I have to say a word about the recent school shooting at Virginia Tech—it’s been on my mind for two days now. I’ve read plays written by the shooter, looked through pictures of the victims, and seen videos that recount the nightmare. The media is going overboard about it, and I’m sure everyone is experiencing “sensational journalism overload” right now. But really, when are we going to stop the media frenzy, and actually work to do something about the school-shooting phenomenon that seems to crop up all over the United States and nowhere else?! It seems the issue at-hand is obvious—when an 18-year-old can walk into a store and buy two guns without any questions asked, here in lies the problem.

I’m so unbelievably sad for the 20+ students, all of whom had incredible dreams and aspirations, which run the gamet from dancing and folk music, to preventing global warming and helping kids in South America. In lieu of the silly burglar-at-my-door situation, I can’t even fathom the insatiable fear of trying to barricade a door or jump out a window to escape bullets. I don’t ever want to think, “my mom and dad…and my future…and I’ll never be able to have a family…I never told this person I loved them, and I’m sorry…” Can you imagine the thoughts that were running through these students’ heads at their final hour?

The world is full of incredible injustices, most of which never get easier for me to swallow. I’m so fortunate; sometimes it scares me. I could easily have been the child living in fear in Afghanistan, or forced to prostitution in India, or starving and homeless without parents in some other location worldwide…. But, here I am, generally healthy, well fed, living in a beautiful apartment with all the possessions I’ve wanted, and friends and family that always love and support me. The anger, hurt and suffering of the world often is hard to understand, but it makes me feel slightly better when there’s motivation for change, people working for a better co-existence, and the fortunate coming together to aid the unfortunate.

I need this injustice to have a better cause. I need our nation to start doing something to change. I need to feel that someday, when I have children and they leave my house in the morning for school, or travel across the nation to better their lives, I won’t have to live in fear of a phone call that says, “I’m sorry. They won’t be coming home today.”

I’ll end with a little personal mantra I often include in documents I write for work. I’ll leave you to guess where it comes from:

Learn to do right!
Seek justice,
Encourage the oppressed…

Currently Feeling: Still congested, stuffed-up and yicky.
Currently Anticipating: “Indie Rock Meets Indie Style” tonight at the Crocodile with Sarah.
Currently Loving: Dannon Light and Fit vanilla yogurt.