vthokies4life 10 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 “We are Virginia Tech. We are sad today and we will be sad for quite awhile. WE are not moving on, we are embracing our mourning. We are Virginia Tech. We are strong enough to know when to cry and sad enough to know we must laugh again. We are Virginia Tech. We do not understand this tragedy. We know we did not deserve it but neither does a child in Africa dying of AIDS, but neither do the invisible children walking the night to avoid being captured by a rogue army. Neither does the baby elephant watching his community be devastated for ivory; neither does the Appalachian infant in the killed in the middle of the night in his crib in the home his father built with his own hands being run over by a boulder because the land was destabilized. No one deserves a tragedy. We are Virginia Tech. The Hokie Nation embraces our own with open heart and hands to those who offer their hearts and minds. We are strong and brave and innocent and unafraid. We are better than we think, not quite what we want to be. We are alive to the imagination and the possibility we will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears, through all this sadness. We are the Hokies. We will prevail, we will prevail. We are Virginia Tech. “ -Nikki Giovanni Keep all of us Hokies in your thoughts and prayers as we have to walk through this situation again on this 3rd anniversary of the tragedy that struck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Account 5,203 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 Keep all of us Hokies in your thoughts and prayers as we have to walk through this situation again on this 3rd anniversary of the tragedy that struck. You got it, brother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueinbama 259 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 “We are Virginia Tech. We are sad today and we will be sad for quite awhile. WE are not moving on, we are embracing our mourning. We are Virginia Tech. We are strong enough to know when to cry and sad enough to know we must laugh again. We are Virginia Tech. We do not understand this tragedy. We know we did not deserve it but neither does a child in Africa dying of AIDS, but neither do the invisible children walking the night to avoid being captured by a rogue army. Neither does the baby elephant watching his community be devastated for ivory; neither does the Appalachian infant in the killed in the middle of the night in his crib in the home his father built with his own hands being run over by a boulder because the land was destabilized. No one deserves a tragedy. We are Virginia Tech. The Hokie Nation embraces our own with open heart and hands to those who offer their hearts and minds. We are strong and brave and innocent and unafraid. We are better than we think, not quite what we want to be. We are alive to the imagination and the possibility we will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears, through all this sadness. We are the Hokies. We will prevail, we will prevail. We are Virginia Tech. “ -Nikki Giovanni Keep all of us Hokies in your thoughts and prayers as we have to walk through this situation again on this 3rd anniversary of the tragedy that struck. You got it, brother. Will do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMan 3,569 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bucfan64 309 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 [quote neither does the Appalachian infant in the killed in the middle of the night in his crib in the home his father built with his own hands being run over by a boulder because the land was destabilized. No one deserves a tragedy. . I am very sympathetic to this incident, it really hit home and brought many things into consideration on that horrible day. But I can't help but think that the author of the above piece is trying to relate the killings in Blacksburg to coal mining or strip mining. God forgive me if I am reading this the wrong way, but it seems rather disheartening to use one tragedy to promote a political or environmental viewpoint. Am I wrong on this? No ill intent meant, honestly........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetMoney55 11 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 I think that statement is related to strip mining but not in a political sense. Accidents like that are just what she says...a tragedy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vthokies4life 10 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 [quote neither does the Appalachian infant in the killed in the middle of the night in his crib in the home his father built with his own hands being run over by a boulder because the land was destabilized. No one deserves a tragedy. . I am very sympathetic to this incident, it really hit home and brought many things into consideration on that horrible day. But I can't help but think that the author of the above piece is trying to relate the killings in Blacksburg to coal mining or strip mining. God forgive me if I am reading this the wrong way, but it seems rather disheartening to use one tragedy to promote a political or environmental viewpoint. Am I wrong on this? No ill intent meant, honestly........ Bucfan, I think you're reading into it too much. She also mentions AIDS victims in Africa. Is she making a statement about pre-marital or unprotected sex? Or she mentions the rogue armies kidnapping children and forcing them into their armies. Is she making a statement about gun laws? That's as much of a stretch as her mentioning destabilized land in Appalachia being a statement about the politics of strip mining. While it's easy to sit back and think about the politics of each event, the people to whom tragedy happened still have to deal with it. That's the point she's trying to make. That Appalachian family? They have to bury their dead son regardless of why the mountain destabilized. That AIDS victim? They have to watch their own suffer and die, regardless of unsafe sex. It's more or less a "Next in Line: Virginia Tech" type of speech to let us know that it's not going to be easy to deal with, but that others grieve about their tragedies, too. This was a speech to give us hope and help pick ourselves up in a time when we didn't know what was going on. She gives examples of other tragic situations to let us know that we are going to need time to grieve those lost, and that it takes time to heal. And when healing, politics or soapboxes to get a point across are the last thing on your mind. Believe me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hokie07 11 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 This was a speech to give us hope and help pick ourselves up in a time when we didn't know what was going on. She gives examples of other tragic situations to let us know that we are going to need time to grieve those lost, and that it takes time to heal. And when healing, politics or soapboxes to get a point across are the last thing on your mind. Believe me. This. Nail on the head. Praying for you and all of the others! