I don't have the answer, but something needs to be done...

I went to work yesterday just like every other day. My job involves long periods of designing and drafting parts with CAD software. Every so often I take a break and read the news online. Early in the morning a story popped up about a shooting at Virginia Tech. Its sad for me to have to admit this but I didn't read the original story... probably because these horrible stories happen every day.

I went about the day's business which took me away from my desk for most of the afternoon. When I got back to my desk I was confronted by a headline which told of multiple deaths at the college. It truly sickened me to watch as the death count grew with every hour.

The eerie thing for me was that the CD which I had been listening to that morning was Kasey Chambers' "Barricades and Brick Walls". I bought this disc specifically for its hidden track which I heard for the first time as a cover by Lori McKenna. It always gives me chills when I hear it.

Ignorance
Don't wanna read the paper
I don't like bad news
Last night a man got shot
Outside the house of blues
I'd like to ignore it
I'd like to just pretend
That the reason for it
Is something I can comprehend

I don't listen to the radio
Last time it made me cry
Two boys went crazy
Fifteen kids died
And I don't know their families
I don't ask 'em how they're going
They're on the other side of the world
But it's way too close to home

I've got something to say
And I thought it might be worth a mention
If you're not pissed off at the world
Then you're just not paying attention
And you can turn off the TV
And go about your day
But just 'cos you don't see it
It don't mean its gone away hey

We don't talk to our neighbours
They've got funny coloured skin
We see 'em out on the sidewalk
But we don't invite 'em in
We only eat when we're hungry
And we throw the rest away
While babies in Cambodia
Are starving everyday

We risk our lives
We hit our wives
We act like everything is funny
We hide our pain
While we go insane
We sell our souls for money
We curse our mums
We build our bombs
We make our children cry
We watch the band
While Vietnam
Just watch their children die

Well, I'm officially PISSED OFF. These kids are gone forever, their lives cut short for absolutely no reason. This just isn't acceptable and we as a society need to do something about it. I don't know what that something is, but I'm going to try my best to figure it out. Maybe its time to "overreact" since it doesn't look like the status quo is working. We need to confront young people who show the warning signs of violent behavior. We need to making harder for people to obtain automatic weapons. But, above all we need to start holding people responsible.

I used to know how to change the world/I lie awake at night and envy that girl
-Sarah Bettens "Scream"

But, above all I want to offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of those killed or injured in this tragic event. I hope that the fact that the entire nation grieves with you tempers your sorrow.