I was in Charlottesville today, Home of University of Virginia. Now, even someone that eschews watching sports as much as myself even knows that UVA and VA Tech are arch rivals on the field. Yet, despite this, UVA students and other Charlottesville residents were wearing more Tech stuff than you'd imagine. The campus was a sea of burgandy and gold!
Virginia Tech. Massacre
- Thread starter laundromat
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scott55405
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This is such a horrible tragedy for all of us. When you read the victims' profiles and see their pictures, it really brings it home.
Apparently he must have included a series of self pictures in the package he sent to NBC which the LA Times has taken to posting ad nauseum on their front web page. I almost jumped once as the one picture makes it look like a gun is being pointed right in your face, even though it's a picture. This is helping how exactly?
Apparently he must have included a series of self pictures in the package he sent to NBC which the LA Times has taken to posting ad nauseum on their front web page. I almost jumped once as the one picture makes it look like a gun is being pointed right in your face, even though it's a picture. This is helping how exactly?
brettsomers
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This is helping how exactly?
this type of tragedy is TVs stock in trade. advertisers are loving this. cha-ching! human suffering as money maker. yes, i am cynical.
this type of tragedy is TVs stock in trade. advertisers are loving this. cha-ching! human suffering as money maker. yes, i am cynical.
Media ratings.
panthera
Well-known member
Brett, you ain't cynical
just right.
I read that Max Karson, a student at CU (Boulder, Colorado) has once again seen an opportunity for self-aggrandizement. This time by exploiting this horrid massacre to proclaim in one of his university courses that the "unpainted walls and fluorescent lighting" made him angry enough to want to kill people, too.
Now, a more subtle university administration would have admonished the young man to show more respect for the suffering and loss which so very many have suffered and are suffering, then just left it at that and ignored him.
Of course, the oh-so-politically-correct admin. at CU knee-jerked, called the cops, had him arrested on vague charges of frightening students at an American school (one of those hysterical laws which are possible only in post-911 America...)and now he has the tempest-in-a-teapot which he so desperately seeks.
At last report, the ACLU was up in arms and outraged that such a fundamental right as freedom of speech could be so blatantly abrogated...
Sheesh.
Whatever one's personal political reflex here, I think we need to all just take a while to digest this. And maybe reflect on the poor folks who have lost their loved ones.
just right.
I read that Max Karson, a student at CU (Boulder, Colorado) has once again seen an opportunity for self-aggrandizement. This time by exploiting this horrid massacre to proclaim in one of his university courses that the "unpainted walls and fluorescent lighting" made him angry enough to want to kill people, too.
Now, a more subtle university administration would have admonished the young man to show more respect for the suffering and loss which so very many have suffered and are suffering, then just left it at that and ignored him.
Of course, the oh-so-politically-correct admin. at CU knee-jerked, called the cops, had him arrested on vague charges of frightening students at an American school (one of those hysterical laws which are possible only in post-911 America...)and now he has the tempest-in-a-teapot which he so desperately seeks.
At last report, the ACLU was up in arms and outraged that such a fundamental right as freedom of speech could be so blatantly abrogated...
Sheesh.
Whatever one's personal political reflex here, I think we need to all just take a while to digest this. And maybe reflect on the poor folks who have lost their loved ones.
twinniefan
Well-known member
mental illness
This horror reflects the consequences of mental illness,this type of illness really is the scourge of society as it just works away on it's victim slowly but surely turning what may at first be thought to be a normal rational human being into a
horrible monster, capable of the most evil depravity.
Surely all governments of all civilised nations must put a hellluva lot more resources into more research and treatments for this problem.
These poor people just doing what they do every weekday and then just like that, murdered in cold blood.
As for gun laws, well I don't really know the answer to that one, you see here in Australia, we have quite strict laws and controls regarding guns, and yet gun crime seems to be out of control particularly in parts of Sydney.
Sympathy and wishes to all involved.
Steve.
This horror reflects the consequences of mental illness,this type of illness really is the scourge of society as it just works away on it's victim slowly but surely turning what may at first be thought to be a normal rational human being into a
horrible monster, capable of the most evil depravity.
Surely all governments of all civilised nations must put a hellluva lot more resources into more research and treatments for this problem.
These poor people just doing what they do every weekday and then just like that, murdered in cold blood.
As for gun laws, well I don't really know the answer to that one, you see here in Australia, we have quite strict laws and controls regarding guns, and yet gun crime seems to be out of control particularly in parts of Sydney.
Sympathy and wishes to all involved.
Steve.
the incident was horrible-but like many ohter posters feel more gun laws will not solve the problem and may even make it worse.Also when I bought some guns in Va-It is a myth that a twelve year old could buy a gun there-In ALL states a firearm purchasher must be at least 18years old for a long arm and 21 for a handgun.You also have to fill out the BATF 4311 form.This is required for all dealer firearms sales.I have had to fill out many of these.Private sales are a diffrent matter-but the seller could be held for a federal firearms violation if he did purposely sell to a minor and a crime was involved.This did happen in the Columbine shooting.One of the sellers did go to prison for that-a firearms violation.The purpitrator in the above incident was a very troubled person.His instructors pointed this out to school officials about some of his class asingments he handed in to his social studies and english instructors.Why didn't the school officals take action?this would have been a start.Geez-I can remember when I attended college if you were of age-most everyone was-you could bring your long arm to school for (shotguns and rifles) for Duck,Pheasent,and deer hunting.The guns were kept in a safe in the dorm that the dorm parents had the keys to-you could keep other valueables in the safe as well.I and other folks hunted after class many times without problems-No one at that school ever had any thoughts about shooting another person at the school.Guess those days are over!Oh yes-you can use AK's and SKS ,FN "Assault" weapons for Deer hunting provided you used a 5 round magazine to meet federal and state laws.I know of another person who hunts elk with his FN rifle-.308 cal-on elk.Very effective-like any other rifle you have to aim for the right place-to properly use a rifle requires SKILL that many people don't have.I don't have all the details on the incident-A Glock handgun was involved-many police departments and FBI use these-and many sportsman as well.The glock is just that a handgun.What its fate really is is determined by the person holding it.And yes Glocks are used for target sports and even small game and pest shooting-and of course personel defense.The Glock-like any other handgun- has MANY leginimate uses.
