I don’t think there were any witnesses to the Dorm shooting. It happened at 7:15 a.m., when most college kids are still in bed. It happened in the dorm hallway/and inside a dorm room, and I’m sure it happened fast. I can imagine there being no witnesses for that shooting.
Its going to be crazy when the injured folks in the hospital start telling their stories.
I’ve been watching some of the news reports and Nightline had an interesting report last night. Essentially when something like this happens people follow the same pattern and try to take some sort of action to thwart something like this from happening again.
For instance Columbine, the shooters got their guns at a gun show, so the lawmakers tried to close that loophole, without success.
Second, a shooting involving an AK-47 back in 1989. Pres HW Bush outlawed assault rifles. The ban expired in 2004 and such rifles are accessable once again.
People blame the society, video games, TV, lawmakers, etc… In fact there was a fairly recent case in Texas where a law stated you could not bring a concealed weapon in public buildings or something. A gunman walked into a restaurant and opened fire killing many. One woman who lost her parents in the spree had a handgun in her car because the law stating she couldn’t bring it inside. She blamed the law and Governor Bush overturned the law.
What I’m essentially saying is there really is nothing we can do to prevent horrible things like this from happening. People don’t want to hear that but if someone makes up thier mind to act out in such a horrible way then there is nothing that can be done. We can make all sorts of changes but terrible things will happen, always happen. Its just the way it is. Atleast we don’t have suicide bomber’s running around our malls, markets and playgrounds for now.
There is beauty in this world and there is evil. Can’t have one without the other. It is truly sad.
Still I essentially agree that one should most definetly have the right to protect themselves. When another infriges on someones individual rights as a human being then there needs to be retribution.
Something like that… hope I’m not spurring anyone. I’m not trying to debate just putting my thoughts out there for discussion or not. 
Glares in Goldphish’s direction
J/k 
I think your right on the whole prevention thing.
And blaming video games and music is insane.
I think they could have gotten word out to the students a little quicker then 2 hours though.
It’s nuts that it took that long.
And then they send it through email!?
WTF?
It’s not like everyone runs to their computer first thing in the morning.
Just crazy.
Crazy days on planet earth.
I’m still totally anti-gun. I fucking hate those things.
No purpose at all except death.
On a side note, be sure to tell those in your heart that you love them.
Tell them everyday.
Whether it is your family, friends, guys, or girls.
They need to hear it and you need to say it.
It’s good for your soul.
It sounds cheesy, but love conquers evil.
Love kicks evils ass.
Keep spreading it.
A friend of mine sent me this email today. Participate if you’d like.
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CNN had a quote last night - “This is a tragedy in American history. So for today, forget any and all college affiliations. For today, we are all HOKIES.”
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I am writing to you all today to help in an effort that is dear to my heart, only because I cannot imagine what the students, parents, faculty and just all people affiliated with VT are going through right now. My friend Clara, who some of you know, went to VT and that talking to her is when this tragedy hit me the hardest. We all know someone who went to VT or someone who has a friend’s friend’s sibling went there or maybe even your college team played their team in the NCAA and you were at the game- whatever the tie may be, we all have a tie to the school beyond seeing their name in the news the past 24 hours. Clara asked me about what she and her alumni group could do to help those of her school. The only thing that I could think of was to write letters to those affected by this tragedy and send a binder full, hopefully a couple binders, of printed letters to the school and allow them to distribute, post and publish our words of condolences, support and just pure hope that they can survive this event in life.
So, if you would like to, please write whatever you feel and send it on to the email address below. I will print them and send them all down to VT so that the school can distribute them in the manner they see best. I’m not sure if this is the best way to help the members of their community, but at least it’s a start. I’d like to get as many schools, affiliations and just people together in this effort. We all went “college”. We all felt the sense of security and home and community that VT has. We all heard the news yesterday and thought, “How could this have happened?”. So please take a few minutes out of your day to reflect on what this tragedy means to you and offer some support to those affected by it the most.
Please feel free to forward this onto whomever you feel and have letters sent to: lettersforhokies@gmail.com
Thank you for your time-
~Kelsy
personally i think thats a pretty weak argument. “there are going to be crazy murderers no matter what you do so we shouldn’t waste our time with gun control.” so because people are crazy and unpredictable we should allow them unfettered access to weapons? whaaaa?
i understand your distain for reactionary policy but it often takes a dose of consequence for people to understand that a problem exists.
