Virginia Tech Tragedy

[Sioux_Yeah_Yeah]

This is a horrible thing that happened at VTU, and my thoughts and prayers go out to victims, their families, friends, and anyone else associated with this....

As a college student, this is a very scary thing to hear about!

[mikeypat15]

I was thinking of creating a thread earlier for this subject, but didn't know if it would be appropriate.

Also being a college student, this incident has not only grabbed me, but also my guess almost everyone else in this country. Let's just hope that there is a lot of "radical love" as my pastor would call it, and many can be forgiven, many can be remembered, many can have a speedy recovery, and all of us can learn a lesson from this tragedy.

As for parents, hug your kid a little tighter tonight, as a student who does not have the ability to see my family very often, it makes cringe knowing that their are so many parents, and families who will not be having their child to email, call, or talk to.

Love and peace all..........

[Godsmack]

Wow, a tragedy like this really puts in perspective winning or losing a hockey game. It is very scary to think that acts like this can happen virtually anywhere. Prayers go out to the victims, families, friends, and the entire Virginia Tech community.

[siouxforeverbaby]

I have been thinking about this all day and keep asking myself WHY? Why did he do it? Why didn't anyone do anything? Was there anything that anyone could have done. My thoughts are with all of those involved there from the victims families to the family of the gunman because they are hurting to while trying to understand this horrible incident.

[Sioux-cia]

.... and all of us can learn a lesson from this tragedy.

I don't know what that lesson would be? Love those close to you because tomorrow a senseless act of violence may take them away from you?? We all are aware of different scenarios that can occur but none of us is likely to think this could be one of them.

Here is a young man who obviously was not well and no one picked up on any clues/cues. I don't want to be suspicious, scared or un-trusting. I don't want to live that way. This has really shaken up the world.

God bless the survivors, their loved ones and everyone else who is or will be affected by this tragedy.

[HockeyMom]

God bless the survivors, their loved ones and everyone else who is or will be affected by this tragedy.

Everyone on a college campus in the US will be affected by this. College campuses are where you are supposed to be safe.

If you're going to commit "suicide" at least have the balls to just take yourself out.

[Chewey]

An unspeakable tragedy. It seems as though there has been a much deeper level of despair and lunacy among many more people during the past 10 years than was formerly the case, in my humble opinion. Add to that the ever-increasingly callous disregard for life that various factors seem to encourage, and situations like this are what happen.

[mikeypat15]

I don't know what that lesson would be? Love those close to you because tomorrow a senseless act of violence may take them away from you?? We all are aware of different scenarios that can occur but none of us is likely to think this could be one of them.

Here is a young man who obviously was not well and no one picked up on any clues/cues. I don't want to be suspicious, scared or un-trusting. I don't want to live that way. This has really shaken up the world.

God bless the survivors, their loved ones and everyone else who is or will be affected by this tragedy.

The world is full of lessons to be learned, in ten years, we should all, from the police, to the families, to the people directly involved, to the people just touched look back and see how this has affected us, whether it be just to say I love you more, to procedures to be followed, and most likely how to prevent situations like this politically (though I'm saddened to know this issue will only turn into a debate with two sides).

[PSUVikings]

Talked to a friend today who's son goes to Virginia Tech, said his son went on a trip today and wasn't around for the attack, but his first class of the day was one of the classes that was attacked, scary stuff

[jimdahl]

As a Virginian I honestly don't understand what has changed in the world. This didn't used to happen.

[SoonersNSioux]

Actually it has happened plenty...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath_School_disaster << worse than the VT massacre.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Scho...e_United_States

[dakotadan]

UND was hit by it's own tragedy only a few years ago. We can all understand the feelings that the VT community is feeling right now.

[The Walrus]

Sports are really insignificant, when it comes to loss of life.

My Prayers are with them all.

[jimdahl]

Actually it has happened plenty...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath_School_disaster << worse than the VT massacre.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Scho...e_United_States

You can't be serious. While you no doubt did a fine job pointing one of the extremely rare instances of such a thing happening outside contemporary times, are you just trying to be a contrarian (good timing) or are you seriously trying to suggest that nothing has changed?

Of the list you linked to, what proportion have been since 1970? What proportion since 1990?

[7>4]

There have actually been 9 incidents of college shootings since the rampage by Charles Whitman at the University of Texas in 1966 that took the lives of 16 people. 7 of those have happened since 1991, 4 since 2000. None of the recent shootings have come close to matching the senseless loss of life at VT yesterday.

[Siouxmama]

There have actually been 9 incidents of college shootings since the rampage by Charles Whitman at the University of Texas in 1966 that took the lives of 16 people. 7 of those have happened since 1991, 4 since 2000. None of the recent shootings have come close to matching the senseless loss of life at VT yesterday.

You are right on there 7>4.

The victims, their families and friends are all in my prayers.

[sioux7>5]

My thoughts and prayers will be with all the families of those young kids who lost their lives by such a senseless act. My God comfort all of them, and welcome his children into the kingdom of Heaven.

