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Location: Bluffton, SC | Thoughts, hopes and prayers go out to all those affected by the tragedy that happened in Virginia today. I know it's probably a little too much to hope for that none of you or your loved ones ever experience a truly senseless act such as this one but I'm going to say a prayer for it tonight nonetheless.
Tonight kiss your wives, your kids and your significant others. No matter what tomorrow brings, you'll be glad you did. |
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Location: ranson,wva | i just read about the shooting in blacksburg at the virginia tech campus....thats a terriable thing....jason |
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Location: Up North | Taking a knee for all those affected. words seem entirely inadequate. |
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Posts: 812
Location: Hicksville, NY | It was around 4 p.m. when I heard of the news for the first time ... I just finished a session with a child, and was driving on my way to my next student's home when I turned the radio on NPR. Given the explanations and testimonies by the reporters, officials, and witnesses, it sounds terrible and horrible.
My sympathies and condolences to the victims' families and loved ones... |
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March 2005
Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | Having a kid away at college is scary. Having kids is scary. They just arrested a kid here who had been going around the West, killing his boyhood friends because they were "messing with his aura." My daughter's boyfriend was at a party in Portland and witnessed a murder. Some kid pulled out a gun and shot another kid in the head. No fight or any warning before hand. The kid acted like he didn't realize that people die. There seems to be a lack of respect for life.
I am offended at the media accusations already that the cops should have shut down campus after the first shooting. I can't imagine any reasonable person anticipating that even a double murder would escalate into a rampage. |
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Location: Marlton, NJ | Mark - you're absolutely right - having kids is scary. Once they're out of the house doing whatever - they're totally out of our control and protection. We can only hope that whatever we've tried to teach them has sunk in and common sense will prevail. Of course common sense had nothing to do with what happened today. I for one am glad that the weather forced all three of my kids schools to be closed today and that they were home with me. |
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Location: East Tennessee | Originally posted by Mark in Boise:
I am offended at the media accusations already that the cops should have shut down campus after the first shooting. I can't imagine any reasonable person anticipating that even a double murder would escalate into a rampage. I agree but they will look for someone,(besides the shooter), to put the blame on.
This is a tragedy and my prayers go out to the families of the victims. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Not to belittle the situation... This is a terrible thing!
Everyone is looking for a reason, (like this person's logic would make anyone feel better).
Too many video games!
No! really... Think about it.
I'm not advocating banning video games, but for some people with a psychopathic leaning, who cannot empathize with others feelings, the people a just targets. Some folks have a tenuous grasp on reality, anyway. And for them, life is a game, and there is a reset button... Or so they believe.
These are the childish thoughts that go like, "Their gonna miss me when I'm gone" and "I'll show them" and the winner, "I'll be Famous!" |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Completely senseless. The Oklahoma City bombing changed the way we address facility security in government buildings. The Columbine tragedy here in Colorado changed the way high schools view the need for safety and security. This will undoubtedly do the same for colleges and universities. However, no matter how hard we try, we cannot create a shield big enough and strong enough to protect the innocent from such senseless acts. The answer is not easy. |
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Location: New South Wales, Australia | "Imagine all the people living life in peace"...John Lennon
This is a terrible terrible thing. Our thoughts are with all those who lost loved ones, and with all the parents in the world. |
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June 2002
Posts: 863
Location: Central Florida | My heart and prayers go out to everyone and their famililies afffected by this senseless act... God be with them all.
And I have to agree with Old Man Arthur, I think violent video games really have gone a long way towards desensitising many young people with regard to the sanctity of life. |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | I just can't understand how someone can sustain that amount of rage over that period of time while inflicting so much damage.
About a month ago my son Dustin made a career choice to go to college for Criminal Justice. He does not want to be a patrol officer but his studies can lead him into the boarder patrol, insurance fraud and airport or casino security. Turns out that the CIA recruits from the school he is looking into.
It's sad to say but it looks like he has choosen a "growth industry". |
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May 2003
Posts: 425
Location: SE Michigan | What a sad waste of lives. I agree that violent video games are a bad influence. But take it a step further. Look at all the violent and death-glorifying content on television and at the movies.
Look at the most popular television shows: Law & Order: Special Victim's Unit, Cold Case, C-S-I: Crime Scene Investigation, Without a Trace, etc. How much blood and how many dead bodies has a kid seen on TV by the time they are 15?