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bucfan64 309 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 I am very sympathetic to this incident, it really hit home and brought many things into consideration on that horrible day. But I can't help but think that the author of the above piece is trying to relate the killings in Blacksburg to coal mining or strip mining. God forgive me if I am reading this the wrong way, but it seems rather disheartening to use one tragedy to promote a political or environmental viewpoint. Am I wrong on this? No ill intent meant, honestly........ Bucfan, I think you're reading into it too much. She also mentions AIDS victims in Africa. Is she making a statement about pre-marital or unprotected sex? Or she mentions the rogue armies kidnapping children and forcing them into their armies. Is she making a statement about gun laws? That's as much of a stretch as her mentioning destabilized land in Appalachia being a statement about the politics of strip mining. While it's easy to sit back and think about the politics of each event, the people to whom tragedy happened still have to deal with it. That's the point she's trying to make. That Appalachian family? They have to bury their dead son regardless of why the mountain destabilized. That AIDS victim? They have to watch their own suffer and die, regardless of unsafe sex. It's more or less a "Next in Line: Virginia Tech" type of speech to let us know that it's not going to be easy to deal with, but that others grieve about their tragedies, too. This was a speech to give us hope and help pick ourselves up in a time when we didn't know what was going on. She gives examples of other tragic situations to let us know that we are going to need time to grieve those lost, and that it takes time to heal. And when healing, politics or soapboxes to get a point across are the last thing on your mind. Believe me. Got it, I was hoping that the message was exactly what you are suggesting it to be. I have seen too many people try to politicize things in lieu of tragedy and did not know if the author was attempting to do such with this piece. I completely get the point that you are suggesting and literally was hoping that the intent was not a soap box moment. I am not trying or attempting to make a negative out of the piece that was written, only viewing it objectively and being confused by some of the language, I actually can see how someone would try to make an issue with the statement by suggesting that it was an attempt to make an environmental or political statement. Apparently, this is not the case and I am happy to be wrong. Just curious, did anyone else see this or even take into consideration such a thought? By the way, your statement that this speech was a ""Next in Line: Virginia Tech" type of speech, paints an excellent picture as to what you perceive to be the authors intent. Well said! Once again no harm meant, only being objective and noting what I saw when I read the piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vthokies4life 10 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 Got it, I was hoping that the message was exactly what you are suggesting it to be. I have seen too many people try to politicize things in lieu of tragedy and did not know if the author was attempting to do such with this piece. I completely get the point that you are suggesting and literally was hoping that the intent was not a soap box moment. I am not trying or attempting to make a negative out of the piece that was written, only viewing it objectively and being confused by some of the language, I actually can see how someone would try to make an issue with the statement by suggesting that it was an attempt to make an environmental or political statement. Apparently, this is not the case and I am happy to be wrong. Just curious, did anyone else see this or even take into consideration such a thought? By the way, your statement that this speech was a ""Next in Line: Virginia Tech" type of speech, paints an excellent picture as to what you perceive to be the authors intent. Well said! Once again no harm meant, only being objective and noting what I saw when I read the piece. Oh yeah. People definitely took these words, as well as the situation as a whole to make the point for whatever they were fighting politically. That was the most disgusting thing to come out of this, from my perspective at least. People just flock onto the campus of Virginia Tech to say that guns should be banned, or that everyone should have guns, or that we need to put more money into mental health systems, or blah blah blah... It got rather tedious after a while to have to listen to people use our grief as their talking point. And looking back over the poem by Giovanni years later, there is definitely wording that could be confused as a political message. But I think it's important to keep in mind that, on the day following this unspeakable event, there was no political urging at all. Again, politics were the last thing on our minds, hers as well I'm sure. It was a great poet speaking from the heart and using examples she saw fit to help us back onto our feet. Also Bucfan, no harm done. I appreciate your respect for the situation and what we went through today 3 years ago. Your questions and concerns about the wording are legitimate, and it's good to discuss and clarify. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hacker 82 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 Tragedy comes in all shapes and sizes. My nephew mourned the loss at Tech, as we all did. Three days later we were mourning his loss in a tragic auto accident. All of us are changed by these losses. All of us must struggle to find peace and solace in light of the loss. Nikki Giovanni's words helped us find some solace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rvtne216 278 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 4-16-07 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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