I’m definitely for as much gun control as possible, but I also think this incident was unpreventable. If you try hard enough, I’m sure you can obtain a gun somehow, someway.
no doubt. but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to learn from incidents like this. the whole ‘toss your hands up in the air and blame humanity’ mentality seems pretty pointless to me.
should we have ignored the lapses in our national security after 9-11 because “there are just crazy people our there and nothing can be done”?
Of course not.
But crazy people DO exist. It’s not that nothing can be done, it’s just sometimes horrible things happen. It’s life. And yes, we should learn from this (and 9/11) and make the appropriate changes.
Personally, I HATE guns. I will never have one in my house.
That said, I think responsible people should have the right to have guns. Its like my redneck neighbors bumper sticker says “when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.” People will find a way. Drugs are illegal, but look at Phish tour.
In fact, if someone there at VA tech had had a concealed weapons permit, they could have taken care of that piece of shit before ALL those people died.
If your the type that would do something like this, gun laws arent on your list of worries.
…and after re-reading gamecat’s post,
I LOVE YOU GUYS.
hahahaha… selassie, where did you get that quote? I sure didn’t say it.
??? ??? ??? what?? who said dont learn from this? no one is “tossing their hands in the air” police are their right now to try and learn from this. And comparing 9/11 to this is pretty pointless to me seeing as how this was an isolated incident where some whacked out asian hated his life while the other is a whole society of muslims that plan everyday on how to kill americans.
Some Rules for buying a gun in Virginia…this is real:
I don’t want to start a huge thing here, just to get some of the facts about guns out there.
My opinion would be that in order to own a gun you should have to get shot at least once (preferably in the head), just so you know what it feels like.
Owning a gun is a RIGHT
Driving a car is a PRIVILEGE
Think about this. Our economy and overall way of life relies HEAVILY on the automobile. The average American family needs a car to carry out its daily functions. But in order to drive a car, you have to take a permit test.Then you have to drive twenty hours under the supervision of an instructor or a licensed driver then take a five hour course, pass a road test, then the first ninety days you are a licensed operator, on a probationary basis.(This can vary depending on what state you live in, but I think you get my drift)
But to own a gun, you just can’t be a convicted felon.
I don’t know, there’s got to be a better way. I love the freedoms we have in this country. Even our poor are rich. We are all extremely lucky to be here…But shit like this has got to stop.
Desmond
wow, I really don’t believe that one of the victims is from my hometown of dumont nj http://www.myspace.com/mattjlaporte talk about wrong place wrong time. I didn’t know him sicne hes two years younger than i am, but man this shit is real fuckedup. its so senseless and horrifying that i am speechless
I just read this:
“Liviu Librescu, a 76-year-old engineering professor and Holocaust survivor, was killed while he barricaded his door and allowed his students to climb out of a second-story window, students said.”
He survives the fucking Holocaust, and this senseless fuck takes him out like that? It just makes me sick.
^ yeah, thats sad but that man represents a true hero to block the door off by himself so his students can flee out the window.
came across this link on another board.
http://newsbloggers.aol.com/2007/04/17/cho-seung-huis-plays/
it contains two of sueng cho’s plays written for one of his english classes. a classmate posted them on here followed by a comment in the following section.
after you read them (if you choose) here are my comments.
those two plays are just awful! i dont find them disturbing because he uses too many poor references and adjectives to describe the themes in his plays. he also uses up a page and a half for guns n roses lyrics to mr. brownstone. how was this kid an english major in his senior year? his grammer is just as bad as his stories. i would have failed him years ago.
gotta have tons of RESPECT for Mr. Librescu. What an honorable way to go.
goldfish was tossing his hands in the air and saying that reaction is pointless.
comparing it to 9-11 isn’t pointless. both were tragedies that require reflection and action to reduce the chance of it happening again. goldenroad points to some very concrete things that need to be reassessed in light of what happened.
goldfish - i was paraphrasing. that’s not your exact quote but matches your sentiment pretty well.
oh and this statement:
is the most ridiculous thing i have heard in a while. yes, lets arm every citizen so less people get shot.
so you want us all to hold hands?