Shooting at Va. Tech

Here is a list of things/people that have been blamed for the VaTech shooting....everything from W to vaccines.

http://www.cynical-c.com/?p=7191

 

So who writes the definitive piece on Mr. Librescu? The WaPo? NYT? Richmond? A magazine? There has to be one, sooner or later.

 

Not to make light of the situation, but I think I can get on board with anything that blames Collective Soul.

 

Look, I think the guy is a loon but the comments did get me thinking about 9/11 and the folks in WTC 1 and WTC 2.

They had two choices: Sit there and die of smoke/fire or jump from 80 stories-plus and hope to hell they'd somehow survive. Now well all know death was a sure thing, a done deal, if they chose to jump.

But for whatever reason -- I won't claim to know what was in their heads at the time -- they chose to jump. A need to be in control? Desperation? Panic? Who knows? But they chose the option that meant certain death.

Now I have no idea what I'd do in a school or an office with a nut walking around blasting people. But if I chose to take a run at the prick in an attempt to disarm him I don't think it would be a sign of bravery. Just a sign that I wasn't going to sit back die without trying something, anything.

 

Way to stereotype a whole race of people MSNBC

 

Kids getting picked on school is not the same as taking abuse as an adult. I was one of those kids. In Grade Four and Five I was the one that everyone else in the class decided had cooties. Nobody would talk to me or play with me. Some of them used to follow me to my bus stop to throw rocks at me. I used to come home crying but nobody did anything about it. I finally begged my mother to send me to another school for Grade 6.

In my case my self esteem was so low that I assumed that they were right to treat me the way they did. But who knows what it might have done to me if my personality had been different. I don't think anyone really gets what it's like if it hasn't happened to them.

I am not excusing what the shooter did in any way. I'm just agreeing with Heineken Man that his wife was right to try and do something.

 

HC, for the record, you do have cooties.

Actually, your post reminded me of a few kids from school. There was a girl who rode my bus. She was mildly retarded, or whatever the proper phrasing is these days. Kids used straws to shoot spit wads into her hair almost every day.

And I'm no angel. In high school, I picked this little shrimp up for fun one day and stuffed him into a trash can.

In your case, it sounds like you pretty much had a few years of your life stolen from you, and they were some of the greatest childhood years no less. I know the feeling to a lesser extent. My father's abuse was fairly common knowledge on my street. Nobody said anything about it, but it was obvious. I played baseball and rode bikes and so forth with kids from the next street over, but the kids on my street weren't allowed to play with me, which really made life even more miserable for me. It was like I was being held responsible for something that was out of my hands.

 

There was a guy I went to school with who was TAUNTED every day from at least 3rd grade to 12th grade. Every day. I rode the school bus with him off and on from 6th grade to 10th grade and it was horrible. There were songs and chants about him and his entire family. The bullying and taunting went on throughout the school day and he just took it.

There was absolutely nothing remarkable about this guy -- he was average-looking, average height, average intelligence, average athletic ability -- and to this day, I have no idea why he was everyone's target. His mom was a substitute teacher in our schools and had to know what was going on. He had a younger sister, who was not picked on, but also had to know what was being done to her brother. My friends and I felt terrible, but felt powerless to do anything. After all, none of us wanted to be in his shoes.

Fast forward 20 years to our high school reunion. I thought this kid would be the last person who'd want to come. But he did. He brought his wife. He seems to have a nice life now -- good job, a family. Everyone was nice to him at the reunion (his main tormentors were either older than us or weren't at the reunion). I imagine he's gotten lots of therapy in the intervening years and I'm glad for him. Although I can't say I wasn't afraid he was coming back with a shotgun.

 

the best part of high school for many is graduation. then you get to go away to college and re-invent yourself. it's a fresh start for all. thank goodness! 8)

 

Yes. High school is spent trying to be just like everyone else, and college is spent doing just the opposite. I wish I could have stayed in college forever, and my student loans show that I made a valiant effort.

 

Sorry, I've been away for a couple of days, but to answer your question -- no response from Boortz. He was probably too busy bum-rushing mass murderers.

 

As somebody who once suffered third-degree burns over 20 percent of his body, let me say that faced with flames or an 80-story fall ... I'd take the fall every single time.