生命．故事

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 stand tall tearlessly
And are brave enough to then cry
And we are sad enough to know
We must laugh again

We are Virginia Tech
We do not understand this tragedy
We know we did nothing to deserve it
No one deserves a tragedy

We are Virginia Tech
The Hokie Nation embraces our own and reaches out 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
And not quite what we want to be
We are alive to the imagination and the possibilities
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 will prevail
We ARE Virginia Tech.

Inspiring words of Nikki Giovanni, the renown poet, activist and University Distinguished Professor of English at Virginia Tech, as given at the convocation held at Virginia Tech two days after the tragedy occurred, in a piece entitled "We are Virginia Tech" (CNN video of her speech)

故 事的震撼力往往來自每一個編寫它的生命。槍擊事件發生至今，我還是不懂回應。讀着Professor Giovanni的文字，我想起了Henri Nouwen在〈The Living Reminder〉中以1986年諾貝爾和平獎得主Elie Wiesel的故事為引子，闡述了牧者當如何成為我們「記憶的備忘」，從而帶來心靈的醫治、建立、和導引。Recular pour mieux sauter－－懂得回顧，才能跨越未來。

Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky.
Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever.
Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never.

－－節錄自Wiesel的首部作品，〈夜〉