[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 54 (Monday, April 16, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E526]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       RECOGNIZING THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE VIRGINIA TECH SHOOTING

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. LAURA RICHARDSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 16, 2012

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, today, April 16, 2012, marks the fifth 
year anniversary of the Virginia Tech shooting in which 32 innocent 
lives were lost. Today I rise to observe the anniversary and I urge all 
Americans to join me in keeping all those who were injured, and the 
families of those who lost their lives in this tragedy in their 
thoughts and prayers.
  More than 30 members of the Virginia Tech family perished that day. 
Among them were future lawyers, doctors, teachers, engineers, soldiers, 
business men and women, mothers, fathers, and leaders. The loss of life 
at Virginia Tech is a tragedy that all Americans mourn.
  On this day, I salute the strength and resilience of the Virginia 
Tech community. Those belonging to ``Hokie Nation'' include nearly 
30,000 students, 1,300 faculty members and 200,000 living alumni who 
take pride in their school and in their accomplishments as an 
institution.
  Days after the shooting, Nikki Giovanni wrote a moving poem about the 
events and her words still ring true today.

     We are Virginia Tech.
     We are sad today, and we will be sad for quite a while. We 
           are not moving on, we are embracing our mourning.

     We are Virginia Tech.
     We are strong enough to stand tall tearlessly, we are brave 
           enough to bend to cry, and we are sad enough to know 
           that we must laugh again.

     We are Virginia Tech.
     We do not understand this tragedy. We know we did nothing to 
           deserve it, but neither does a child in Africa dying of 
           AIDS, neither do the invisible children walking the 
           night away to avoid being captured by the rogue army, 
           neither does the baby elephant watching his community 
           being devastated for ivory, neither does the Mexican 
           child looking for fresh water, neither does the 
           Appalachian infant killed in the middle of the night in 
           his crib in the home his father built with his own 
           hands being run over by a boulder because the land was 
           destabilized. 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 imaginations 
           and the possibilities. We will continue to invent the 
           future through our blood and tears and through all our 
           sadness.

     We are the Hokies.
     We will prevail.

     We will prevail.
     We will prevail.

     We are Virginia Tech.

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the horrible tragedy that 
occurred five years ago today and as we remember the events of that 
dreadful day, let us not forget those who lost their lives. I extend my 
deepest condolences again to the families of all the victims. On this 
five year anniversary of the horrible tragedy at Virginia Tech, let us 
extend our thoughts and prayers to all those who were injured or have 
suffered as a result of this senseless act of violence.
  Today, we are all members of the Hokie Nation. We are Virginia Tech.

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