Today, April 16, 2007, there was a terrible tragedy at Virginia Tech in Blackburn, VA located between Washington, DC and Richmond, VA. A shooting, a senseless massacre of 32 students, plus gunman totaling 33.
This incident outrages me as a civilian and a parent. Eight years ago on April 20, 1999, I lived in Colorado and happened to be 10 miles from a Columbine High School where 12 students, a teacher, and the two gunmen were killed. As a parent I work hard to raise my children - I have sacrificed more than could be written - it is cruel to take them away in such a stupid killing spree for someone's attempts to set their name in a blaze of bloody gore!
I cannot erase from my memory the haunting of that terrible and tragic day near Littleton, Colorado. Ironically a few weeks ago I had to give a speech to my college class at American University in which I was calming my employees at a bank branch and what I would have to say to them during that horrible event.
The news has not yet released the name of the gunman. I hope they never release it after living through the aftermath of Columbine. I refuse to list here the name of the horrible young men that shot the innocent high school children and place their names in history which is exactly what they wanted. I make a plea here to all journalists not to release the name of the gunman - erase him/her from history!
This is a shameful, senseless death and these gunman should be forgotten and wiped out of history's memory as if they never even existed. We will not forget the victims or the senseless tragedy. The names of the victims should be reported, not the gunmen.
11 comments:
Great post. I could not agree with you more!
i agree with you. let's remember the victims not the gunman. He does not deserve to be printed about.
I just heard that this happened on the 8 year anniversary. It makes it all the more chilling that whoever did this planned it this way. So scary and sad.
God, I'm still in shock. I'm a Virginia Tech alumna and I still have friends in Blacksburg.
Prayers to the victims and their families.
Prayers to all of them!!
Chilling is right...
8 year anniv. of what?
THAT IS TRUE I HOPE I DONT HAVE TO EVER HEAR ABOUT MY CHILDRENS SCHOOLS EVER AHVING THIS HAPPEN AND I AM KEEPING ALL THE FAMILIES OF TODAYS SHOOTING IN MY PRAYERS GOD BLESS!
It was asked about the anniversary . . . . of the Columbine Massacre that took place on April 20, 1999
I share your sense of outrage and disgust about the events that took place at VT. I disagree, however, that we should erase the name of the shooter from history though. I understand the point that he could be "glorified" for his actions (in a sick way.. if his intentions were to be noticed, he certainly is now)... As painful as it is, I believe that we must remember the events that occured to educate others and so that this doesn't happen again..
Dave Levine,
Learning from our mistakes - great point! Releasing a killer's name to glorify him as a lesson?! Seriously you haven't thought this one through.
Why do so many murderers and killers create mass casualties? To bring media attention to themselves and fame to their name.
Please name for me the victims of Columbine! Can't remember - then how about the killers - oh! Please list the victims of Ted Bundy - don't remember. Who did Jessie James kill? The victims are dead and forgotten in a senseless series of murders, but the killers name remains behind . . . . glorified by the media.
There is no reason why we cannot learn the lessons of these tradgeties without withholding the name of the killer. Everything the media has said could have been released, except two words, and we still would have recieved all the relevent news needed.
I realise that VA Tech in it's 2 hours doubled the casualties of Columbine. What most people don't get is that those of us that were near Columbine on Denver - like me - watched the massacre play out over the news for 4 hours starting around noon. Almost an ENTIRE DAY dragged out of helplessly watching children be gunned down in a school while the parents stood breathless outside anxiously waiting for their child to crawl out of a window to safety.
We will not forget!
Find a solution to the problem please. You say you want to educate people, but you don't say how! Small words.
Here's a starting point for your education . . . . don't release and glorify the name of the killer. May his name die with him in his shameful act. May you also come up with a solution instead of a blanket statement.
Stephanie
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