Dear Hokies,
As you struggle with these days, know the support the nation showers upon you. Know that you are held in the thoughts of many, many who would wish to extend hearts and hands to remove the pain and horror that you are experiencing…….and no one can. But we can stand with you and help to give you the faith and commitment to move on.
I would ask you to consider forgiveness, as this is the only thing that can heal the wounds and move you forward. True forgiveness for a lost and hurting soul who experienced his own hell day after day after day. We can only guess at his hurt and misery. Nothing can justify his actions, so that allows only the extension of love and heartfelt forgiveness as the healing balm within each one of you – and within each of us, for we too hurt as you do.
The purpose of this letter is to suggest that you, as a campus community, are in a position here and now to make a remarkable difference, for your university, for all of the colleges across the country and for our nation as a whole. You can bring a positive outcome to all of this by bonding together and creating some specific program that will speak to all of us, and honor those whose contributions were cut short. And with the attention you now hold, others will hear you. You as a student body can initiate some measures to enhance the value of life for everyone.
One initiative that comes to mind is a U.S. Dept. of Peace (www.thepeacealliance.org). Thousands across the country are actively working for the creation of a cabinet-level Department of Peace, which will address just those issues that led to the horror on your campus. A Department of Peace will work within families, within schools, within communities to address issues of domestic violence, school violence, bullying, gang violence, sexual abuses, abuse toward women and the elderly………so many of the distortions that can lead to the decimation of the human spirit and in the extreme to the ravage that you experienced. One facet of the Peace Alliance that has developed is Students for Peace, groups of high school and college activists across the country advocating for peaceful means and a U.S. Department of Peace. I could see you bringing that to the forefront on every campus across the country – possibly as Campus for Peace or some such identity. The time has come for a new paradigm – honoring those with whom we interact rather than resorting to indifference or abuse. And it can begin at the infant level and be taught in our schools, from pre-school up to and including the college level. Someone just has to light the spark in the hearts of our citizens and our legislators – and it could be you!
The Department of Peace initiative has been on the books for some years now and has received growing multi-partisan support. In the last Congress bills were introduced in the U.S. House and Senate. Those bills died when the new Congress was elected last year, so the bill was re-introduced in the House in early February this year as HR 808 and was co-sponsored by 52 House members. Work is now underway to re-introduce the Senate bill. Yes, it is a political issue, but not a partisan one. Every legislator across the country needs to support these principals, to allow each and every child to grow to adulthood with self-confidence, self-esteem, love and support. You can find more information at www.thepeacealliance.org.
Consider it, please. My prayers go with you.
Sincerely,
Beverly Jones
1 Comment
April 25, 2007 at 4:02 am
I think this tragedy should not be turned into some political event. Just leave VT out of it. Allow them to deal with what has happened at their own pace without people trying to hang political hopes on their sobbing shoulders.