Virginia Tech remembered

April 16 always will hold a different
meaning for those of us who remember
the shootings that took place at Virginia
Tech a year ago. With the one-year
anniversary of the massacre, numerous
questions arise.

Many of us had friends and family
members attending or working at
Virginia Tech, and – even now – it is
difficult to describe the panic of that
day-the terrified anxiety we felt as we
thought of our loved ones in danger.

There seems to be something horribly
wrong with our generation that
causes this sort of violence. Our parents’
generation had no “Virginia Techs,”
no “Columbine High Schools” and no
“Northern Illinois Universities.”

Why do members of our generation
think it necessary to commit these
atrocities?

Some argue concealed weapons
should be allowed on campus to deter
shootings, and professors should be
allowed to carry guns while they teach.
Are these people delusional?

If everyone packs heat, how would the
authorities find out if someone plans to
shoot up the school?

If I were to see a handgun in someone’s
bag, I would report the sighting. That
person should not have brought that
weapon on a gun-free campus, because
the only reason to have a gun on campus
is to hurt another person.

If we all have guns, who can know
someone’s true intention until he or she
starts shooting?

I firmly believe in the right to bear
arms, but with that right comes the
responsibility of exercising reasonable
restraint. The second amendment is
a right, not a privilege, and therefore
cannot be taken away-but this cowboy
line of thinking where you get into a
showdown with a lone gunman is absolutely
absurd. Concealed carry would get
more people injured or killed by accident
than campus shootings ever will.

Some have taken issue with the idea
of having fake-gun battles on campus.
I’m sorry, but a group of kids with
bright yellow-and-orange guns hitting
each other with soft-foam sticky darts
is far from troubled behavior. Some of
my best experiences at VCU were during
my freshman year in the dorms, when
the students living on the 13th floor of
Rhoads Residence Hall would get into
all-out Nerf warfare. I fail to see how
a game of “capture the flag” equals
shooting up the school.

The real issue our generation faces
– the issue that we need to focus on
more – is that of mental health. The most
tragic element of every school shooting
is that it could have been prevented if
someone had taken the time to reach
out to troubled individuals and to offer
them help.

Although it might seem difficult or
embarrassing to seek a mental-health
professional, I can tell you from my own
experience that it is extremely beneficial.
Sometimes, to get relief you just need
to talk about how you feel and what
is going on in your life to an unbiased
party. Just talking about my depression
helped me. If you or someone you know
is feeling down and out, seeking out a
counselor never hurts.

Questions about the tragedy at
Virginia Tech always will outnumber
answers. But two things are certain: the
fallen always will be remembered, and
the spirit of Virginia Tech is stronger
than ever.

Even before the massacre, I felt
no campus would bounce back more
resiliently from a tragedy than Virginia
Tech. Every time I’ve encountered a
Hokie in my life, they always have been
filled with great pride – sometimes to
the point of annoyance – about their
institution. With any hope, these three
school tragedies will serve as a reminder
to promote mental health and to lend a
hand when it’s needed.