The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal, on the massacre at Virginia Tech:

There really are no words to adequately describe how sickening and senseless Monday’s shootings on the campus of Virginia Tech University were.

This incident will, no doubt, prompt schools here in the Mid-South and across the country to review their security and emergency warning procedures.

Sadly, though, there’s no way to completely secure sprawling campuses like Virginia Tech’s without turning them into the equivalent of prisons.

And that is one reason why this type of tragedy strikes hard not just at Virginia Tech students, faculty members and their families.

We can all relate to the fear of being caught up in some random act of violence as we go about our daily business.

As the investigation into Monday’s shootings continues, information may come to light that could help make campuses and other public places safer against future attacks. Or we may get a better understanding of what prompted this one individual to snap — and how others like him can get the help they need.

But we may also find out there are no broader lessons to be learned here. This may be a simple case where bad things happened to good people. A lot of good people.

Goshen (Ind.) News, on Jackie Robinson’s legacy:

>The legacy of Jackie Robinson, Major League Baseball’s first black player, was celebrated Sunday, but the accolades were tempered by the realisation that a declining number of big league players are black.

A total of 8.4 percent of major league players are black, the lowest number in at least two decades.

But baseball is more diverse than other pro sports, with an increasing number of players from Latin America and Asia. A total of 29.4 percent last year were Latinos and 2.4 percent were Asian. ...

Robinson persevered and carried himself with class and dignity. The shattering of baseball’s color barrier was a precursor to the nation’s integration efforts. But it is still a sobering realisation that it has only been 60 years that black men were allowed to participate in the nation’s pastime.

The Kansas City Star, on armed forces showing their strain:

The Pentagon’s recent decision to extend Army combat in Afghanistan and Iraq to 15 months highlights the increasing stress experienced by our ground forces. It’s also a reminder that the Bush administration should have pushed for a permanent troop increase long ago.

The Army says it is extending combat tours to 15 months from 12 months to allow units now stateside enough time to recuperate and retrain. Defence Secretary Robert Gates said that without extending tours, he would have been forced to deploy some troops before they had finished a full year stateside.

Extending Army combat tours will create a real hardship for troops now deployed and their families. Along with the growing equipment crisis, this is evidence of severe strain on an overstretched military.

Congress should move rapidly to expand the permanent force and provide the equipment that troops need to fulfil their missions. And with the federal debt still climbing, President Bush must work with lawmakers to figure out how to pay for the military expansion.