1 Killed in Shootings at Virginia Tech

[AlexMack]

Originally Posted by JonoBN41

I keep seeing a video clip on TV showing a cop cowering behind a tree, holding what looks like a .38 special. Who is this guy? A million times we've heard it said that the police "put their lives on the line every day". Perhaps this just means writing parking tickets, because when someone has a gun and is shooting college kids like fish in a barrel, they hide behind a godamned tree.

Supposedly lessons were learned from Columbine that you don't crouch behind police cars calling, "Come out, come out, wherever you are, you go in and GET HIM. FAST!

The police never did kill the gunman; he killed himself. If he hadn't, how many more people would have died? From what I've heard, the police did nothing to stop the rampage.This coward, whoever he is, should be identified and fired - if not brought up on charges.

Next thing I know, you'll be critizing the EMTs waiting in their ambulances for not getting straight out and heading over to the victims.

[ssuchidelt]

In response to people trying to place blame on police, the school and anyone else they can find a finger to point at is terrible. No one except the man who pulled the trigger is to blame. No one forced him physically to pull that trigger and take 30+ lives, it was him and only him.

No one knows exactly how they will react in a time of crisis, and to call the police cowards and so forth is completely uncalled for. Those police officers, EMTs, and school officials, regardless of what we saw or heard on television, risked their lives that day and did the best they could to protect and save as many lives as possible. It's unfair to criticize what you've seen or heard with out having actually been there. It was a terrible scene and no doubt adrenaline, and fear ran rampant.

I think instead of criticizing and focusing so heavily on what happened, which we can't change, we should focus on how we can prevent such a tragedy from occuring again.

[Buttonz]

[QUOTE=texas*princess;1432698]

Originally Posted by Buttonz

Nothing wrong at all with all of theme covering it, but do the pictures of the killer holding guns, etc have to be shown????


I'm not saying it's right, but the media has the right to do it. Anything controversial sells. (or gets ratings)

Personally I think that the media should not have shown the pictures, or clips of the video tape. That stuff could have easily been found on the internet for people who really wanted to see it.

Unfortunately, that's not my call.

Like someone said earlier - I think it was Denise_DPhiE or Heather, the media just focuses on the 'big story of the moment'.... I don't know about your area, but I haven't heard much about Anna Nicole, Britney, or any of the other huge controversial stories that were the topic of every newscast even if it was just repeat info.

I agree with what your saying...which is more or less what I've been saying.

No, I haven't heard a work about Anna Nicole or Britney up here either.

Originally Posted by ssuchidelt

In response to people trying to place blame on police, the school and anyone else they can find a finger to point at is terrible. No one except the man who pulled the trigger is to blame. No one forced him physically to pull that trigger and take 30+ lives, it was him and only him.

No one knows exactly how they will react in a time of crisis, and to call the police cowards and so forth is completely uncalled for. Those police officers, EMTs, and school officials, regardless of what we saw or heard on television, risked their lives that day and did the best they could to protect and save as many lives as possible. It's unfair to criticize what you've seen or heard with out having actually been there. It was a terrible scene and no doubt adrenaline, and fear ran rampant.

I think instead of criticizing and focusing so heavily on what happened, which we can't change, we should focus on how we can prevent such a tragedy from occuring again.

Agreed 100%

[jon1856]

Va. Shootings: What the World is Saying
What the rest of the world is saying about the Virginia Tech shootings.
WEB EXCLUSIVE
Newsweek
Updated: 4:29 p.m. ET April 18, 2007

April 18, 2007 - The Virginia Tech shootings have not just resonated inside the United States. Around the world, politicians and analysts have watched the headlines with interest, filtering their commentary through their own national prisms. Many non-Americans remain bewildered by the nation's gun laws; others found themselves surprised by the diversity of students and professors at a college in a town few could have found on a map. Some of the international reaction:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18181477/site/newsweek/

[jon1856]

Moved to new thread.
Sorry.

[alum]

Regarding the celebrity news being bumped for the Virginia Tech coverage:

In the spring of '01, a young master's degree candidate/intern went missing in DC right before she was scheduled to return to CA. At least in the DC area, we had daily coverage of Chandra Levy's disappearance for over 3 months. Then September 11 occurred and her story was old news and was put on a back burner.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by jon1856

"Many non-Americans remain bewildered by the nation's gun laws; others found themselves surprised by the diversity of students and professors at a college in a town few could have found on a map.

The diversity of the victims is really remarkable to me, also. Different nationalities and races, religions, ages, passions...it's such a tragic event and yet the very diversity exhibited in those classrooms is one of the reasons that many of them probably decided to study there or in the United States.

The shooter's ramblings went on assailing Christianity, wealth and spoiled white kids, but it sure appears that most of the people he murdered were the very opposite. They all sound like remarkable people that had so much promise and so much to give to the rest of the world.

