Shooting at Virginia Tech — Page 6

So as of moments ago, we learned that a Korean -- a non citizen of the US -- was able to walk into a Virginia gun store and buy these weapons? What does this say about our laws? That a student visa allows you to buy assault weapons?

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Thanks for the link, Anakela!

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And why is a question about how the student bought the gun, and the answer, more appropriate in a "political thread?" This is about the shooting, a clearinghouse of thoughts, feelings -- oh yes, and info. I don't get why speculation about the ease with which a non-citizen can buy a gun is "political." It's about fact finding. And in a country obsessed with terrorist access, these are questions that deserve careful thought.

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Updated On: 4/17/07 at 12:21 PM

As they say - hindsight is always 20/20. From all I've heard of the gunman's first attack, I'm not at all sure I wouldn't have acted exactly the same way. It did look like a domestic dispute that began and ended that morning.

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My brother's best friend graduated from Tech about 15 years ago. He is a scientist and I remember that he always wanted to come back to the DC area to live and work after graduation. He met his wife-to-be while still a student and they married right after graduation. That was when she balked at the idea of moving back to the DC area. She was convinced that all the crime and violence in the world was centered up here and that Blacksburg was a haven of peace and safety. They are still there.

I guess it only proves one thing. You can't hide away from the ills of the world. They are out there whether you have that blanket over your head or not. To try and hide from it only allows it to go on festering (and gives the 'hider' the false sense of security).

God bless all the students, their teachers, their families, and the people of Blacksburg as well as all the people in the 'small towns' of the country. God bless them and God help them.

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He carefully made clever use of the Virginia laws, waiting the requisite time between visits to the same gun shop. I'm personally in the Rosie O'Donnell place, i.e. the gun lobby is powerful, little or nothing will happen in that arena. In this case, no background check would've blocked this man -- he was legal, he was a college student, he was an English major. Of course, the bigger question: why would a man that age need those weapons? In a free society, that's typically characterized as none of our -- or a gunshop's -- business. And I see that point.

But the bigger, framing question is about the attractiveness of such heinous acts as an option -- and answer -- to a rage-filled existence. And our fetishization with how such acts are accomplished, the ritualization of gun play. The existence of these weapons, their near-worship in TV and film and especially video games as accessories that grant the carrier strength and stature -- well, there's much to keep examining about our culture.

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Updated On: 4/17/07 at 06:57 PM

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-070417blame-editorialapr17,1,5680047.story?coll=chi-news-hed

An excellent article in Chicago Tribune, discussing the rush to blame and the more complicated issues involved in this situation.

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Chita, the exploitation in the media is already rampant. AOL's got "Read the 'disturbing' plays written by the shooter!" "A 'chilling' portrait of a gunman!"

It's disgusting.

This news saddened me. It was the first thing I woke up to the day of the shooting but I refused to watch the news after I got the basic facts on the situation. I cannot stomach television news anymore. They've all become tabloid programs if you ask me.

"Of course, the bigger question: why would a man that age need those weapons? In a free society, that's typically characterized as none of our -- or a gunshop's -- business. And I see that point."

Part of me says it SHOULD be the gunshop's AND our business. If somebody NEEDS to buy a gun for any reason, they should have to go through an extensive background check, among other things. If the reasons for buying the weapon aren't malevolent, I don't see why anyone should have a problem with stricter laws.

I am at home now, but I was in Blacksburg yesterday for the convocation and candlelight vigil, and I have to say that I have never been so proud of our student body. There is so much grief -- tears, and many students, friends of mine, who were visibly shaken -- but also an overwhelming sense of community and support. Tens of thousands of people lined up for blocks hours before the convocation at Cassell Coliseum. Some twenty thousand were absolutely, astonishingly silent in remembrance at the candlelight vigil on the drillfield last night, and then quiet renditions of "Amazing Grace," the national anthem and our school's alma mater spread throughout the crowd, and finally a cheer for our school. Those who had distances to drive home left, but many remained for hours afterward in observance of our fallen classmates and teachers.

Seeing all of those people there last night was one of the most inspiring, if heartwrenching, things I've ever seen. We were among the first there and only a small crowd had gathered, and then seemingly from nowhere, thousands of people poured in to show their support. It's clear that we will not be defeated by this. Yesterday was cathartic for me, and I'm sure many other people.

One of the things that's been most touching in all of this is the overwhelming amount of support directed our way from everyone across the world. This board is just one example. College students from all across the country have been sending a steady stream of messages our way for the last two days. So thank you, everyone, for your compassion. It means and will continue to mean a lot for everyone who was impacted by Monday's events.

Thanks for sharing that, siren.

Thoughts and prayers for you all.

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Updated On: 4/18/07 at 07:48 PM

Thank you for the picture, sweetestsiren. It's something that's equally as heartbreaking as it is inspiring. Even with friends I know who go there, the sense of community and support seems to be overwhelming after such a tragedy.

It's one of those things that no matter how much I can't stand to see it on the TV anymore, I can't stop watching. It's eye opening and frightening, especially as a college student. Best of luck to you and all your friends. It's shocking even being hundreds of miles away from it.

This whole incident could've been avoided if they did something more after he was declared disturbed and a danger to himself and everyone around him, but honestly what makes someone do this? They really haven't found a motive to why he shot 32 to people. The only thing I heard was a guess that he was bullied.

Someone I know who was in my high school class is at Virgina Tech and they wrote this whole article about her and got an interview with her for my township's newspaper. Apparently, she was on the first floor of the first building in the shootings.

Watching on the news, different students reactions to the video and the one that I agree with the most is this girl came up and was saying how can he be forgiven for what he did? There's no way for someone to be forgiven for this or to feel sorry for him after this.