Yeah, some people remembered Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It killed 1,836 people compared with 32 in the Virginia Tech rampage. No one seems to care now, but in 2005, LSU and the New Orleans Saints were “America’s Team.” Everyone was cheering for them to “rebuild New Orleans.” LSU went 11-2 in 2005. The Saints went to the NFC Championship in 2006. Now that both teams have had their success, New Orleans must be rebuilt, the logic goes. Hardly. Much of New Orleans is still in shambles, and they are still missing 160,000 people from their pre-Katrina population.

Now that the 5-minute news cycle has moved past Katrina, so have most Americans. Katrina? That’s so 2005. If you want to be fashionable now, you have to support Virginia Tech. Again, the question must be asked: What the heck will a successful season by Virginia Tech do to help the campus mourn the victim’s losses? Maybe it will give them temporary happiness. Maybe it will help unite the campus (but no more so than any other campus event, such as the vigils supporting the victims). But in the end, those 32 lives are gone no matter what Virginia Tech does. It’s over for them.

It’s not over for New Orleans. As previously stated, the city is still badly in need of repaid. However, this doesn’t mean you should blindly follow the Saints and Tigers. If you really care–if you want to help New Orleans–you should stop yapping about their football team and go down there and help build or at least donate money. Cheering on Virginia Tech or LSU does nothing to help any of those hurt.

Yeah, you might be “helping Virginia Tech feel community” by cheering for them, but you aren’t part of Virginia Tech’s community. No one from Virginia Tech will know that Michael from Cleveland was wearing a shirt that said “We are Virginia Tech.” It seems more like you just want attention.

A “We Are Virginia Tech” shirt is just like a “Save Darfur” shirt. It doesn’t help anyone or change anything. Worst of all, a Virginia Tech shirt can’t even claim to be bringing awareness to an issue. Virginia Tech suffered a one-time tragedy, not something that might be helped by political moves. At least someone wearing a “Save Darfur” shirt can claim that they are trying to bring awareness to get the government to react to Darfur’s genocide.

All this Virginia Tech nonsense just serves to inflate people’s egos and make them feel good about themselves for supporting a cause. Well, I feel bad for anyone who gets murdered too, but I don’t feel the need to express myself every time someone dies. I don’t have room for 100,000 names on a tee shirt. Most of all, I realize that everyone feels sorry for the friends and families of murder victims. Telling people you feel bad about Virginia Tech is like telling people you feel bad about the holocaust. So does everyone else. You aren’t special. You aren’t compassionate.