Life happens

What happened yesterday at Virginia Tech was tragic. It's a very sad day for so many people - those who witnessed it, those who were shot and lived, the families of those who died, and everyone who has any compassion. There's no doubt that it was a terrible event.

But every time something tragic happens on this scale, we tend to lose focus on all the rest of the story. Some wonderful things happened yesterday that we all missed because the news media only covers the most sensational stories.

They don't talk about the babies that were born and brought joy to their parents and families. They don't mention the people who got married and are starting their lives together. They don't talk about the kids who got A's on their report cards or found a quarter on the sidewalk, or received a card from a secret admirer.

What about the people who had birthdays and anniversaries? Somewhere someone saved another person's life, or loaned them money, or helped a friend in need. People got promotions and raises. Don't they deserve some attention?

Events like this move us inward and make us afraid. We can't allow ourserves to be afraid to be part of our society. This is an isolated incident - sensational because of its size. As parents, if you do your best and teach your children to love and honor each other, chances are they will never face one of these situations. As citizens, we have to do our best to be examples of the good and decent values we want to exemplify.

Events like yesterday or 9/11 when my neighbors lost their son are horrific. But we can't allow them to take our focus away from all the good things in the world. If we do, the bad guys win.