As someone who works on a college campus, I’m a little freaked out today. As I walked through the building this morning, I thought “Where would I hide if some nutcase came through?” “Would it be safe to jump out the window (3 stories up)?” I can’t even imagine the horror of going through such an awful situation. I can’t even say anything like, “Today, we are all Hokies.” No, we aren’t and I sure as hell am not a Hokie. I feel for them and my heart goes out to the VT community, but I won’t for one second pretend that I can identify with their grief and fear. It’s like that bullshit after 9/11: “We’re all New Yorkers.” No, we didn’t have the largest structure in our city destroyed by terrorists. We didn’t have our friends and family killed simply for going to work that day. We didn’t live in constant fear that another building in town would get destroyed. I am as empathetic as anyone, but I won’t pretend I’m sympathetic. I’ve never had to endure something so terrifying, and I thank God that that’s the case.
This was the deadliest shooting in U.S. history. #2 and #3 happen to have been in Texas, which has a strong gun culture. I don’t find that to be coincidental. However, I don’t think any amount of gun control laws could have prevented this latest tragedy. This guy was sick and he apparently was hell-bent on going down and bringing others down with him. If it wasn’t a gun, it would have been something else. I just think the attitude we have in our culture of “any problem can be solved with a weapon” is sick and contributes to incidents like this.
I just talked with a group of 6th-8th graders at Eastwood Middle School about conflict/anger manangement.
They refused to see anything wrong with selecting fighting as the first way to solve an incident.
Our future, man.
Like you, I don’t think that stricter gun control laws would have solved this issue. There will always be a black market for contraband (of all forms) and if someone is determined, they will find a way.
Then again, I also don’t think it’s appropriate for the gun nuts to use this as an excuse to carry concealed weapons wherever. There was a post on the UA LJ community that got pretty heated. A VA tech student responded to it saying it was in poor taste to push an agenda like that. I agreed 100%. I’m kind of suspicious of anyone who’s that adamant about owning a weapon.
No, that’s not appropriate at all. On a personal level, I am really not at all comfortable w/the idea of it being legal to carry a concealed weapon..even with a permit. I’m not even comfortable w/the idea of having a weapon in my home, but I realize this is just me. However, I don’t have a solution (or even an idea on how to get started) to the problem b/c a total ban will not stop the black market or someone who is deranged.
This is a really tough issue.
empathy vs. sympathy
i feel you on that.
i like the way you write. it’s catchy (to me).
Re: empathy vs. sympathy
Aw, thanks.
I agree w/ you 100% on all counts.