God Bless

[mikeypat15]

Actually it has happened plenty...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath_School_disaster << worse than the VT massacre.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Scho...e_United_States

I feel that your making it seem like it could have been worse, we all know it could have been.

[Sioux-cia]

The world is full of lessons to be learned, .....

I know.

My point, if I even have one, is how can anyone prepare for such mind boggling, senseless violence against innocents!?! I was wrong when I posted that no one picked up on any clues/cues from this murderer. What more could have been done without violating the maniacs freedoms?

We had a discussion in the ER this morning. One of the nurses, gun owner licensed to carry a concealed weapon, said if even one other person had been carrying, the death count would have been lower. I have never wanted to own a gun (but don't deny anyone else the right to) but I am seriously considering buying a gun and applying for a license to carry a concealed weapon. How sad is that?!?

[Sioux_Yeah_Yeah]

This is so sad, I still can't believe it's actually happening....

http://prideforund.blogspot.com/

[82SiouxGuy]

We had a discussion in the ER this morning. One of the nurses, gun owner licensed to carry a concealed weapon, said if even one other person had been carrying, the death count would have been lower. I have never wanted to own a gun (but don't deny anyone else the right to) but I am seriously considering buying a gun and applying for a license to carry a concealed weapon. How sad is that?!?

There is no guarantee that the bolded statement is true. No one knows how they would react when being shot at, even if they have gone through gun safety training. You would need much greater training, similar to law enforcement or the armed forces, to really know how to handle the situation. It is possible that a person making a move for a weapon would have been one of the first people shot. Or someone that has a weapon but is not well versed in handling it could do more damage of their own. Someone with a concealed weapon could have changed the situation but we will never know how. So far I have not heard a good solution to this situation.

[FlyinSioux]

There is no guarantee that the bolded statement is true. No one knows how they would react when being shot at, even if they have gone through gun safety training. You would need much greater training, similar to law enforcement or the armed forces, to really know how to handle the situation. It is possible that a person making a move for a weapon would have been one of the first people shot. Or someone that has a weapon but is not well versed in handling it could do more damage of their own. Someone with a concealed weapon could have changed the situation but we will never know how. So far I have not heard a good solution to this situation.

As a concealed carrier everday, I can say that I feel that I can at least make an attempt to make a difference in a situation such as this. I'm not saying that it would have prevented this entirely, but with the amount of shooting and training that most concealed carry people do, they would at least make a difference.

[siouxnami]

32 lives, how do you recover from that?

[mikeypat15]

As a concealed carrier everday, I can say that I feel that I can at least make an attempt to make a difference in a situation such as this. I'm not saying that it would have prevented this entirely, but with the amount of shooting and training that most concealed carry people do, they would at least make a difference.

I understand peoples points on how a concealed weapon could have helped difuse the situation, but IMO a situation such as 82SiouxGuy suggested is more likely. How does one react when being shot at? How do we know this person, who was properly trained and is safe to handle a weapon, does not become "trigger happy" and inadvertantly shoot the wrong person (say a student coming around a corner), or miss and have stray bullets flying everywhere. Also in a situation, your possibly giving this shooter an extra weapon if that person does become injured.

Personally, I feel that we as a country need to take better responsibilty on gun control. A simple background check is clearly not enough, we need to get the unnecessary guns off the street before we allow persons to carry concealed weapons. Just yesterday my roommate commented on him going to get a gun. He is a soldier who served time in Iraq, and yes I do trust him with a gun, but what is it needed for I asked him, he simply stated, "There's been some shootings in Grand Forks" which is yes true, but extremely rare.

A radio guy on KFAN said it best this morning, the issue of gun control cannot be discussed in northwestern MN, and ND for two reasons.

1. Almost everyone owns some form of gun

2. Everyone in this area uses their weapons appropriately (leaving out the Red Lake incident)

Just my political point of view, though I didn't want it to become a political debate for a few weeks from now, because this is a time for grieving.

Let's all remember today "We are all Hokies."

[Sioux-cia]

I have to add

The ER nurse I mentioned in my previous post was in Phoenix having dinner with his wife. They were parked in an area where they could only back out of their parking space. He and his wife were ready to enter their vehicle when a vehicle stopped behind their's effectively blocking them in. Five young men were in the car, two got out of the opposite side from the Nurse's car. The Nurse's wife got in their car and the Nurse got into his car but did not shut the door. He pulled his gun and made it known to the guys. They got into their vehicle and drove off. Yep, there could have been a shoot out, or Bob and his wife could have had their car stolen/possessions stolen, or killed, or raped, or ? But what happened was that the cowards drove off.

As I have stated, I have never wanted a gun before but I'm seriously considering it. I live alone, travel alone. If you knew me, this is a very out of ordinary thing for me to even consider. Gun laws do not keep guns out of the hands of anyone that wants one. To my friends and family, the times they are a changing me!!!