    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book I)]
    [April 17, 2007]
    [Pages 419-420]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks During a Memorial Convocation at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg,
    Virginia
    April 17, 2007

        Governor, thank you. President
    Steger, thank you very much. Students and
    faculty and staff and grieving family members and members of this really
    extraordinary place: Laura and I have come to
    Blacksburg today with hearts full of sorrow. This is a day of mourning
    for the Virginia Tech community, and it is a day of sadness for our
    entire Nation. We've come to express our sympathy. In this time of
    anguish, I hope you know that people all over this country are thinking
    about you and asking God to provide comfort for all who have been
    affected.
        Yesterday began like any other day. Students woke up, and they
    grabbed their backpacks, and they headed for class. And soon the day
    took a dark turn, with students and faculty barricading themselves in
    classrooms and dormitories, confused, terrified, and deeply worried. By
    the end of the morning, it was the worst day of violence on a college
    campus in American history, and for many of you here today, it was the
    worst day of your lives.
        It's impossible to make sense of such violence and suffering. Those
    whose lives were taken did nothing to deserve their fate. They were
    simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now they're gone, and they
    leave behind grieving families and grieving classmates and a grieving
    nation.

    [[Page 420]]

        In such times as this, we look for sources of strength to sustain
    us. And in this moment of loss, you're finding these sources everywhere
    around you. These sources of strength are in this community, this
    college community. You have a compassionate and resilient community here
    at Virginia Tech. Even as yesterday's events were still unfolding,
    members of this community found each other; you came together in dorm
    rooms and dining halls and on blogs. One recent graduate wrote this: ``I
    don't know most of you guys, but we're all Hokies, which means we're
    family. To all of you who are okay, I'm happy for that. For those of you
    who are in pain or have lost someone close to you, I'm sure you can call
    on anyone of us and have help any time you need it.''
        These sources of strength are with your loved ones. For many of you,
    your first instinct was to call home and let your moms and dads know
    that you were okay. Others took on the terrible duty of calling the
    relatives of a classmate or a colleague who had been wounded or lost. I
    know many of you feel awfully far away from people you lean on, people
    you count on during difficult times. But as a dad, I can assure you, a
    parent's love is never far from their child's heart. And as you draw
    closer to your own families in the coming days, I ask you to reach out
    to those who ache for sons and daughters who will never come home.
        These sources of strength are also in the faith that sustains so
    many of us. Across the town of Blacksburg and in towns all across
    America, houses of worship from every faith have opened their doors and
    have lifted you up in prayer. People who have never met you are praying
    for you; they're praying for your friends who have fallen and who are
    injured. There's a power in these prayers, a real power. In times like
    this, we can find comfort in the grace and guidance of a loving God. As
    the Scriptures tells us: ``Don't be overcome by evil, but overcome evil
    with good.''
        And on this terrible day of mourning, it's hard to imagine that a
    time will come when life at Virginia Tech will return to normal. But
    such a day will come. And when it does, you will always remember the
    friends and teachers who were lost yesterday and the time you shared
    with them and the lives they hoped to lead.
        May God bless you. May God bless and keep the souls of the lost. And
    may His love touch all those who suffer and grieve.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:36 p.m. at Cassell Coliseum. In his
    remarks, he referred to Gov. Timothy M. Kaine of Virginia; and Charles
    W. Steger, president, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
    University. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish
    language transcript of these remarks. The related proclamation of April
    17 is listed in Appendix D at the end of this volume.