In Memory of the VA Tech Victims
"I saved . . . this opportunity to speak briefly to you about the mindless menace of violence in America which again stains our land and every one of our lives. It's not the concern of any one race. The victims of the violence are black and white, rich and poor, young and old, famous and unknown. They are, most immportant of all, human beings whom other human beings loved and needed. No one, no matter where he lives or what he does, can be certain who next will suffer from some senseless act of bloodshed, and yet it goes on and on and on in this country of ours. Why? What has violence ever accomplished? What has it ever created? Whenever any American's life is taken by another American unnecessarily, whether it is done in the name of the law or in defiance of the law, by one man or by a gang, in cold blood or in passion, in an attack of violence or in response to violence, whenever we tear at the fabric of our lives, which another man has painfully and clumsily woven for himself and his children, whenever we do this, then the whole nation is degraded. Yet we seemingly tolerate a rising level of violence that ignores our common humanity and our claims to civilization alike."
Robert Kennedy
Pls pray for the friends and family of those slain and for the injured.
I went to Tech my Freshman and Sophomore years and lived in Pritchard Hall, just across from West AJ where the killing started.
2 comments:
Groover here:
Listening to many views on this historic event over the past several days and listening to some church going people, there seems to be two divides;
1) Cho was evil and his act reflects this
2) Cho was mentally disturbed and his act reflects this
I beleive it is a both/and over an either/or.
The bullying Cho dealt with in school that seems to be coming out;
[ http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,266921,00.html ]
is potent fuel to a troubled heart. The desire for revenge is where the evil manifests itself. For a Christian to simply say, "Cho is evil" without any desire to gain some understanding that might lead to repentance for all, is naive and a bad witness imo.
As a former school teacher, I can testify how utterly damaging bullying is on a daily basis. School becomes the world to a young student and to be picked on and humiliated daily in a violent culture is fuel to a fragile heart to act out. The Columbine tradgedy also had a similar root in the two boys being bullied. Not an excuse, but a clear message that hate destroys. The power of the tongue at a young age can be devestating to some.
But by the grace of God go I. If I was beaten, pushed to the ground, humiliated in class because I couldn't speak English well, felt like an Alien in a foreign land, had no faith, I cannot say I would not have acted out in similar fashion...or at least thought about it. But by Grace go I.
We again had better take seriously the biblical teaching about the human heart, how sin has impacted it, how sin has impacted the mind, and the need for the saving grace of Christ and His finished work on the Cross.
Most importantly, to act kind towards those you are unattrative, and Cho was unattractive to those he was close to. He was responsible for his acts of evil, but there alwyas seems to be a destructive history as to WHY someone acts out. The sinful heart distorts this and the evil one pregnates the mind towards murderous acts. Same with the preacher's wife in the news. She didn't just wake up and say, "Gee, I'll kill my husband!" If half of the things she reported were true of him, he was scum.
How many Cho's are around the corner?
Also...
"Pls pray for the friends and family of those slain and for the injured"
YES. This must have really hit home Steve knowing you did time on this campus, knows what the grass feels and smells like.
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