This week we remember the VT massacre; a violent display of hatred that happened one year ago. These events, like many before and unfortunatley many to come, are in grained in our minds whether we were there or not; even more so if we were there.
I can more relate to an event that took place in 1999 that we all remember as Columbine. Having grown up in CO, we witnessed the news first hand as the students came out of the school in lines. This shooting was complete madness because the police had no idea who was responsible, simply that there were a few explosions and shooting going on in the school. Only later was it truly identified who the killers were.
In both instance the media placed almost more focus on the people responsible for the violence than they did those who were recipients. We saw the shooter from VT on every news channel talking about his martyrdom and then for Columbine an article came out later on in the Denver Post documenting the entire attack put together by the two shooters.
I believe it is one thing to have movies with violence involved, and yet another including video games. In each of these instances we see people committing hate crimes and many times the movie/game give us a chance to relate with the event. Watching this, however much it may desensitize us to the world around us, does not make a normal person want to go out and shoot or perform this hate crime. At the very most we could claim that it gives them the idea to do what their desires have only yearned for.
Giving these violent people in real life a platform for all to see though, is simply ridiculous. When you watch professional sports you will rarely see where a grave injuries took place's replay more than two or three times. But when it comes to someone committing a horrendous crime, we make them look like they were justified, were well prepared, and almost supported by Americans. When you compare this to the movies/games it creates a new playing field. Not only does it make the people who are in similar situations realize that them repeating the acts are possible, but it places an overall reality in our brains of what will happen next and how will it be worse--or in the person who will plan the next massacre, how it will be bigger, better, more influential.
No glory will come through any sort of revenge, and anyone who thinks otherwise is one of the people desensitized to the lies conveyed by our culture. I want to encourage anyone and everyone who might realize this to take a second and think about the victims who were shot for no other reason than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Further, I want you to realize that the people shot for reasons thought to be justifiable by the executer are more likely just as influenced by culture in doing what they did to justify your reasoning. What is worse, they do not realize the harm it is doing to you.
Still, there is always room for forgiveness, always room for reconciliation, and more than anything else, there is always redemption in whatever form it may come. No matter how badly things seem, it will never make the situation better to kill someone or yourself. In the long run, it will only make this world worse, whether the 'victims' are to experience it or not.
Please, if you have thoughts of hatred, let someone know. Call out for help. And please, do not let the world tell you who is popular and do not let anyone tell you how to live. Know that you are loved, someone somewhere cares about you. And there is no reason to end anyones life because of ones perceived hatred.
