Kill yourself.

I will assume you're not as stupid as you sound.

All murder is awful. You don't have to pick and choose which ones are okay to go "oh my god" about.

Not to mention the fact there might be one or two people on this board who might know someone at Virginia Tech.

You seem to have missed my sarcastic and probably insensitive point. Yes, this was a horrific, devastating tragedy, but why is it a bigger deal than us losing our young kids on foreign soil?

Who said it is?

No One.

Just you.

Whatever you tried, it didn't work. Get someone to help you.

While it is horrible no matter where someone's life is lost, the difference is that the young men and women overseas CHOSE to go into a war that may cost them their life. They know what they are throwing themselves into.

The kids at Va Tech on the other hand, were there for an education and to socialize. They weren't planning on getting gunned down just for strolling to class through the campus.

If there is one sterling apex of dumb it's the "since I've decided you're not compassionate enough about Tragedy A, you're a hypocrite for decrying Tragedy B" argument.

Clearly most people do pick and choose which tragedies to get all in a lather about. Thanks for making my point for me, jackass.

You really have no idea what you're talking about. None.

Do you see me anywhere saying deaths in Iraq don't bother me?

I concede your valid point Charli. I just don't agree with putting any death above another when it comes to media coverage.

Whatever, Don Imus must be relieved...

Do you have a point other than that you've decided people are hypocrites and myopic?

Do you propose the media NOT cover the worst mass shooting in American history?

Do you propose people ponder all the deaths in the world before deciding to not really like this bunch of deaths?

Of course not, it's not doable.

It's impossible to carry the world-load of daily tragedy on one's shoulders, to be aware and grieve for every awful thing that ever happens just to have "perspective."

Desensitizing oneself to one tragedy in order to assuage guilt over another one is silly.

Because the media sucks doesn't mean "people" don't have "perspective." It just means the media sucks.

I still cannot believe how much first-hand video is now circulating. I watch in utter horror, but cannot turn away. Cannot even fathom what this would be like.

i feel a little weird that i started this thread, knowing that if i watied litterally 30 seconds someone eles would have.

I missed 100% of this until ... 2:20am. Jesus. I don't watch the news, and I played a show tonight.



Damn. This is extremely depressing.

What he said.

The shooting at Penn State my junior year doesn't even come close to this (outside, one dead, one wounded, shooter contained very early), but the psychological mark was still huge for the reasons that Charli already stated. A sense of security is lost, and the initial shock of hearing "there's a shooting on campus" and not knowing how many (or who's) affected is all that's needed. It is a hard thing to deal with, and yet people and communities have the strength to pick up the pieces and go forward. All I can really do is trust the same thing will happen here.

Prayers and best thoughts to the students and staff (and their families) of VA Tech and the residents of Blacksburg.

Jesus, I was just putting it in a context that I could relate to. I don't know anyone who currently attends that school, but I have know more than a few people who went there.
The media on every campus around america is talking about it in the same context. Since I don't attend V Tech, I figure the best way for me to actually take in the magnitude of this tragedy is by considering how awful it would be if it had occurred at an institution of comparable size that I actually attended.

This is what you wrote, nothing else about relating to people, no elaboration or context. If you had not seen footage you heard it on the radio or from people talking about it.

The myopic charge still stands. You did inted to mean what you said.

and also "myopic" is the word of the day

You can keep YOUR opic. It's really all about ME!!! All about me and MY IMMEDIATE surroundings!
ME!
ME!
ME!

I think you guys are really overreacting. Is this really that different from dana saying "I'd so hate to be a parent of a Va. Tech student right now"? Is she self-centered because she imagines that she would feel worse if she was closer to the situation? Pardon the guy for taking the long way around the barn to empathize with these people.

I did say he probably did not mean to write it that way. But, what do you think it would be like if it happened in Lincon. Probably similar to what's happened in Blacksburg.

Saying that "one, can't imagine how it would feel to be a parent..." is not the same as "I can't imagine what it would be like here."

wow... i feel bad for this recently dumped asian gun collector that also attends v-tech

http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/the ... 21109.html

Why?

One can relate to what is being seen as an event ie) the news, thus easily imagined.

When one loses a child, well I would never be so presumptuous to imagine that.

Yes, but at the time of my original post I had not seen any first hand footage. Since I was not privy to that while at work, I couldn't really grasp the full magnitude of the violence. Also, while I was able to watch footage of Columbine unfolding before my eyes on CNN while in college, it still doesn't mean I can actually fathom the event or understand it in the same way that someone who witnessed it or was related to a victim.