[texas*princess]

Originally Posted by jon1856

Va. Shootings: What the World is Saying
What the rest of the world is saying about the Virginia Tech shootings.
WEB EXCLUSIVE
Newsweek
Updated: 4:29 p.m. ET April 18, 2007

April 18, 2007 - The Virginia Tech shootings have not just resonated inside the United States. Around the world, politicians and analysts have watched the headlines with interest, filtering their commentary through their own national prisms. Many non-Americans remain bewildered by the nation's gun laws; others found themselves surprised by the diversity of students and professors at a college in a town few could have found on a map. Some of the international reaction:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18181477/site/newsweek/

One of the quotes in that story had me going:

"Why can people bring guns to campus? How is it possible that so many innocent people could be killed? How could it happen?"

At both schools I went to, guns or anything that could be considered a weapon was absolutely forbidden on campus grounds and in the dormitories.

I don't really like that this quote makes it sound like any student can bring a gun to campus and it's OK, because it's not. (At least at the schools I went to... although I doubt that is much different at other schools??)

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by JonoBN41

I keep seeing a video clip on TV showing a cop cowering behind a tree, holding what looks like a .38 special. Who is this guy? A million times we've heard it said that the police "put their lives on the line every day". Perhaps this just means writing parking tickets, because when someone has a gun and is shooting college kids like fish in a barrel, they hide behind a godamned tree.

Supposedly lessons were learned from Columbine that you don't crouch behind police cars calling, "Come out, come out, wherever you are, you go in and GET HIM. FAST!

The police never did kill the gunman; he killed himself. If he hadn't, how many more people would have died? From what I've heard, the police did nothing to stop the rampage.This coward, whoever he is, should be identified and fired - if not brought up on charges.

"Cowering"? How about taking cover perhaps? Please explain to me how they were going to "stop the rampage"? You are being completely unrealistic.........and from what I understand, the Korean blew his head off just as the first units arrived on the scene. I've heard it stated clearly on reports that the cops actions were nothing like Columbine, and that they immediatiely entered the building when they arrived.

.....but i'm glad you feel secure basing your thoughts off of a picture of one........count it.....one cop.

Responses like yours are the reason why I don't like to watch coverage of the events or really even listen to what people have to say other than the students and the victims. In the end, all it ends up being is a huge bitch fest about what wasn't done right, who was at fault, who was "acting like a coward", and other similar bullshit. Its pretty damn easy to point a bunch of fingers after you have seen it all completely played out. It makes me sick that you can call that police officer a coward while you are sitting behind a fucking computer.

[DeltAlum]

I agree with macallan about the police actions. Remembering, too, that the first responding officers were members of a university department who are not likely (no matter how well trained) to have been subjected to this kind of situation.

As for the use of the video tapes, pictures, etc., I'm sure glad I didn't have to make the decision. A real no-win situation.

Finally, once again, I was at the National Association of Broadcasters Convention in Las Vegas when a huge story broke.

I say "again" because both Columbine and Waco/Branch Dividian final standoff happened during NAB.

A very strange coincidence.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by DeltAlum

Finally, once again, I was at the National Association of Broadcasters Convention in Las Vegas when a huge story broke.

I say "again" because both Columbine and Waco/Branch Dividian final standoff happened during NAB.

A very strange coincidence.

I'm curious, did the convention empty out when the story broke? And, was it a different week the year of the OKC bombing?

I agree with macallan about all the finger pointing. There is one person at fault. There are things we can learn by analyzing what occurred and how, and there should always be a retrospective analysis of what needs to be done differently in the future, so that something is learned from it, but finger pointing does no good.

[ZTABullwinkle]

In regard to the post about the police behind a tree in the news footage...

When I was a member of the rescue squad, the first thing was always your personal safety. I guess the best way to describe it is this: if I was to run in the middle of an active shooting with no regard to my personal safety, then get shot, now I have two patients and need another medic to come hlep. Basically, you are helping no one by getting yourself injured. Make sense?

[kstar]

Originally Posted by DeltAlum

I agree with macallan about the police actions. Remembering, too, that the first responding officers were members of a university department who are not likely (no matter how well trained) to have been subjected to this kind of situation.

As for the use of the video tapes, pictures, etc., I'm sure glad I didn't have to make the decision. A real no-win situation.

Finally, once again, I was at the National Association of Broadcasters Convention in Las Vegas when a huge story broke.

I say "again" because both Columbine and Waco/Branch Dividian final standoff happened during NAB.

A very strange coincidence.

Or because they always hold the conventions in mid-April?

[SWTXBelle]

My parents' anniversary is April 19th - I asked my mom what was the deal with all the tragedies around that date - she said she'd wondered about it, too!

[angelic1]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/VATech/story?id=3059025