Topic: Virginia Tech Shooting (WARNING: EMOTIONAL CONTENT)

[Rocking-M]

MODERATOR'S NOTE:  it has become obvious that this thread is a highly emotional topic (as it should be) and some, possibly much, disagreement will come to the many following pages.  please keep your arguments to a minimum.  recognize that if you do have something to say about gun control, or anything other than voicing your sorrow on the subject... YOU WILL BE MET WITH CRITICISM.  yes, the moderators are keeping an eye on the topic BUT, you should enter this topic at your own risk w/ the understanding that we all have different backgrounds and beliefs that often times causes disagreement.  For that reason, you should understand that our approach may differ from other threads... if you enter this thread and discuss these heated topics, we expect that you came to this thread for debate and we might be less willing to confront you or a person that you are in disagreement with to try and solve a problem that is probably due to very strong beliefs that most likely can not be changed.  This is a time for healing folks... let's try to keep our kid gloves on, ok? 




Since this is in my neighborhood (not 2 hours from Washington DC as one reporter reported, try 5 hours)

We were discussing it at lunch, suppose some of the students had been armed in the
Dorm? The shooter wouldn't have gotten to far! Of course, it was illegal for there to
be guns in the dorm.

It's a tragedy for the students and families involved. Our prayers go out to them.

[bill440cars]

         This is so sad   So far, they are saying 20-22 dead (depends on who you listen to) 21 or so injured. I don't know what the answer is. If others had of been armed, I don't think that's the answer. As time goes on, to me, it looks more like they (the schools and colleges) might consider some roving patrols maybe?   It is just so sad. Such a useless loss of young lives. Outs hearts and prayers go out to the families of all those victums and fatalities.

                                                         Bill

                                                   

[Rocking-M]

The odd thing is that this past weekend at VT there were bomb threats and numerous
State and Local police where on site all weekend.

Right now locally they are reporting 22 dead including the shooter.

20 plus in area hospitals.

[xtalon]

This is my alma mater.  Sad day!  

--xTalon

[bill440cars]

The odd thing is that this past weekend at VT there were bomb threats and numerous
State and Local police where on site all weekend.

Right now locally they are reporting 22 dead including the shooter.

20 plus in area hospitals.

            Yeah, I heard that just a few minutes ago myself. You'd think that folks would have been on edge enough that something like this would have been a bit hard to pull off very successfully, wouldn't you? Also, the police chief said they didn't know if the 2 areas of shootings, were related. if there WAS only one gunman, how could the 2 shootings not be related?  So confusing.

            xtalon, I feel for you and also all others tha this affects. It is truly a tragedy in every sense of the word.      

[xtalon]

Thanks Bill!  You're a good man!

--xTalon

[bill440cars]

Thanks Bill!  You're a good man!

--xTalon

           Thanks for the kind words guy. Fact is, things like this should affect us all. Of course it affects those more directly tied to the University (in whatever way) than others of us. But, it affects us just the same. It's starting to get to where you never know where something like this is going to happen or when. It' just so bad.   Take care of yourself.           

[eldar]

I have heard the count up to 28 and 31.  1 or 31, it is sad.  Just watch though. there will be another push by anti-gun activists within a couple weeks of this. Amazing how people like them can use a tragedy just to further their own agenda.
Pray no more die though.

[heffay]

rocking... what would make you think that the fact that it is illegal for them to have a gun means they don't have a gun?  i'll be the first to admit that i've done a few
 illegal things in my illustrious past and possessing a gun illegally?... sure.  could i have been in a similar situation and simply not have been able to get to it to halt the situation?... sure. 

about the incident... well, i'm speechless.  it is horrible.  i'm sitting my school day out and doing homework.

[Uncle Ernie]

I kind of suspect that if other students had guns, more people would have beeen shot.
I still remember in SanFrancisco a guy was holed up in an apartment building taking pot shots out the window.  The whole block was cordoned off and cops were everywhere.  By the time they got hold of the guy, the WHOLE side of the building was peppered with bullets.  Several hundreds of lead pellets stuck in the sides of the building.  These were allegedly trained people- how could they be so far off?!
Even if handguns WERE outlawed, nutsos would still get hold of handguns, rifles, or even learn how to make a couple bombs.  The guy was just off his nut, a chicken#$%* to make it eveyone else's problem, and then take himself out. 
Could be interesting to see what's in his computer.  I imagine the police will open it up.

[gregwaits]

An old college chum of mine is very intimate with that campus. His grandfather taught there and has a building named for him (Robeson Hall). And now his 18 year old daughter is attending classes. Needless to say he was a wreck all day---even after hearing that his kid wasn't among those shot.

[BobbyR]

As parents of a College Student my wife and I can only imagine the grief and horror the parents are going through.

[Rocking-M]

We live right here, have friends there, and are over in Blacksburg about once a week.
33 Dead, 28 wounded last I heard. A tragedy for sure. We're hoping right now it was
none of the new friends we made this past weekend. Several VT students showed
up at our Dance class. (The wife still is holding my feet to the fire on that one)

Oh, Heffay, we had guns on campus when I attended NCSU and I'm not sure if it was illegal then,
but no one thought anything about those things 27 years ago.
I'm a firm believer that if more people felt obliged to carry arms at all times
then when an instance like this happens, and happen again it will, perhaps
someone will be there that can put a finish on it before the numbers climb.
Police are not here to protect, they generally only make it to the scene after the fact.
We each must assume some personal responsibility in our own protection.

