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Virginia Tech one year later
It has been exactly one year since a mentally ill student killed 32 people and himself in the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history. And while this close-knit campus has worked hard to move on, the anniversary of the killings has left many struggling to cope.
A ceremony honoring the lives of those who perished during Seung-Hui Cho's rampage was planned for later in the morning in front of the memorial, where the candle lit at midnight will continue burning for 24 hours.
Other small, reflective gatherings were to take place during the day, with a candlelight vigil scheduled for the evening. One group of students planned to lie down in protest of Virginia's gun laws in the afternoon.
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine ordered state flags flown at half-staff, and a moment of silence at noon followed by the tolling of bells.
Many people weren't sure how to observe the anniversary of a tragedy that was as unifying as it was shattering. It drew a university already known for its school spirit even closer as the depth of the loss registered with students and faculty. It has been exactly one year since a mentally ill student killed 32 people and himself in the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. histo... more -
We Need To Control Guns In This Country
We definately need to control guns in this country.
Its amazing that in Canada every family owns a gun.
Yet the murder rate is amoungst the lowest in the world.
Whats Our Problem!! We definately need to control guns in this country. Its amazing that in Canada every family owns a gun. ... more -
Colleges = Therapy?
Since the Virginia Tech shooting, more colleges will be assessing student mental health, hoping to catch any signs of violence early on. Since the Virginia Tech shooting, more colleges will be assessing student mental health, hoping to catch any signs of violence early o... more
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Jason Piatt, Virginia Tech, April 2008
Current asked me to do a follow-up to the video I made last year. I didn't really know what they were expecting, but here it is. Hope you like it.
-Jason Current asked me to do a follow-up to the video I made last year. I didn't really know what they were expecting, but here it is.... more -
"YES" to CCW on Campus Discussion
Here are my thoughts in support of Students for Concealed Carry
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The real victims of Gun Free Zones
Disarming Law Abiding American Citizens in so-called "Gun Free Zones" does not make anyone safe. Calling a Zone "Gun Free" does not make it so. Criminals break the law by definition and certainly will not hesitate to break a gun free zone law or policy. It's well past time that we start punishing the Criminals, not their intended victims. Disarming Law Abiding American Citizens in so-called "Gun Free Zones" does not make anyone safe. Calling a Zone "Gun F... more
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Denying means to exercise a right is denying the right itself.
I question how people can honestly want to deny people the means with which to protect themselves.
Personal accounts of many school shootings, such as those at Columbine or Virginia Tech, as I recall, detail how the active shooter(s) shot students hiding under tables, much like how young students were told to protect themselves in the event of a nuclear attack during the World War II era.
Hiding under a desk does not protect you from the psychopathic rage of an active shooter. The shooter may be mentally unstable, but he can still see you, and he can, and will, shoot you.
Many of the students murdered at VT were 21 years old or older, meaning that they could have legally carried a concealed weapon. Oh, wait--no they can't--it's against VT's rules to carry anything that can be used as a weapon on campus property.
I fully understand that everyone views pacifists as having the moral high ground, but then again, thousands of pacifists have been slaughtered throughout human history. It's called genocide.
The Dalai Lama, a person known for his pacifists views once said, "If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun." Mahatma Ghandi, another known pacifist, also said, "Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest."
Law abiding citizens of the United States should be allowed to carry a concealed weapon on any and all public property, including public universities. They are paid for, in part, by my tax dollars. Why should I be penalized and have my Second Amendment rights restricted because of criminal behavior? I'm not a criminal.
If you deny a college citizen his or her Constitutional right to bear arms for the purpose of self defense, you are creating a victim for a criminal who won't care in the slightest what the rules or applicable laws are for campus property. If they did, they wouldn't be committing murder in the first place.