brettsomers
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maytagbear
Well-known member
I am very sad for those
who died or were injured. Also their loved ones. Very sad.
However, please, please remember that there are levels of mental illness, and that many people with diagnosed mental illness are NOT violent at all! Or, no more violent than people without diagnosed mental illness.
It is easy to say "why didn't the administration...."
He was referred to the mental health services, but you can't force an adult to go, without legal action.
Human behaviour is one of the most, if not the most, complex issue in the known universe.
It's tempting to look for easy answers, but I don't think there are any easy answers in this case.
Most college students are legally adults, even though emotionally they are often younger than adults.
Lawrence/Maytagbear
who died or were injured. Also their loved ones. Very sad.
However, please, please remember that there are levels of mental illness, and that many people with diagnosed mental illness are NOT violent at all! Or, no more violent than people without diagnosed mental illness.
It is easy to say "why didn't the administration...."
He was referred to the mental health services, but you can't force an adult to go, without legal action.
Human behaviour is one of the most, if not the most, complex issue in the known universe.
It's tempting to look for easy answers, but I don't think there are any easy answers in this case.
Most college students are legally adults, even though emotionally they are often younger than adults.
Lawrence/Maytagbear
The worst part is now we have endless days of CNN parading out grieving families and friends. Not to mention conjecturist extraordinaire Dr. Sanjay Gupta who in true CNN fashion can parlay a simple response into a 10 minute diatribe before he's finished and Wolf moves on for more re-hashes of the same videos and interviews once again before ushering in Lou Dobbs all a mind-boggled with his take and re-hashes of the same videos and interviews which only gets you warmed up for Larry King to do it all again.
58limited
Well-known member
That is why I'm not watching the news for the rest of the week.
~sudsshane
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- 1,250
Sick of TV News in general
I will be watching my Bewitched and Maude DVD's until further notice. It absolutely sickens me that the families of these victims had to be exposed to this madman and his rantings. NBC News should be ashamed for opening pandora's box and the other networks as well for jumping on the bandwagon.
I will be watching my Bewitched and Maude DVD's until further notice. It absolutely sickens me that the families of these victims had to be exposed to this madman and his rantings. NBC News should be ashamed for opening pandora's box and the other networks as well for jumping on the bandwagon.
panthera
Well-known member
stigma
At least of here in Germany, something like one out of one-hundred university level students attempts suicide every year.
A shocking number succeed.
I doubt that things are much better in the 'States...
It is enormously hard for a "healthy" person to accept that they need to talk to a psychologist or psychiatrist; the first question most students ask in the counseling center here is:
"Will this go on my record?"
The second question is:
"Will my parents find out?"
And these are, legally, adults who can not be coerced into anything - thanks to the atrocities of the Nazis in post-war Germany it is damned hard to get intervention for someone who is desperately mentally ill but won't seek help.
Lawrence is right, by the way - mental illness is a term like allergy - it covers a very wide range...
After all, if you ever have had a cold sore...technically, you have VD!
My own students have wanted to talk about nothing else all week and this is one reason I so firmly refuse to have an opinion. I made a point of "running into" a group of the Americans over here. Poor kids.
At least of here in Germany, something like one out of one-hundred university level students attempts suicide every year.
A shocking number succeed.
I doubt that things are much better in the 'States...
It is enormously hard for a "healthy" person to accept that they need to talk to a psychologist or psychiatrist; the first question most students ask in the counseling center here is:
"Will this go on my record?"
The second question is:
"Will my parents find out?"
And these are, legally, adults who can not be coerced into anything - thanks to the atrocities of the Nazis in post-war Germany it is damned hard to get intervention for someone who is desperately mentally ill but won't seek help.
Lawrence is right, by the way - mental illness is a term like allergy - it covers a very wide range...
After all, if you ever have had a cold sore...technically, you have VD!
My own students have wanted to talk about nothing else all week and this is one reason I so firmly refuse to have an opinion. I made a point of "running into" a group of the Americans over here. Poor kids.
I was the night manager at the University of Iowa's student union for three years. During that time, we had two or three suicide attempts per year just in that building. They were all unsuccessful (thank God) and were mostly students. One was a visiting doctor's wife who swallowed too many pills. The doctor threatened to have me fired if I called 9-11 (he said he could handle it), but I did it anyway (and kept my job).
And of course, not all mentally ill people are violent. Each mental illness is unique in its effects. I just wish our society were more willing to address this problem. There would still be incidents like this, but surely some could be avoided.
And of course, not all mentally ill people are violent. Each mental illness is unique in its effects. I just wish our society were more willing to address this problem. There would still be incidents like this, but surely some could be avoided.
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