Another unspeakable student massacre

It seems like every 5-10 years, Americans have to bear witness to another senseless, public mass murder. Unfortunately, I remember all too many of these, from the McDonald's mass murder in 1984 to Columbine High School to countless other, smaller but no less significant executions and murders, it makes me wonder if the senseless violence and madness will ever end in our society.

Today's Virginia Tech Massacre will live on in infamy, much like the 1999 Columbine High School shootings. The loss of life right now is at a ghastly 33 people.

Above (AP Photo/The Roanoke Times, Matt Gentry), Blacksburg police officers run from Norris Hall on Virginia Tech's campus. The shootings in Norris Hall, an engineering building, occurred two hours after a shooting at a student dorm.

S.W.A.T. members prepare to storm one of the VT buildings. (AP Photo/The Roanoke Times, Eric Brady)

Officers assemble outside Norris Hall on Virginia Tech's campus, preparing to take the building by storm. (AP Photo/The Roanoke Times, Eric Brady)

S.W.A.T. team members head to Norris Hall on Virginia Tech's campus. The shooting is being called the deadliest killing killing spree in U.S. history, said government officials earlier today. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Officers take up positions on Clay Street on Virginia Tech's campus. (AP Photo/The Roanoke Times, Alan Kim)

An injured student is carried out of Norris Hall by officers following the shooting. (AP Photo/The Roanoke Times, Alan Kim)

Another person is carried out of Norris Hall. (AP Photo/The Roanoke Times, Alan Kim)

Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital emergency workers unload a Virginia Tech shooting victim in downtown Roanoke, Va. (AP Photo/The Roanoke Times, Jared Soares)

An unidentified man is restrained during a manhunt on the Virginia Tech campus. One of the murderers is dead, but it's unclear whether he worked alone. (AP Photo/The Roanoke Times, Alan Kim)

The investigation will no doubt reveal some very disturbing things - not only about the killer(s), but about the school's response as well.

VT President Charles Steeger meets with the press following the massacre. Reportedly, the first incident took place two hours before the second incident, and the university's first response to students, faculty and staff was via e-mail. Yes, e-mail. If these reports are accurate, it would not surprise me at all if Steeger is looking for a job a few months from now.

As students grieve, there will be lots of questions about the safety of our institutions of higher learning, just like there was following the Columbine tragedy. And that's not be a bad thing. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

As the campus and the victims' families and friends take time to ask, "Why?" and mourn the massive loss of life, I hope this brings about renewed and much-needed debate on violence and guns in our society. (AP Photo Evan Vucci)

I also hope this tragedy brings about much needed change in security on college campuses across the country. I've taught at two universities, and security at both were slapdash at best.

It also won't take long to see the political consequences of this tragedy, either. Of course, the presidential candidates will weigh in on the tragedy in the coming days, and a few already have.

Waiting for me in my inbox when I got home tonight was a message from John and Elizabeth Edwards. It read:

We are simply heartbroken by the deaths and injuries suffered at Virginia Tech. We know what an unspeakable, life-changing moment this is for these families and how, in this moment, it is hard to feel anything but overwhelming grief, much less the love and support around you. But the love and support is there. We pray that these families, these students, and the entire Virginia Tech community know that they are being embraced by a nation. There is a Methodist hymn that gave us solace in such a moment as this, and we repeat its final verse here, in hopes it will help these families, as it helped us:

In our end is our beginning; in our time, infinity;
In our doubt there is believing, in our life, eternity,
In our death, a resurrection; at the last, a victory,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

Our dearest wish is that this day could start again, with the promise of these young people alive. Knowing that cannot be, our prayer is for God’s grace and whatever measure of peace can be reached on this terrible day.

John and Elizabeth Edwards

Okay, I thought that was a nice thing, as much as a political message at times like these can be. Say what you will about the Edwardses, but they sure know about loss; the couple loss their son Wade a little over 10 years ago, and with Elizabeth's condition, they will tragically know loss again.

One other presidential candidate weighed in immediately after the tragedy - John McCain met with reporters at the Laredo International Airport in Laredo, Texas. McCain said the massacre at Virginia Tech doesn't change his views on the Second Amendment, "except to make sure that these kinds of weapons don't fall into the hands of bad people." (AP Photo/Laredo Morning Times, Andy Ellis)

Phew! Thank God McCain reaffirmed our right to bear arms at a time like this. I know that was my first thought when I heard about the tragedy.

Could McCain possibly be any more tone deaf? At best, it's a comment that could have at least waited a day.

My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families and friends.