As a society we wallow like pigs at the trough of gratuitous violence. We celebrate blood, guns and death. Using force to redress grievences has become the American way. And then we sit around looking puzzled, and offer prayers of condolence when some unstable individual takes things a bit too far. |
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Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Desensitizing? Have you seen a quentin tarantino movie? How about the chappelle show? How about snoop doggy dog? I could make a list as long as my arm of so called "leaders", "performers" in our country who have coarsened us. Video games are just a symptom of a deeper sickness. Why do we let them do it?
As to the actual case, as I understand it, the guy's a naturalized alien, so he partook of a culture that wasn't exclusively american. So to imply it's solely our culture is wrong. Could be world wide. What's going on in Dafur? What's going on Iraq? Is the coarsening of society connected to events oversears?
Could be he was just crazy and got a hold of a gun. We don't know yet. So many questions and so few answers. |
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Location: SoCal | If we're going to be placing blame, let's also mention the breakup of families in this country (hell, and around the world). Young men grow up without fathers and don't know how to act.
But Rick is right. We don't know yet what caused this tragedy. Until we do, we're all (myself included), just venting on what's wrong with society...
Damn. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | People (for whatever reason) just sometimes "snap".
It's unfortunate (and often tragic), but it "happens" (and will unfortunately continue to do so).
In 1966, television and movies were (relatively) tame and video games were in the somewhat distant future.
That didn't stop Charles Whitman from hauling a footlocker full of firepower up a University clocktower, killing 15 and wounding 31.
It's an extreme tragedy nonetheless . . . |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | As there will be poor with us always, so will there be the sick. Fortunately we have the generous, the funny, the reliable, and thousands of others who hopelessly outnumber them.
All in all, it's still the best of all possible worlds. (With the possible exception of the Planet of Naked Women.) |
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Location: SE Michigan | Charles Whitman was found to have a severe brain tumor at his autopsy. It was thought that this greatly affected his brain's ability to function.
It's true that things like this have happened throughout history, it just seems to be getting more and more common.
And I concede that maybe it's not completely an American phenominon, however the U.S. certainly seems to be at the vanguard of psycho-rampage style violence. |
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Location: Warren,Pa. | My wife has worked for the Fed. Bureau of Prisons for 18 years. Ove r the course of that time, the BOP has been building prisons as fast as they possibly can to accomadate the "growing inmate population." They can not keep up.
John <>{ |
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Location: NJ | Whitman's tumor theory was later discredited.
You're right, it HAS indeed become more and more prevalent, in recent years.
The Billy Joel song "Pressure" comes to mind.
Oftimes, there are those that unfortunately just succumb to it.
I haven't read through all the details, but wasn't there some "theory" that the intial shootings may have stemmed from some type of urequited love, or something like that?? |
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Location: Bluffton, SC | Initially it was thought to be a response to failed relationship. I jhaven't heard if any other potential reason has surfaced or not but, unfortunately, you're right, Cliff - sometimes people just "snap" and I don't think anyone really ever knows in these instances, it could have been the mail was 10 minutes late. |
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Location: NJ | ". . I Don't Like Mondays . ." |
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Location: big island | sanctity of/for life becomes a non-issue in a world where its young people are taught they are simply a matter of chance and not children of a Loving Creator. the tendency towards violence in any form, but especially as "entertainment", is merely a symptom of the deep void in the value of life.
if we allow our children to be exposed to the idea that there exists a Loving Creator and that human life is not an "accident" merely occurring through an evolutionary process, the mind and spirit are elevated to respect all life, our own and the lives of others. |
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | Well-said Lanaki. |
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Posts: 863
Location: Central Florida | Originally posted by an4340:
Desensitizing? Have you seen a quentin tarantino movie? How about the chappelle show? How about snoop doggy dog? I could make a list as long as my arm of so called "leaders", "performers" in our country who have coarsened us. Video games are just a symptom of a deeper sickness. I've never seen a Quinton Tarantino movie, nor have I watched the Chappelle show or listened to Snoop Dog, but I'm aware of all three and what they represent, and that's why I don't give them my attention.
I was simply agreeing with a point that was made in an earlier post. I wasn't singling out video games as the sole ill of what's wrong us (humankind) as a people, nor was I trying suggest any theories as to what set off that kook in VA. I was simply agreeing with another posters observation. I also agree wholeheartedly with you that we've become an extremely coarse society. And, like you, I could laundry list hundreds of symptoms / causes / reasons for this. I also think Moody brought up an excellent point; the breakdown of the family and parents that are afraid to be parents. |
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VA Tragedy
Forums Archive -> The Vault: 2007
