2008 Woodie Awards
Lumberjack editorial
Lumberjack Editorial
Issue date: 4/18/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
The shootings at Virginia Tech shocked and saddened many people all over the country, and the Lumberjack editorial board is no exception. We're used to seeing violence of this magnitude happen in the Middle East and other parts of the world, but when it happens here at home, especially at a school, people seem to experience a sense of disbelief and confusion. Many wonder what might have happened to the gunman to set him off. Others say that if it happened in Virginia it could happen anywhere. Cyberspace comes alive with people for or against gun control, and then the president makes a speech.
How can we be surprised at what happened in Virginia if the same violence happens every day in other parts of the world? Stephanie Guel, a globalization junior, said people tend to focus on the incident rather than examining the circumstances behind it.
A sense of fear sweeps through us and manifests itself in policies more destructive than those in place prior to the incident. Many students who attended high school at the time of the Columbine shootings in 1999 can remember walking through metal detectors to get onto campus. Who knows, this fear might be one of the issues behind what caused the shooting at Virginia Tech.
Although the exact reason for the shootings has yet to be determined, it probably could have been prevented. And it's probably true that if the shooting happened in Virginia it could happen anywhere. At some point we have to get past our fear. Violence can only be prevented through dialogue and understanding.
How can we be surprised at what happened in Virginia if the same violence happens every day in other parts of the world? Stephanie Guel, a globalization junior, said people tend to focus on the incident rather than examining the circumstances behind it.
A sense of fear sweeps through us and manifests itself in policies more destructive than those in place prior to the incident. Many students who attended high school at the time of the Columbine shootings in 1999 can remember walking through metal detectors to get onto campus. Who knows, this fear might be one of the issues behind what caused the shooting at Virginia Tech.
Although the exact reason for the shootings has yet to be determined, it probably could have been prevented. And it's probably true that if the shooting happened in Virginia it could happen anywhere. At some point we have to get past our fear. Violence can only be prevented through dialogue and understanding.
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