Another April 16

35 Years ago today, Apollo 16 Astronauts walked on the face of the Moon.

Today, more than 30 human beings were wiped off the face of the Earth with a bullet from a madman.

I'd like to believe that the human race is defined by the quest for knowledge, understanding and beauty. It's hard sometimes and it's hardest on days like today where a man has brought so much suffering to mankind.

But it's important to remember that humanity reached for the stars and left human footprints in the sky. Humanity produced a Mozart, an Einstein, a Gandhi, a Mother Teresa, a Father Judge, a Laurel Hester.

After the massacre at Columbine, a composer wrote the high school an alma mater, which it hadn't had before. The key words were "We are all Columbine."

Yes, we are. And we are all Virginia Tech. We are all humanity. And if we get it right there's a universe of understanding and discovery out there we can someday hopefully grasp.

It doesn't seem like it on days like today. But for now, I'm trying to be optimistic.