The Killer Got What He Wanted
Wednesday - April 25, 2007
The massacre at Virginia State University will forever be in our collective minds. Whenever there is a reference to the most heinous and murderous crimes ever committed, it is inevitable that Virginia Tech will be invoked. This is the unfortunate legacy for an institution of higher learning whose previous notoriety was due to the occasional upset in college football.
I do not want to belabor any points or rehash the horrific day. We are all aware of the gunman’s name, age and ethnicity. We are familiar with the chronology of events. We have seen the tape. We feel sorrow, outrage and incredulity. We mourn the dead and sympathize for the families. We celebrate the stories of bravery and heroism.
There are other sidebar issues which have emerged out of this tragedy.
Left-wing activists and anti-religious zealots will do all they can do to remove the words and symbols of Christianity. Here at home, the cross at Kolekole Pass was a victim of this rabid censorship. On the mainland, The Ten Commandments are banned from public display. Manger scenes are sanitized into anonymity. However, I find it comforting that in times of duress and trouble, we will still lift our eyes to the heavens and find comfort in God.
President George W. Bush delivered an emotional and impactful speech at Virginia Tech lauding the prayers of strangers. He spoke of comfort and themes of unwavering love and selflessness by those who saved lives while losing their own. Television commentators are ending their reports with references to prayer. The spiritual songs sung by the thongs of mourners were filled with such emotion while remembering the lives lost. The presence of God and the promise of Jesus Christ is never more apparent than in time of trial and tribulation. Although He is always with us, sometimes we need great bitterness in life to appreciate the sweetness.
I applaud FoxNews for refusing to broadcast the images and words of the murderer. I know the network, along with all the others, had run the videotape sent by the murderer to NBC News the day of the attack. It made me sick to see the video of this killer, in all his bravado, talking tough and chastising others for his own actions. When I saw these pictures, I knew the media had done exactly what the killer wanted.
He was searching for celebrity and immortality. Well, thanks to network television, newspapers and the internet, he got what he was looking for. I hope these tapes, with his ramblings and his image of defiance, are permanently banned from the air-waves. He needs to die a virtual death, too.
I know there are those still seeking understanding of how and why this could happen. I also know there will be a tremendous amount of speculation followed by calls for “we have to do something…” I don’t profess to have the answers, but I do know that we can pass all the legislation we want, we can ban anything and everything and we could shut down all public areas at any given time. The one truth remains. We cannot prevent each and every wanton act of non-sensical violence. I am not saying we stop our vigilance and dedication in preventing crime. But, I am saying there are those who are hell-bent on destruction at any cost. These killers are evil personified. It’s as if you have to ask yourself the question, “How do you stop the Devil?” Please, tell me when you have the answer.
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