There are times when I hate looking at the news - and this is one of those weeks. The news articles that cross my computer screen are filled with violence. There is the horror that occurred at Virginia Tech. There is the shooting death of the mayor of Nagasaki. Then there is the daily body count from Iraq. These are just some of examples. The news is just so violent - and upsetting to read. I have to steel myself to have a look at some of this material. It is so horrid. Nevertheless, I believe that it is part of citizenship - so I read some of it.

And then … and then, there is an article that gives a balance to the evil that visited upon Virginia Tech. Liviu Librescu, an engineering professor, “blocked the doorway with his body and asked the students to flee”. He was killed but lives were saved. Liviu Librescu was seventy six years old.

In the face of abrupt and deadly danger, he reacted with unselfishness. And love. He stood in Harm’s Way so that others had a chance. Perhaps the decision to do so happened in fleeting seconds. Perhaps there was no decision to make - it was innate. This is who (and what) he was.

And there are other examples of the goodness and courage of the human spirit. I will read those stories too - eventually. I know that I need to read those articles. Liviu Librescu was seventy six.

Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster: http://flyinghamster.com/

Tags: liviu librescu, virginia tech, violence, valour, catherine forsythe