Virginia Tech Shootings

Of course there are many words and emotions that come to mind when you think of the recent shootings at Virginia Tech.

Senseless.

Terriable.

Horror.

Shock.

"Shock" seems to be the word that sums it all up. What drives someone to the point where they think the only way to deal with life is to end not only their own but the lives of innocent bystanders? Why would someone get to a place in their life to make them believe that people have the right to die? When did God die and decide to leave us to decide who should live? Just in case you're wondering, I know that He hasn't but hopefully you see where I'm going with that. What I'm trying to say is that I just don't understand.

We could sit around and go over the what ifs and all that mess from now until doomsday. Truth is, we'll proably never understand why a student decided it was time to end his own life and the lives of 31 other innocent people around him. He apparently had been sent to counceling and had been identified as someone who needed help. People tried to reach out to him but he simply wouldn't have it from all accounts. If you believe the news reports all of that simply made him withdraw that much more. People can't be helped unless they want to be helped. You can't blame Virginia Tech because there are laws and they simply had no legal reason to expell him or to otherwise intervene in any other way than they did.

"They should have locked down the school." Please, do consider a few things: First, locking down an entire college campus is a completely different ballgame than locking down a high school. In short, it's much more difficult. Not to mention the police had no idea who they were looking for and the fact that this kid was a student worked to his advantage. He was carrying a backpack... yeah, so does ever other college student (and a lot of professors) in Amerca. He also had a valid student ID so there would have been no way to tell that he didn't belong. A lockdown would have been ineffective and probably would have even caused more panic and disorder.

I can't tell you how sad I am by these events. I grieve with everyone in Virginia, the Virginia Tech University community and the families of the victims and the shooter (don't forget that he had a family and that he was a human being as well). Now's not the time to point fingers; now is the time to pray and heal.

Let me just close with this: I am shocked and appaled at the decision NBC made to show the footage that this troubled man sent to them between the two shooting incidents. The fact that they're showing this manic rambling, if anything, makes this kid a martyr. Do they not realize that they gave him exactly what he wanted? Please, NBC, explain and defend this poor decision. Seriously, you all (from the producers to the anchors--guilty by association) ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Even I, a member of broadcast media (granted, entertainment media but it's all inclusive at the end of he day) can't believe this.

Maybe NBC stands for "No Body Cares."

--Jonathan