Such a tragedy.

But there's so much to this sotry that we cannot ignore:

- It's not everyday that a Vietnamese person takes over the news, always in the headlines, for weeks. Because of this, at least now Amreican know the difference between Le (Leh, Vietnamese) and Lee (Chinese).

- There's so many intriguing factors regarding this tragedy: Sex (a small 'hot', young female, bride-to-be and "two guys"), Pride/Greed (two future PhDs [one of Yale, the other of Columbia] with nothing but bright future and a wannabe-athlete with nothing but a name suffix: Clark "The III"), Fame (the tragedy took place at Yale, one of the most prestigious college, if not the most, of America--where the victim is earning her doctoral degree, and the suspect earning his wages).

- Rare alliance: Not every day that you see a Vietnamese gal marrying a Jewish guy--"a wedding not meant to be".

- Many were wondering if there was any jealousy (Love) involved, or was it just Envy and Rage.

- Was there any pre-existing conflicts/confrontations that lead to the tragedy?

- Was it Fatal Attraction or Work Violence?

- What does this say to us about women in the workplace (their safety)?

- Now that the police already file charges and arrested the prime suspect, we can move on to the next phase. The aftermath of the murder case:

- Was this a conspiracy, a predetermined murder plan, or just a tragedy resulting from a burst of uncontrolled rage?

- Were there anybody else involved (assisting, covering up)?

- Is the defense already planning to work out a plea bargain, to spare the suspect the death penalty?

- Would the defense claim insanity, or at least temporary insanity (cause of rage)?

- Will Yale just try to play damage control, protecting the school's image above all else?

- Will the family seek retribution from (sue) Yale for its policy regarding safety of female students that lead to the deaths of Annie Le and at least another female student?

- Will the groom's family just cut loss and "run"?

I am sure this story will occupy the news talk shows for a while. There's no question it will be made into a movie--if not a full feature, then at least a TV drama/special.

Too bad. We don't exactly know what was Annie's plan toward our community or our country, but at least from what we learned so far, she can't do no wrong. Whatever she may have achieved or become as an individual--if her life weren't taken away by a nobody wacko jackass--that would probably be nothing short of amazing, something that we all can be proud to share as her fellow countrymen.

Regardless, even though she did not have a chance to prove herself what more she could accomplish, given enough time, she has already made us proud.

I cannot help but feel grateful to her, for the life she lived, the respect she gained that also reflects greatly on her family, and us Viet as well.

Thanks, Annie. May you find peace, wherever you are.