Attack on Ohio State University

Today I watched as my only child left to go to his campus. I sit here, knowing that he is probably safe, but after the attack on innocent students at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio this morning, I feel trepidation. Silly? Probably, but it's there. I rejoice, however, in knowing that my nephew is safe; he wasn't there, and the relief is beyond compare. I feel some comfort in the fact that my son's college is in a different area of town, and that the dean has called in police officers to guard the campus and buildings where my son now sits, learning, filled with the hopes and dreams of a bright future, eager to be a productive member of society, always willing to help anyone he comes across who needs a helping hand.

Any parent knows that, wherever your child goes, your heart goes with them, and the thought of their being frightened, attacked, injured, or worse yet killed, is the most terrifying dread a parent can have. Imagine the thoughts and agony the parents of these most recent victims must be feeling, knowing that they are in pain and that their child will never be the same again. The trauma must be excruciating, and these youths will have to live with Post Traumatic Distress Disorder for the rest of their lives. As a sufferer myself, I know a measure of what they will have to endure until their last breath, hopefully taken in a warm bed, surrounded by family when they are very, very old.

So I sit here, writing down my thoughts, and trying to understand what kind of a person would attack the young. Why was this done? Was he mentally ill, a terrorist, a sociopath? Why? I keep asking why.

We may never know. He now lies in the morgue of Ohio State University Hospital. We may never find out the answer to why he did this, and as we hold our collective breath, wondering where the next attack will take place, all we can do is pray and lift up the victims and their families to the god we worship. As we assemble in our churches, temples, synagogues or mosques, we all should call out to our god, by whatever name we call Him,  to help us stop these attacks on our young - on all of us.

I would like to commend the OSU police who were there in under one minute, and I would like to thank them for their service. Now we wait, wait to hear what the police are able to find out, and wait, unfortunately, for the next attack.

Lord have mercy on us.