“We are strong enough to stand tall tearlessly, we are brave enough to bend and cry, and sad enough to know we must laugh again” - Nikki Giovanni

To View the full Nikki Giovanni poem click here
For the audio version, click here

Even as the week comes to an end, I am having a hard time articulating how much the Virginia Tech Massacre on April 16th has affected me. Perhaps it is because I can relate to the monotony of getting up in the morning and dragging myself to class without a thought of how delicate and precious each breath really is.

Perhaps the pain and sadness I feel comes from my deeply rooted sense of being able to relate to the pain of losing a friend. We have all experienced tragedy in our life. Sadly, some will experience more than others but none of us are immune to the inevitable.

So why the emotional connection?

Never before has such a massacre been committed within our borders. As Americans we are generally impervious to true mass violence and we have begun to reap what we sew. We have begun to see the results of a desensitized country fixated and firmly entrenched in a violent culture. We have suffered through Columbine, the Beltway Sniper and last year’s Platte Canyon shootings.

Movies glorify unnecessary aggression and yes, even murder. Video games like Grand Theft Auto have generations of Americans unaware of their own callousness and lack of regard for what is both morally and legally wrong.

My rant is not to point the finger at gun control, mental health or even to attack the media. There will be plenty of time to write about those concerns. Instead I write out of a sense of responsibility to share some of my yet to be organized thoughts. I am sad and it is even difficult for me to continue writing but I feel as though I must because I have that choice. By my luck of circumstance I live to tell the world how I feel.

Perhaps we should all feel so lucky this week…and every week because if there is one silver lining in this tragedy, it is that we must live our days like they are our last. We must tell those we love exactly that and we should celebrate life because it is a gift that will eventually stop giving.

My heart felt sympathy is with the family and friends of the victims. You can count on me writing as my reflections turn into something that will make for a more thematic article.

I have chosen to share two video clips. Please know that some of the footage may be difficult to watch but I think it’s important we recognize the true catastrophic nature of this incident.