In Your Day of Grief at Virginia Tech

To those who have fallen that only sought knowledge and wisdom has come death.

When I look at the faces of the fallen, I see faces from my years in university and the richness of life they all brought with them.

For the families of the slain, my deepest grief at your loss and sorrow with it.

We, the Citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia have done no service for you in neglecting the commonweal. I as a Citizen of the Commonwealth ask for forgiveness in that neglect, as inattention has created place and time where such could take place.

There is no understanding the human heart that beats within Us, nor its reach when it reaches out in blind hatred. This has ever been true of mankind and has remained a part of us to this day, and cannot be expunged from Us. No matter what teaching of peace nor those of outreach, some few have always seen that destruction is their path. We cannot stop that, as it is part of all of Us, being imperfect on this mortal plane. We cannot stop the fist that reaches out in anger or the hand that slaps away one of outreach and succor. We each know this within ourselves and see it every day and yet choose that better path to put blind furious energies to good use.

In sorrow that is not true for all at all times and some few not even most times. And yet the step to that is so easy, and yet We forbid that of ourselves because it is not good nor right nor just. When one's life has been emptied of meaning or when what we feel controls who We are, then that void of hatred looms and some few see it as dear solution to lose themselves in it.... even if for one short moment.

To those that survive We must seek better ways, to give full voice to life. We dare not restrict the soul and mind more, as that, too, leads to the path of destruction and darkness. When We think it is better to restrict what 'others' think, We find ourselves facing that same bind of blind hatred which We dare not name, lest it consume Us to the benefit of none. This commonweal found itself incapable to reach out and show one young man a way out from destructive path, and it consumed him and others in its dark fire.

We can come together to understand that it is the path, not the man, that is Our bane.

We can admit We are not better, save that each moment We choose a path away from it, and know one step takes Us in that same way.

For such fire grip of feeling is not that better way. We are enjoined as such to seek good use for those things We as Free do have. When the path to destruction is chosen it is not the things We have, but the People We *are* that makes such use bane.

To raise up All and come together We must admit to those things that would tear us down.

Then reach out to those around Us and find that better path and create none worse for choosing it.

That is what We agree to as this People of this Commonweal and of this Nation whole.

We must do better yet, and learn what safeguard means.

And ensure that those things that destroy are put to the protection of All.

I fear no weapon over much, as death is assured from life.

But that which beats within Us can consume even with sweet and good intentions.

We grieve so hard because it is recognized that it is We who failed them.

So today is day of grief for loss and our failure to those We care for.

And once grieving's done, it is time to take up that burden because it is We the People who must come together to form more perfect Union. And pass this deeply flawed gift of Liberty forward undiminished by those who would destroy.