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It's Not What Happens, It's How We Respond

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By DEREK MAUL | The Brandon News

Published: April 20, 2007

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Virginia Tech.

Years ago the campus newspaper ran my photograph and a short story after I had the privilege of talking with a couple of hundred students while hiking the Appalachian Trail. They received me with an open spirit and a genuine hospitality, a gift that has stayed with me ever since.

In fact, it was the same warm generosity and "y'all come" welcome that consistently characterized my first year this side of the Big Pond. America, proud and unapologetic; but at the same time willing to share everything this freedom means and stands for.

To me this country was open, unguarded, a breath of fresh air. What you see is what you get. America was a party thrown by the people who live here and I felt like we were all invited. The house rules required a certain level of conduct but the point here was always the celebration. "Aren't we blessed," America seemed to be saying, "Why don't you come in and share in this ongoing parade."

Last week a violently disturbed young man, a student from another country (just like me when I first arrived), abused that generous welcome in a horrific fashion. Yet the community in Blacksburg remains the same; united, openhearted, generous, supportive, forgiving; reaching beyond themselves even in this time of unremitting grief.

And that is America right there in un-retouched authentic human tableau; poignant, moving, heartrending. That is the spirit that won my allegiance and my heart. There's no chanting of "death to infidels" in the streets. There are no angry crowds throwing rocks at police or storming some Korean embassy or burning images in effigy. There are no threats of reprisals. There is no hate.

There's plenty of weeping, but along with the tears are hands reaching out. There's anguish and pain, but accompanied by arms around shoulders rather than fists raised. There's anger and there's suffering, but in Virginia these crushing blows are dealt with via prayer and forgiveness and mutual understanding, the kind of community that builds up rather than tears down.

So it disturbs me somewhat when I hear talk turn to the creation of any kind of fortress-like state. To be honest there are measures taken in the name of Homeland Security that send a chill down my spine. I don't want to return to Blacksburg one day and see that generous Hokie welcome traded in for armed security and suspicious glances.

Most dictionaries list variations of the following as antonyms of love: "Dislike, hate, hatred." A more useful opposite turns out to be "fear." Fear is a consuming maladaptation that eats at the heart of our identity as free Americans. Fear leads not only to irrational behavior but it generally tends to bore its way inward and destroy the very values and qualities and attributes it appears to work to protect.

There is but one response to unmitigated tragedy and that is undiluted love. Perfect love casts out fear. People who reach out in love experience healing. People who respond in fear begin to put out the light within and if enough of us do that we will eventually extinguish America.

I've read a lot of commentary and too much editorializing that reflects on the need to "Make sense out of all this." Personally, I'm not sure that's a reasonable or even a laudable goal. The longer I live the less I believe there are explanations in the realm of reason that cover much less demystify such acts of depravity.

What happened in Blacksburg can only be processed meaningfully in terms of what has happened since. So far the response has exemplified why I am so proud to be an American. This leads me back to the VTU Commons where we started; in the center of a welcoming generous community defined -- as is America -- less by what happens than by how that community chooses to respond.

I say respond without fear. I recommend love beyond reason. This kind of deep wound will never heal if we use it to justify any compromise in the welcoming spirit that defines us and that first introduced me to VTU so many years ago.

Derek Maul is a writer who lives in Valrico. You can reach him at derekmaul@gmail.com.

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