A 19-yr old Asian student wearing a “boy scout-like” (in other words, military-style) uniform, wearing a black military ammo vest, took two handguns, killed a couple of people in a dorm. Then, he took TWO HOURS to get the other side of campus and shoot many more people, supposedly without emotion, before taking his own life.

My first thought was, oddly, “Was this kid a student at Blackwater? Did he have a psychological breakdown?” It’s not like these kids are getting a standard military-grade of training. Who the hell knows if these kids come out qualified? Or if they go in mentally qualified, for that matter?

I’m sure it’s utterly off-base, and as I said, that was just my first, utterly speculative thought. But, when they disclosed the information of where it occurred, my mind immediately made the connection, “Blackwater is headquartered in Virginia and has a new base close by, in North Carolina.”

What a horrible tragedy, regardless. :(

I can imagine the intense hours anyone even remotely connected to the school has been having all day, wondering if the person or people they know are OK, injured, or one of the unfortunate fatalities. Not knowing leaves one’s mind open to the terrible possibilities, spiraling ever more out of control, until knowledge, true knowledge, ends such poisonous speculation. Such vile, yet uncontrollable thought processes as that which we imagine to be true are, to me, one of the most draining and dark moments one experiences in life.

I feel for all going through such pain themselves, and to all of the families and friends in mourning.

I feel for all of the good and honorable people in Iraq, and elsewhere around the world, who must live with such tragedy on a daily basis.

I feel for all of humanity, for our future rests in the hands of our young, and in the hands of those who teach, in whatever capacity they do so. Today, part of our future was ripped from us, and we can never get it back.

I have hope, however fleeting, that tomorrow will be better.

SkepticRising @ 287

Mason @
271

“FBI spokesman Richard Kolko in Washington said there was no immediate evidence to suggest it was a terrorist attack, “but all avenues will be explored.”

It was most certainly a terrorist attack. Terrorism is a tactic, not a nationality. This was, by definition, terrorism.

All mass murderers are terrorists by definition I think. But they aren’t usually politically motivated. It’s an important difference.

Granted.

re: Gonzales hearing – Even if it WAS going to be on tomorrow, I couldn’t watch it. It seems to have lost its priority for a day or so, with me at least.

I may not turn on the tv at all tomorrow, and I know I won’t watch the news – the 24/7 bombardment of images when something like this happens is just too much to bear and, IMHO, increases trauma to the friends and families. They need time to begin healing.

My teenage son and I had a talk tonight about what happened at VA Tech. This kind of violence doesn’t seem to surprise his generation, it’s like they just expect something like this will happen occasionally – and that’s sad.

Death makes me crave life, and my gardens are my temple. I need to spend the day planting flowers and walking by the creek in the company of my dog. I’ll catch up with y’all in a day or so. Peace…

It’s an awful tragedy that shouldn’t happen to anyone, but it happens 2-3 times a day in Iraq.

Amen. my thoughts exactly. Not to deny how horrible it is, but just to remember the horror we –and all involved — are inflicting on Iraquis daily. This brings home the fact that each killing is mourned by families who feel the same pain American parents, lovers and children feel when they lose their cherished children.

Well, it’s after 8 pm EDT and no one has identified the shooter. What the hell is going on?

How can no one know who this person was or have some idea why he did it?

Apparently, there was no massive police response until after the shooter committed suicide. Why?

Why did the cops who responded to the shooting deaths of two people at the dorm assume that it was a domestic violence type of situation and that the shooter had left campus? Did someone see him leave?

I’m amazed at the lack of information.

Shocked beyond words, really.

Shooter kills two and wounds for the first act.
Somehow, cops say, ‘domestic dispute’?
So, they KNOW who shooter is, at this point, right?

Now, failure to lock down, and cancel classes. FAILURE TO CANCEL CLASSES FOR THE DAY!!! (lawsuits galore, and well deserved_

Shooter, with full vest of clips, and two hand guns, takes two hours to get from dorm, to Eng. Classroom.

Knows HOW to barricade doors from inside!!! ??? How he know this?

Shooting rampage, alleged suicide of shooter, for some reason, a bullet thru the mouth and out the back of brain render shooter UNIDENTIFIABLE, despite DOMESTIC ISSUE, and his potential pursuit of the domestic issue to a classroom, a SPECIFIC CLASSROOM?

Who are the people involved in the domestic thing, and why aren’t they named?

Who was/were the first on the scene of alleged suicide’s body, and what did THEY conceivably do to it, to render it unidentifiable?

This is phreaky wierd BEYOND a general clusterphuck mode . . . .

There’s just no way that shooter is not identified at this time. Coverup’s abound already, enough of them to be STUPID, and some most certainly well laid . . . enough to thoroughly muddy these waters.

So, if you DO buy into a conspiracy, and cover up, and maybe TWO shooters . . HOW AND WHY AND WHO!

Trust no one.
Question everything.

We have historical evidence thruout time for doing so.

JEP @
172

with that inmind, they should postpone Gonzo’s testimony, and instead have a national hour of prayer and meditation…

I humbly disagree, they should have a moment of silence and then continue with the hearing. One way of overcoming violence is not to give such importance to those committing it, like stopping Congress.

Hoss, you just changed MY mind. Yep, should proceed. Or the bad guys win, every time. No matter WHO the bad guys are.

Good call, thanks for the whack up the side the head.

Mason @ 166

RE: oilfieldguy’s observation.

With all due respect, I doubt that the administration is behind the shootings at Virginia Tech.

Sorry, I misunderstood. Please accept my apology.

I don’t think ANY of us can overlook the fact that, we live in times where it IS possible, the government HAS been behind these kinds of things, and most likely will be, again.

I mean, I grew up on books, in the 50’s and 60’s . . . ‘84, Animal Farm, all the Sci-Fi . . . and here we are, with MANY things, as described in those books with respect to power and control of the masses, and the methods and practices USED to achieve that power and control. Consolidaiton of wealth, a mass indebted to survive, so as to remain voiceless on the job to pay that debt.

It’s all there. Anything is possible, until proven NOT.

At this time, however, best to lower our heads, open our hearts, to those who have passed, those who are wounded, and all their families and friends.

I like the notion of a day of healing instead of Gonzo going to hearing.

Bless all the lost souls, then, now, and to be.

In a day or so, it will be time to continue the reclaimation of our nation. I hope it’s possible.

And I honestly don’t know how any police organization could anticipate something like this. The only identification is that it’s a Chinese National here on a student visa.

Maybe we need to be taking a closer look at student visas.

The world is going to hell in a handbasket.

How can no one know who this person was or have some idea why he did it?

Apparently, there was no massive police response until after the shooter committed suicide. Why?

Why did the cops who responded to the shooting deaths of two people at the dorm assume that it was a domestic violence type of situation and that the shooter had left campus? Did someone see him leave?

I’m amazed at the lack of information.

Shocked beyond words, really.