May 4, 1999

"Summer of Tribulations"

When I'm head deep in university study I feel so insulated from the tragedies that befall the rest of the world.  The irony of it all is that the purpose of studying specialized parts of people and the world that in the long run we will somehow become better members of society and hopefully positively contribute to human history in our own way.  And yet, for 8 months of the year I'm swamped in my own study and analysis, having little if any time to even read or hear the latest developments.  It's suddenly when I'm finished the academic year do I suddenly realize how much I've missed.

But what seems so shocking to me is how the world that seems so ordered in the classroom, is so unbelieveably chaotic in reality.  Last year, around this time I was reading the paper and the world was on edge after discovering a nuclear race developing between India and Pakistan.  And now this year, tragedy has struck in Colombine High School in Littleton, CO, USA, in addition to the war in Serbia.

All this tragedy strikes the core of my being.  Hearing the latest news about the student massacre in Colombine was simply heart-wrenching.  I just couldn't believe it.  I'm rarely emotional over things, but this just tore into my humanity, wounding my spirit.  14 students and one teacher killed, with the discovery of bombs all over the school.  To me the only explanation is that those two killers were not just 'social misfits' but embodied the worst evil to plague humanity.  Of course no society is free of the threat of such things; in every major society there are disturbed elements (Neo-Nazis, KKK, Aum Shinrikyo...), and the saying 'if there's a will, there's a way' can be taken to this negative extreme.  One is left to wonder if there is anything we as individuals, families and communities, can do anything about it.

There is never a simple answer, nor should there be.  But, there are certainly little steps we can take to minimize the possibility of tragedies like Colombine to happen.  Personally, stricter gun control in the US would definately help.  But, it's not the only answer, as the teen shooting in Taber, Alberta, Canada proves.  "If there's a will, there's a way."

It's also easy to say that a greater emphasis on morals and ethics would go a long way to solve the problem.  But in this day and age where skepticism and doubt reign in the hearts and minds of all people, young and old, one is left with the difficult question of 'what is the best form of morality and which is the right ethic?'  Is 'being nice' to your fellow neighbor enough?  Or should it be more comprehensive, more spiritual, more dogmatic, more logical, more conservative?  It's hard to say.  I was watching an episode of the CBS show, "Everybody Loves Raymond" and in that particular episode Raymond and his wife decided to 'be nice' to each other, because it seemed like the right thing to do.  After all, you can't be too nice, right?  Well, that episode proved otherwise because in the end it wasn't just about 'being nice' but being true to yourself.  You can 'be nice' in many ways, but when does it become a shallow, "fake nice"?  What if being nice means having to be dishonest by bottling up certain emotions as opposed to expressing them?  If that happens, when does it become 'good' to let it out?

I don't have an answer, but I do know this: just because there is a will to do evil, there is an equal will to do good.  That is proven by the outpouring of support by Americans, Canadians, if not the world, over the tragedies that have befallen the students who have become the unfortunate witness to a horrendous tragedy.  What's important is that we do not forget, that we reflect on what has happened, and try to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again.  For if there's a will, there's a way.  To truly let those who were murdered rest in peace, to truly be able for us to live in peace, we must take action in whatever way we deem appropriate and necessary and exercising our humanity to the family, friends, and community we are a part of.