In a 1974 speech in which he honored returning POWs including John McCain, Ronald Reagan asked where we find such men. He answered, "We [find] them in our streets, in the offices, the shops and the working places of our country and on the farms."
Yesterday at Virginia Tech, we found one in a college classroom. Professor Liviu Librescu was shot while blocking the door to his classroom, thereby impeding the gunman while his students escaped by jumping out of the window.
For Professor Librescu the road to Blacksburg, Virginia was a winding one. Originally a Romanian, Librescu survived the Holocaust and later immigrated with his wife to Israel. In 1986, he took his sabbatical in Virginia and decided to remain, lecturing in mechanics and engineering, and conducting his research at Virginia Tech.
Professor Librescu's sacrfice reminds us that we find "such men" -- our heroes -- not just among native Americans by also among those who come to this country from other lands. His confrontation with a mass murderer who also came here from another land reminds us that the U.S. is a melting pot of good and evil. Evil triumphed yesterday, but the good produced by the effort, energy, and example of those like Professor Librescu is more lasting.
Reader Comments ( Page 3 of 4)
31. Just think of this: God works in mysterious ways. the professor Librescu was saved from previous danger, only to live that others may live. You never know why certain things happen, and surely we do not know why this (the killings) happenned, we may never know. But this I can assure you, the ones who survived , survived for a purpose, and they may or may not ever know why,(maybe they will save someone's life someday) but I am sure that they are ALL thanking God that the professor Librescu was once saved (FROM A VERY DANGEROPUS SITUATION), that he was there that day to save them. Moral: Never take for granted the impact that you may have on another's life. (I bet that the Professor also impacted MANY other lives as he was a teacher!)
Remember that God gives humans free choice, and it was the killer's choice to do harm, not God's. It pleases him greatly when we choose to obey Him. It was too bad that the killer did (apparently) not know our Loving God!
Jane at 11:39AM on Apr 18th 2007
32. Well, the violence is going on... and our society do nothing to stop it. Socially the USA remains the most violent, most racially and financially divided country. Do not blame the shooter. He is sick product of the sick society. Hatred all over the USA. It is on the working places as well as places where we live. It is the shame that we wakening up for a while only when something like this happen. And after day or two we going back to our zzzze's. Nothing is done and nothing will be done in a near future. And it is a shame !!!
Cris at 12:28PM on Apr 18th 2007
33. Professor Librescu is truly a hero. I'm sure he wasn't standing there thinking about how great it would be to be a hero. I'm sure he was frightened as are others who perform heroic deeds. It's not the makeup of a man or woman that makes them heroes, it's the makeup of their heart. It was his caring concern for his students that kept him against that door as bullets ripped through his body. I must say he would and should be a role model for those at Virginia Tech and elsewhere to look up to. If you will notice the super heroes of our fantasies all have some kind of super powers to give them the edge or protect them. Professor Librescu had the greatest super power of all. Love.
Now just a word about the cowards. This president of Virginia Tech who thought more of what people would say or think if he did the right thing. If he had locked down the campus and then it proved to be just an isolated incident, I'm sure he would have faced some flak. Some might to have called for him to be fired even. He said they wanted the facts before making a dicision. What were the facts when the police arrived at the dorm. Two students dead. Killer unknown. Motive unknown. Where abouts of the killer unknown. Was the killer off campus heading for the state line or was he hiding in the next dorm over. What was the facts that made them leave the campus open and allow 30 more students to be killed. Seems to me the only fact we have here is a lack of due care for the students and more care for one's position as president. Thank God that we do have some Professor Librescu's in our midst and we need a lot less of the president Steger's.
