They Will Prevail

Washington may be one of the farthest states from Virginia in the U.S., but the reaction the shootings have been no less powerful. I saw people wearing Virginia Tech shirts all over downtown, at my Firm (some lawyers are Alumni), in the Gym, in line at Trader Joe’s, and even a waiter at the place I ate lunch at today. There are so many things to say about this, but I think ill just keep those inside. Imagine though, there was a shooting at UW only a couple of weeks ago. Imagine if that man had not killed himself after killing his target. Imagine if he would have gone through the building and into classes. I can’t imagine…..

Some myspace’s of the students are heartbreaking to see. You notice that people are writing comments such as “call your parents now” or “call me, I want to know if you are safe” not knowing that their friend/family were one of the victims. You can see some of them HERE.

This article entitled “I thought the next shot is for me” from Time.com tells the story of one of only two survivors from the French Class that was attacked.

“He continued to shoot everyone over and over. After every shot I braced myself for the next, thinking, “This one is for me.” I remember having stray thoughts,like “I wonder what a gun wound feels like. I hope it doesn’t hurt. I wonder if I’ll die slow or fast.” I had come to accept my death, but the fear was still there. I was terrified that my parents weren’t going to be able to go on after I was gone. I kept thinking about my parents. There was a girl in front of me — I didn’t know her well. I didn’t know her name. We kept eye contact from time to time. She was brave. I don’t think she cried. We just stared at each other under the desks.”

Hunderds of facebook groups have been created for Cho Hui, the perpetrator of this killing spree. Groups such as “Cho Sung Hui will burn in Hell” or “If Cho had a myspace even Tom Wouldn’t be his friend” or “FUCK Cho Sung Hui” I really don’t think these groups are appropriate right now. Instead of showing how much you hate the shooter, why not show how much you support the students of Virginia Tech or show how the victims will always be in your prayers, etc. Everthing that is happening right now, only one word can really describe it. Madness.

Its weird seeing headlines such as “The Victims Remembered” and “85 Found Dead in Baghdad” right next to each other. It can make for a pretty despressing day.

Truly moving words from VT Professor Nikki Giovanni at the Convocation
We are Virginia Tech
We are sad today
And we will be sad for quite a while
We are NOT moving on
We are embracing our mourning
We are Virginia Tech
We are strong enough to stand tall tirelessly
We are brave enough to bend to cry, and sad enough to know
We must laugh again
We are Virginia Tech
We do not understand this tragedy
We know we did nothing deserve it
But neither does the child in Africa, dying of AIDS
Neither do the invisible children, walking the night away to avoid being captured by rogue army
Neither does the baby elephant, watching his community be devastated for ivory
Neither does the Mexican child looking for fresh water
Neither does the Appalachian child, killed in his own crib, in the home his father built with his own hands, being run over by a boulder because the land was destabilized
No one deserves a tragedy
We are Virginia Tech
The Hokie nation embraces our own and reaches out with open heart and hands to those that offer their hearts and minds
We are strong and brave and innocent and unafraid,
We are better than we think and not quite what we want to be
We are live to the imagination
And the possibility we will continue to invent the future
Through our blood and tears
Through all this sadness
We are the Hokies
We will prevail
We will prevail
We will prevail
WE ARE
VIRGINIA TECH

Even though their University will be forever associated with this massacre….I am pretty sure that the students at Virginia Tech will always be proud they are/were a Hokie.