The shots fired Monday in Blacksburg, Va. not only took 33 lives, but shattered the peaceful calm at Virginia Tech and at every college campus across the country.
The Virginia Tech tragedy, now known as the most deadly shooting spree in American history, highlights the vulnerability of a college campus and the paradox of fostering an open environment in a world wracked with insecurity and violence.
Exactly how Tufts and other colleges and universities will reconcile that spirit of openness with the grisly realities exhibited earlier this week in Virginia remains the ultimate challenge, one we all must do our best to meet.
Every member of the Tufts community offers his or her deepest condolences to all who suffered the horrific events and who must struggle to cope with results of that terrible day. As we search for a resolution, it is important that our response be respectful of their immense loss, while being measured, reasonable and above politics.
Attempts to turn this raw issue into an opportunity to grandstand are not welcome. While the events at Virgina Tech will certainly, and should, promote a debate about issues like gun control and security, using the incident to whip the nation into a suspicious and fearful maelstrom are out of bounds and insensitive to the immediacy of the tragic events.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was correct in his comments to the Associated Press when he said, "I think we ought to be thinking about the families and the victims and not speculate about future legislative battles that might lie ahead."
These events should force every member of a college community, including Tufts, to imagine how a close-knit learning environment can come together under threat of violence while still keeping a sense of openness that allows college campuses to be diverse, engaging and welcoming environments.
Fortunately, the Tufts administration seems to be taking the right first steps in responding to the shootings, as evidenced by President Bacow's comments in an e-mail sent to the Tufts community.
We agree that "universities are and should be open places where people are free to explore ideas and to meet and engage each other and the broader world." We encourage the university and Tufts students to continue their reactions in this measured way, instead of using Monday's tragic events as a way to further any political goals before the dust has even settled.
Though additional safety precautions on any college campus are certainly within the boundaries of an appropriate and prudent response, overreacting to these events by turning college campuses into mini-police states is not only harmful, but may threaten the creative energy that makes a college campus the vibrant environment worthy of protection.
Properly integrating safety concerns into a complete and thorough response will allow students to get a taste of the realities of the world outside the college bubble while still protecting the academic and personal development within.
As more details become known about the victims, the personal facet of this story is sure to make this entire incident even more painful.
Our hope is that we may make the most of this loss by remembering our past sense of proportion as we aim to prevent such events in the future.
