No Respecter of Persons

It has been a little over two weeks since the random killings (or an act of terrorism) took place on the Virginia Tech campus. We have all been made aware of Cho's mental illness and the fact that he was able to purchase his weapons legally. These were bought apparently without any questions in spite of the many prior concerns expressed by his family and acquaintances in regard to his mental health. Obviously, this momentous event will again raise the national debate level on gun control.

I guess my focus for the past two weeks, however, has not been on that issue but another: the effect of the sudden death of a loved one through random violence. The Cho incident just served once more as a reminder of our own personal tragedy. It brought back an gargantuan sense of sadness to me.

It was in 1976 that my sister Judy received the call from the Greenville, Mississippi, police department that our father had been also killed through random violence. He had been sitting in a bar evidently when someone came in and started randomly shooting up the place. Our father was shot three times and died beside Highway 61 on his way hitchhiking, he said, "to see my girls." The shock of such an event is instant and overwhelming. I can only imagine, however, as in this event, hearing about the death of a college-aged son or daughter.

Cho was no respecter of persons. He killed male and female, teacher and student, national and international. Somehow in the fog of his illness, he lost sight of humanity; he could see only those he considered his enemies. Experts tell us random violence, or terrorism, is on the increase in the world. Knowing that all are subject to its effects only increases our sense of vulnerability and our inability to ensure safety for ourselves and others.