Virginia Tech and a Personal Plea

I am just one lowly blogger. I don't have a great gift for expressing what others are thinking. I have great respect for those that do. I enjoy this medium as it gives me a chance to write what I am thinking.

The horrific murders this week has brought a range of emotions. Like most people I felt shock, outrage and compassion for the victims and their families and Friends. I have been paying attention to the media as I would like to know more about what motivated the person who perpetrated this evil action.

We are now nearing the end of what I believe will be the first phase of this from a media perspective. That phase is what our media is supposed to do, who what where when and how. As we get through that the next phase will start. I believe that will be a sad state and more trivia. This is where the different media outlets will give voice to anyone that has an agenda and is willing to exploit others' suffering.

Here is where my personal plea is. The families and friends and to a much lesser extent will be in pain for a while and need to grieve. The need to feel some anger, they need to deal with the emotions. For this reason, I ask the members of the media, don't let this event become an event to begin a new discussion on the role of guns. Don't let this be an event to discuss mental illness, and how if we only cared more, the young man would not have done this. Please oh please do not let this be a discussion of who knew what and when did they know it?

There will be important serious work to be done. Through the investigation the police, the administrators, and all involved will learn more about what they can do in the future to try to react better to this horrible act. Let them do their work. To date I have not seen any evidence that any of the powers involved in this reacted negligently. That is not to say they reacted perfectly. Again let them do their work. Let them learn what can be learned. Most of all don't make them the villain. A troubled young man chose an evil act. We will find out more about why, but the fact that he chose evil rather than other means can not and should not be ignored nor excused.

For my part I will pray for those involved. I ask that others of faith do the same. I don't expect this will happen, but I hope activists with agenda will not use this as yet another excuse to further their agenda.