A black day in Blacksburg

As the details come in from this tragic day, as of this posting the details of the murderer are yet to be released, we struggle to find the reasons for such vicious acts. The reasons and motives behind this tragedy will never be fully be known as they died with the murderer. Even if we knew the thought process behind this evil act, it would do the families of the victims little good. An act of murder on this scale defies all logic and reason.

The truth may be simple yet disturbing, the killer did not think like the rest of us. His mind was simply not wired right. No one in their right mind who finds themselves in despair or anger concludes the only way to solve their problem is to murder scores of innocent people. Rational people can snap, but this was not a heat of the moment event. If the Norris Hall killer was the same person who murdered the first two people at 7:00 and then went to the Hall at 9:15 and chained the doors so people could not escape, this was a deeply disturbed killer who wanted to kill as many as possible.

Americans are shocked and angry. Our universities and schools are supposed to be safe places. We look at this tragedy and wonder what, if anything, we can do?

Some are angry at the police for what seems like a lack of real time action, why wasn't the campus locked down after the first two murders? Some are now calling for an end to 'gun violence'. Some want to ban firearms all together. What is the proper action for us to take?

If proximity and availability of guns were the problem, there would be a dozens murders every day at every shooting range in America. I never feel more safe then when I am at a shooting match with 100 people who are armed. I have more firearms than I can count and I have yet to harm a single person with them.

Sadly, there is little we can do to prevent unstable people from killing our fellow citizens. We walk down the street and the only thing that separates us from the unstable person who wants to kill us in his car is a stripe of paint. Every time we get into a airplane to go on a business trip or vacation, we are completely vulnerable, if the pilot was served divorce papers that morning and whats to end his life in a spectacular way, there is nothing we can do. Airplanes and automobiles are not the problem, its the unstable person in control of them. Taking my guns away will not make you safer. Taking disturbed people off the street will.

As we learn more about the killer and his possible motives and actions in the days and weeks that led up to the murders, maybe we can piece together some useful information that can identify and possibly avert another tragedy. After Columbine, schools and parents were on full alert, many students were identified as possible problems and while we may never know how many were capable of murder, I would bet that a tragedy or two was averted by parents and teachers just paying attention to troubled students.

Not everyone follows the rules of society. Unstable people put poison in Tylenol, they mail anthrax to reporters and politicians, the drive SUV into groups of students at universities. Humans are capable of wondrous joy and terrible evil. That evil showed its face today in Blacksburg.

Every life is precious, and I can only imagine the sorrow and grief the friends and families of the victims are dealing with, there are no easy answers, only more questions.

Please pray for the fallen and the families.