In the past week two hostage situations involving students have taken center stage in the media. The first was at Platte Canyon High School in Bailey, Colorado on September 27 followed less than a week later at an Amish school in Nickel Mines, PA.

Both of these situations involved an armed man walking into a school, threatening the students with a gun, dismissing the male students from the room, shooting and killing some of the female students, and finally shooting and killing himself.

I am overcome with disbelief that these two events, so similar to each other, were carried out in such a short span of time.

We must ask ourselves what our world is coming to when school attacks targeting children are this common? The truth is, though unbelievable and tragic, such happenings are in fact elements of life in today’s world.

Crime has become too common a threat in society; it seems it has reached an uncontrollable level. It is difficult to imagine such an incident happening at DU.

This seems like the type of situation that nobody ever thinks will happen to them, and they never quite understand the gravity of such an incident until it does happen.

Though the subjects of these attack have been school-aged children and high school students, it is a scenario that could potentially happen anywhere at any time.

People who are willing to kill themselves are an inordinate danger to hostages because they don’t worry about consequences for whatever action they take before the police reach the site.

These criminals are similar to suicide bombers in the sense that they only want to create damage and then end their own lives as a finale to their mission.

The most heart-wrenching aspect is the way they affect the surrounding communities.

The children witnessing the scene are most scarred from the experience, it is also a devastating experience for the students’ parents who either lose their own children or are witness to the loss experienced by their fellow parents.

Other members of community are affected by such a tragedy because it reflects upon the quality of safety and city security that is not usually questioned.

Events like these force citizens to reconsider their lives and the reasons for appreciating small and seemingly insignificant elements of life usually taken for granted.

Awful events like these cause uproar and tears across the nation, raising the awareness and levels of compassion among large numbers of society.

They often bring families closer together and increase security in necessary places. We must remember to appreciate our friends and families while always being aware so that we may catch dangerous events such as these before they happen.