Lloyd at 12:47PM on Apr 18th 2007
34. I was interrupted and sent my comment before adding this thought. From all I have seen and heard, there was no reason not to lock down the Virginia Tech campus and every reason to lock it down. I'm getting tired of hearing about 20/20 hindsight. This required no hindsight. Just a little foresight. Anyone that didn't have enough foresight to make the required decision here shouldn't be in a position to be making life and death decisions. It's my personal opinion that this president Steger is going to get a free pass for allowing another 30 students to be massacred. There was one person who could have stopped this from happening .. and he failed to perform his duty.
Lloyd Cole at 1:03PM on Apr 18th 2007
35. The truth of the matter is, everyone knew Cho was disturbed, but there was not a mechanism to do anything about it. In order for homocidal people to be locked up, they have to actually have killed someone. In a more basic society, where survival and the good of the group is more immediate, a person like this would have not been allowed to roam free. But of course, even if he was he might have only managed to kill one or two people before being stopped. But this guy had a "sacred" gun, and eliminated 32 shining and productive lives before ending his own pathetic useless existance.
Mindy at 1:34PM on Apr 18th 2007
36. Empathy for the perpetrator's family may be ok, but they really should be the last people on your list for sympathy. I felt the same way about the woman whose husband killed the Amish girls. These people were closest to the murderers, and in the best position to know of their mental imbalance and propensity for violence. When someone isn't "quite right", it is obvious. Other people tried to get intervention by the authorities, but it doesn't carry the same weight as a family member seeking out help. These people were in denial, and it cost a lot of other people dearly.
Carol at 1:40PM on Apr 18th 2007
37. White, What the hell kind of a comment is that!! You saying that if Chu lived he cound see leaders of the black folks and he'll get off the hook easy. That's a reall bummer! This guy that did that was a very sick person and didn't know or realize what the hell he was doing. Other words he was a living vegetable or time bomb ready to explode. Why he did this terrible thing we'll probaby never know, only the good Lord does. It would be a good idea if you changed your ways of thinking for the better...
Al at 2:22PM on Apr 18th 2007
38. This is a horrible tragedy. The man who blocked the door is a HERO to be respected . To bad people of this character are nowhere to be found in our politicions.
Val at 2:48PM on Apr 18th 2007
39. I agree men/women like this can be found everywhere except Senate/Congress and Whitehouse there you certainly DO NOT find them.
Lia at 2:52PM on Apr 18th 2007
40. My heart goes out to everyone including that young man who caused all this horror. May the goodness and glory of God continue to protect us all. (I am not a fanatic but a factual human being). Do we remember that we had taken prayers, bible reading and any form of worshipping God away from most of our Schools and homes, and forgetting the grass-root of our continued existence. May God continue to have mercy on us all. We should all try to heal and not focus on being a foreigner, afterall the foundation of this country began with foreigners driving the real owners away from their lands and country. May God help us! all.
Olusola at 4:52PM on Apr 23rd 2007
41. My heart is heavy for the loss and sorrow for so many good young people and the adults that knew them and their families. May our Lord enfold all of you in His arms and ease your heartache.
Alma Deal at 4:54PM on Apr 18th 2007
42. Hey Paul. Did you go to Wheaton High School?
Linda Matuskey at 4:58PM on Apr 18th 2007
43. May God's mercy be upon him and his family.
dalosophy at 6:41PM on Apr 18th 2007
44. Although I want to learn more about this story - I don't want to spend a moment more of my life or another breath thinking or speaking about this gunman. The only person at fault here is him - he bought the guns - made a plan - and pulled the trigger - too many times. We all need to focus our attention, thoughts, and prayers on the victims. In addition, we need to celebrate the heros in this tragedy, those who helped and saved others. Lastly, we all need to learn the lesson that we all need to reach out and help others, and to make sure that those who exibit signs of distress get the help they need. God Bless the victims, living and dead, their families and friends.
Jeff Dillon at 6:57PM on Apr 18th 2007
45. Its sad that this Holocaust survivor ends up being gunned down by a green card holder (or anyone for that matter) here in America, where of all places, the man should have been safe.
misgapeach at 7:12PM on Apr 18th 2007