Monday's Virginia Tech University massacre marks the worst non-military shooting incident in American history. While the school and country reels from the severity of the massacre, Virginia Tech administrators and police will be investigating the shooting to find out what provoked this hideous attack.
There's very little any of us can do to help that investigation.
The most important issue was and remains the 32 people who died and the family and friends they've left behind. The particulars of the day and television talk show debates of what, if anything, could have prevented the shooting will be discussed for weeks, months and maybe years.
No amount of time, however, will return those innocent lives.
Ball State University students might not ponder the consequences of such a sudden and horrible event taking place in our small, Midwestern campus - but no Virginia Tech students did, either. Short of nightmares and violent video games, it was a massacre beyond all imagination. It became a reality in just the blink of an eye Monday morning - and then grew horrifically worse in the midst of 2,800 acres of pandemonium.
No - our writing isn't a scare tactic; this isn't an admonition to "watch your back" or intended to put hairs on end. It's a reminder, a painful awakening, to how fragile life is and how quickly it can be taken from us.
With every tragedy and every fatal accident that affects us close to home, we're reminded of how fortunate we are to be alive. Even if only for a second, we reflect upon the people we know, love and couldn't bear to leave.
There are many lessons to be learned from Monday's atrocity, but above all others is the most important: Life is invaluable.
Our time here is short - every second that passes is one that we'll never get back. Despite all the trivial dangers overcome each day, you never know what or who could be around the next corner. It's not an invitation to be reckless, but rather a reason to take advantage of the time you have while you still have it.
As the echoes of gunfire play constantly on our computers and televisions during the coming days, look past the finger-pointing blame games and remember the 32 lives senselessly ended Monday, and the countless others damaged forever.
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