Denying the means with which to exercise a right is denying the right itself. I question how people can honestly want to deny people the means with which to protect themselves. ... more -
April 16 Exhibit at Virginia Tech
"The exhibition features photos taken by members of the community in the weeks following the April 16 tragedy, as well as items from the university’s Prevail Archives which were sent from all over the world to support Virginia Tech. “The show seeks to honor the victims, recognize the support we received, and celebrate the strength and spirit of this community,” said Mary Tartaro, art programs coordinator and curator of the show." "The exhibition features photos taken by members of the community in the weeks following the April 16 tragedy, as well as items f... more
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How safe do I feel at Mizzou?
Pretty safe! Red Securing Drill at our campus went smoothly on Saturday.
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Gun Debate Escalates
Gun policy--where they can be carried, who can have them, all of that--is the subject of a heated national dialogue in light of the massive amounts of college shootings. Eric Thompson, the dealer whose site supplied the gun that wreaked havoc at Virginia Tech, is one of the loudest voices on the side of letting guns on campuses. You'd think he'd have a little remorse for that one. Gun policy--where they can be carried, who can have them, all of that--is the subject of a heated national dialogue in light of the ma... more
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Some GMU students want to carry guns ...
College Republicans at George Mason University in Virginia think they can reduce gun violence on college campuses by being allowed to carry concealed weapons. I know that this is the attitude of a lot of Americans, but I am flabbergasted. I think the best way to end violence is to get rid of guns and bombs and stop thinking of all your neighbors as evil people who want to do you harm (and no, I'm not naive about crime).
With that said, the thought of a wild drinking party in a frat house full of pistols or a college football stadium full of rabid fans with glocks scares the cr@p out of me! Having ready guns everywhere makes the possibility of accidents and crimes of passion much more likely to occur. College Republicans at George Mason University in Virginia think they can reduce gun violence on college campuses by being allowed to ... more -
Mass murderers and women: What we're still not getting about Virginia Tech
A thought-provoking piece written last year on violence against women and our society's inability to take it as seriously as it should be. Sad that this is still extremely relevant given the recent glut of shootings in the U.S.
Some scary stats pulled from this piece:
According to the Stalking Resource Center, one million women are stalked in the U.S. every year. In two-thirds of the cases where a female victim asks for a police protective order, that order is violated.
One third of female murder victims are killed by an intimate partner (as opposed to about 3 percent of male victims). Of these, 76 percent had been stalked by the partner in the year prior to their murder. Murder ranks second (after accidents) as the leading cause of death among young women.
Ladies, take note, take heart, be safe! A thought-provoking piece written last year on violence against women and our society's inability to take it as seriously as it s... more -
Oxnard Shooting
Here we go again--everyone asking "why another school shooting? why was s/he's motivated to do this?" Why? It's not about WHY. Any society will have it's lunatic fringe. It's HOW do these sad kids get such easy access to guns. Do you think we'd see all these mass killing if they'd only had a knife to assault classmates? Until Americans wake up to the fact that the root of our mass school killings is that this country is drowning in weapons, these headlines will continue to haunt us on a fairly regular basis. Disgustingly, they never have woken up and they probably never will--so let's all just get used to it. Here we go again--everyone asking "why another school shooting? why was s/he's motivated to do this?" Why? It's... more
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Allowing guns on campuses terrifies me
After the Virginia Tech shootings I feel more strongly about gun control than ever.
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Control Psychos, Not Guns
You can't look at Virginia Tech and say that there's too much gun control in this country.
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Hokie Pride Shines
Virginia Tech fans remember the 32 killed in April and show gratitude to the Universities who supported us during that tragic time. Then kicked some Pirate booty in a little game we like to call "football." [apologies for the pun, but as the daughter of 2 ECU grads, I could not resist] Virginia Tech fans remember the 32 killed in April and show gratitude to the Universities who supported us during that tragic time. Th... more
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VA Tech Feelings
Virginia Tech freshman Hunter Scott on his initial reaction to the shootings on his campus.
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VA Tech Reaction
Virginia Tech freshman Hunter Scott talks about the surreality of the shootings on his campus.
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VA Tech Reflection
Virginia Tech freshman Hunter Scott talks about the feelings he had after the shootings on his campus.
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Virginia Tech Shooting
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Virginia Tech Shooting
