Whether you were strongly opposed to, an avid advocate of or an apathetic bystander to the April 16 shooting settlements, they are almost 100 percent complete and settled. And that is a good thing.
With most of the settlements out of the way, there is room for a shift of focus, and emphasis can return to where it belongs.
The university can move forward from being immersed in legal dealings and PR crises and return to its educational mission. Though it will never be the same as it was on April 15, 2007, nor will it forget the families it settled with to help ease their healing processes, as more loose ends related to the shootings are collected and completed, the university comes closer to returning to its intended purpose — and closer to a return to normalcy.
The closure of the settlements also allows the families and victims involved to move forward.
Many families have been stuck in a stalemate with grief, suffering and medical bills looming as they awaited the results of the settlements.
Now they can take steps forward without worrying how they will pay off medical expenses and knowing they will be compensated, though only monetarily, for the loss and hardship of their family members and loved ones.
Though Tech students have had varying degrees of attachment to April 16 and subsequent grief, the settlement of these suits marks the last chapter in the evolution of the event's effects before it can truly become part of the past.
The memorial has been built and regularly visited, the building has been rededicated and now the families and victims are settling their compensations with the university. Tech students' focus can shift from an emphasis on what the university is doing to appease the situation, to an emphasis on merely remembering and always continuing to heal.
The families that have yet to settle should take this milestone as the final step before they, too, wrap up their suits and move forward.
Once all the legalese is behind all parties involved, the legacy of April 16 can return to its rightful place: in remembrance of those who were lost, those who were injured and lives that were forever changed.
The editorial board is composed of David Harries, Lauren Lee and Kelly Jamieson
You might be interested in...- Editorial: A heaping helping of blah, blah, blah, 'or something like that'
- Editorial: The Palin show not snowed under
- Editorial: Homecoming: Way too overblown on Tech's campus
