Normally my Monday Madness posts are about strange, kooky, and quirky things I find on the Internet. But this Monday, madness took on a whole new meaning. I’m still having difficulty soaking in the events at Virginia Tech. The numbers are shocking, the loss is staggering. I can’t even begin to imagine that happening in my community.
I stumbled upon a movement to make April 30 a day of blog silence in honor of the VT victims. At first I thought that was a cool idea. But then the extent of suffering in this world made me wonder if our focus isn’t too specific.
I was going to write a long diatribe about the senselessness of the murders, and how our society is numbed to stories of death unless they are sensationalized by the media. After all, people are dying by the dozens in Iraq, Africa, and countless other places. Do we devote three solid days of news coverage to them? Much less shed our tears and rally political support? But I found someone who says all of this more eloquently than I ever could:
Silence is a Memoriam, Not a Reason to Stop Blogging by Lorelle VanFossen.
Though the graphics still say it’s in honor of the Virginia Tech victims, I am pleased to see this on OneDayBlogSilence.com:
On April 30th 2007, the Blogosphere will hold a One-Day Blog Silence in honor of the victims at Virginia Tech. More then 30 died at the US college massacre.
But it´s not only about them. Many bloggers have responded and asked about all the other victims of our world. All the people who die every day. What about them?
This day can be a symbol of support to all the victims of our world!
All you have to do is spread the word about it and post the graphic on your blog on 30th April 2007. No words and no comments. Just respect, reflect and empathy.
Respect. Reflection. Empathy… My hope is that we all start cultivating those behaviors for everyone in this world who is victimized by violence, war, famine, disease, and tyranny. Not just on April 30, but every day! But I will participate on April 30 and my heart will be reaching out to the universe to pray for all those who suffer at the hands of others.
Will you join?
I will participate. I would urge all to return to Van Fossen’s blog to read her next entry on the 2-minute silence in Israel honoring the victims of the Holocaust, and more than that, reminding us all we should never forget.