpower – could VTech close all entrances while running a search for a killer all at the same time? I don’t think VTech has the benefit of both its own police force AND a large surrounding police force like we do at Towson.
Comment by MalSnay — April 17, 2007 @ 11:42 am
A sad day indeed and we all hope it never happens again, but we all know it will. It’s tragic that society can’t seem to learn from these horrors. We mourn until the next one. What are we doing wrong? Beyond the acts of mentally ill people, what can we control? What can we change to decrease the incidence?
Comment by TB — April 17, 2007 @ 12:37 pm
When I say shut campus down, I mean cancel classes. Allowing students to go to class while a killer is on the lose hardly seems like an option in my eyes. I don’t know what kind of manpower they have. If a student is shot on campus and the shooter has not been caught, you cancel classes.
It actually sounds like southing Bob Caret would do at Towson. He never cancels classes for snow and meanwhile, students are crashing into eachother trying to drive in the snow.
Comment by Ryan — April 17, 2007 @ 2:52 pm
[...] I have nothing to say about the horrific shootings at Virginia Tech. Others are more eloquent than I. [...]
Pingback by The Den of Iniquity » Mind Boggling. — April 17, 2007 @ 3:24 pm
Beautifully written, Snay.
Comment by Trish — April 17, 2007 @ 4:43 pm
I was floored to hear about this when I got back in town. Working at a tv station, I am usually the first to hear, but was away from tv, radio and the internet. If you are a scientific person, you can believe that there is a good energy that exists collectively in this world, and that it has power to heal those victim’s families. Maybe that is a good way to think of it?
Comment by JLee — April 17, 2007 @ 5:21 pm
First of all I was stuggling to find a way to articulate my feelings but I dont think i could have said it better myself.
Before the hoopla starts and the mass media starts telling us how to grieve, I’m glad that I read your post.
Comment by sixfeetaway — April 17, 2007 @ 5:58 pm
Well said. I would echo the sentiment that you can send positive energy out into the universe. That is really all that praying is anyway.
Comment by Claire — April 17, 2007 @ 7:55 pm
There is a research study that showed that when strangers prayed for people in the hospital they actually got worse, compared to a control group who did not get on any “prayer lists”. So not praying is actually the better thing to do, at least according to this study.
Senseless and tragic.
Comment by Pam — April 17, 2007 @ 11:42 pm
Excellent thoughts. Thank you.
Comment by Sometimes Saintly Nick — April 18, 2007 @ 6:40 am
Lots of people are calling this a ‘senseless’ act. But actually it makes a lot of sense. Here’s how. Before we can keep stop these mass shootings, we have to keep kids safe at home. What I’m getting at is that people who commit acts of violence — school rampages, rape, child sexual assault and abuse — have more than likely been a victim themselves. I recommend the book “Violence” by James Gilligan for the best explanation of “why it happens” that I’ve ever read.
Comment by Rhea — April 18, 2007 @ 7:21 pm