An Unspeakable Tragedy

I know this is technically a blog about writing, but I cannot help but comment on the killings at Virginia Tech. As a teacher and member of an academic community, and someone who believes deeply in the values of a learning community, I am full of sorrow for the students, faculty, and staff of this school.

I know it's really early and we don't know what truly happened or why. But I think about the kind of world we live in where this can happen at a place where young adults go to feel safe, learn, and grow, and it's scary. I want to be a positive person, believe in the inherent goodness of people and our possibilities, but events like this dishearten me. I always have believed that education is a solution to many of our social ills, but it feels like schools are becoming less like safe havens, and more like everywhere else. I hope that in time we can learn why things like this happen and how we can prevent them.

I know that there aren't any easy answers, but I hope we can find some way to make our schools (and our world) safe again.