Tragedy and Hope

This afternoon, my son and I were watching a free Sesame Street short from iTunes called “Happy, Healthy, Ready for School.” In it, Elmo prepares for his first day of preschool in his typically upbeat manner—just the kind of tone I want to set for my son, who will start school himself this fall. I want him to establish a positive outlook for his many years of schooling ahead.

After the video, my son ran off to play. I switched over to Google News for a brief check of the headlines. Thirty-two students dead in a shooting massacre at Virginia Tech. A five-year-old girl who died today when a flagpole fell on her at kindergarten.

One was a deliberate act of violence. The other was either a freak accident or negligence. Both are unbearably tragic. I imagine my feelings are similar to those of many parents, fluctuating between wanting to homeschool and knowing I can’t shield my child forever, that the same kinds of incidents could happen at home or the supermarket.

It is an act of faith and optimism to bring children into a world where schools can be graveyards and “detonate” is a reflexive verb. It is the same faith that compels LGBT people to raise children even though we lack the basic protections of straight families, and our children are at greater risk of harassment or bullying. To refrain from creating families if that is something we desire is to say there is no hope, that the forces ranged against us have won.

It is easy, in the face of tragedies like today’s, to have that faith shaken. The family and friends of the victims certainly have, and understandably so. Those of us less closely affected must step in and redouble our efforts to work for justice and peace, to teach our children kindness and integrity. Many of us are offering thoughts or prayers tonight for the victims, their families, and friends. May our actions tomorrow be for us all.