Ernie, don't think for a minute that being trained makes one a good shot
when the adrenaline is pumping. Most cops are not that good a shot.
But untrained or not, if the gunman is ducking or leaking a bit he'll be slowed down.

Just my 2 cents mind ya and it don't amount to a hill of beans.

[BobbyR]

I'm a firm believer that if more people felt obliged to carry arms at all times
then when an instance like this happens, and happen again it will, perhaps
someone will be there that can put a finish on it before the numbers climb.
Police are not here to protect, they generally only make it to the scene after the fact.
We each must assume some personal responsibility in our own protection.

That is how the Law School shooting ended a couple of years back. A student who also happened to be a Deputy Sherriff punched his ticket early in the rampage. Having done Police workl, you were rarely there when things jumped off. Good people can stop bad people given the means. You do have a right to self preservation.

[heffay]

btw... i don't want anyone to think that what i said places any blame on anyone there except for the shooter.  he, in my mind, is the ONLY person responsible for this... i don't think anyone did anything wrong by staying alive.

[mrbreeze]

Its a big catch 22. Sure, if I was there packing and some nut job came in shooting the place up.......I would blow his ass away. But would I be a hero or thrown in the pokie for murder or concealed weapon? In that type of situation,I guess you wouldn't have time to weigh the options.....just take the dude out.You read crazy stories these days about people getting robbed and burglarized taking the law into their own hands. Sometimes you turn out to be the bad guy!!! It sucks but thats the way it is.

[Jv550]

I carried a gun around for a while. Thought it was more trouble than it was worth. I mean, what are the odds of something like this happening to you, vs. the odds of shooting yourself in the leg?
 

[Raul CB750K1]

I just heard about the shooting in the morning news. I guess everytime this kind of thing happens the same old debate comes to the limelight again.


May I never go through what those families are going through now.

Raul

[Rsnip988]

this story is just insane,

I'd have thought the school would have been on lockdown after the first 2 students were shot and found dead

then again  why would someone kill 2 people, sit around 2 hours go across campus and shoot 50 random people??


TRAGIC, no other words for it...

[oldbiker]

Here in the UK our thoughts are with you and all those who have lost dear ones.

Our problem if that happened here is that the person who took out the shooter would be prosecuted for murder.

[Jay B]

May I never go through what those families are going through now.

Raul

May none of you go through this. We lost our wonderfull 18 year old son in an auto accident this past Jan 28. It's almost unbearable. My first thoughts after hearing this was of all the greiving families. God be with them.

[Badger 5]

I can't say I could even come close to understanding what the parents and students are going through, but I hope all the finger pointing calms down.  Yes, the university could have put the campus on lock down after the first shooting but the kid was a student.  He would have had access to every place that was locked down.  It has been shown time and time again that is almost impossible to stop a lone gunman intent on hurting people so they need to stop pointing fingers and start the very long healing process.

[Stormer]

My condolences to all the nation, and specialty the families of victimins.

[bill440cars]

May I never go through what those families are going through now.

Raul

May none of you go through this. We lost our wonderfull 18 year old son in an auto accident this past Jan 28. It's almost unbearable. My first thoughts after hearing this was of all the greiving families. God be with them.

               Jay,
                    Words can not express the feeling that I have for you and your family for having to endure something like that. Our daughter is an epileptic and in 96' she went toxic on her seizure medication and went inti a Gran Mal seizure, that it didn't seem like she was coming out of. Later, the Doctor told us that the electrolyte levels in her brain had dropped so low that she could have gone to sleep and not woken up. So, we had a neat brush with death, which wasn't near as bad as what you all have gone through. I just wanted you to know that we realize what you must have gone through and are probably still going through and we really feel your pain Jay. I wish there was something I could do.

                                                             Bill
       

[xtalon]

I can't say I could even come close to understanding what the parents and students are going through, but I hope all the finger pointing calms down.  Yes, the university could have put the campus on lock down after the first shooting but the kid was a student.  He would have had access to every place that was locked down.  It has been shown time and time again that is almost impossible to stop a lone gunman intent on hurting people so they need to stop pointing fingers and start the very long healing process.

I totally agree Badger about the finger pointing and second guessing.  I have no problems with individuals doing it, but the networks and newcasters doing it and broadcasting it to the World sickens me.  I feel sorry for University President Steger and the University Police Chief Flinchum.  These two individuals are shocked and stressed by all this, but yet they have to be hammered by all the news sharks.

Virginia Tech is a huge campus and IS virtually the town of Blacksburg.  26,000 students, not to mention the large faculty and staff that is needed.  The first shooting was suspected to be a domestic dispute and the person of interest was in custody being interviewed.  Imagine a domestic shooting in your town, the Police Department would not shut down the town and you would not even find out about it until that night on the local news or maybe not even until the next day in the local paper.

We are not talking about a high school or an office building where everyone can be notified and the building locked down, we are talking about a town.

Were mistakes made?  I'm sure there were and hopefully lessons will be learned, but regardless of the amount of planning and preparation, sadly this type of thing can and will still happen again.

--xTalon