VA Tech Shootings: 32 + 1 Dead (Mourning Thread)

[arlania]

Syn, you seem to have an interesting definition of "world class tragedy".

Well to me a world class tragedy would be like the Hidenburg, or 9/11, or the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Im fairly certain that we will see something like this shooting happen again probably within a year. Some type of copycat or such. The sad thing is it takes a ton of tragedys for anything to even change.

[Remyo]

the nations deadliest shooting, in which other nations send condolences, doesn't classify as a world class tradgedy? um...wut?

[Charla]

Syn, you seem to have an interesting definition of "world class tragedy".

Well to me a world class tragedy would be like the Hidenburg, or 9/11, or the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Im fairly certain that we will see something like this shooting happen again probably within a year. Some type of copycat or such. The sad thing is it takes a ton of tragedys for anything to even change.

Well I'll give you the Hindenburg/nuclear examples, but the randomness of a serial killer or suicide bomber in an otherwise peaceful time/area gives it a pretty big boost. Also, of those examples only 9/11 was during my/our lifetimes, so the others kinda have to fade in importance over time.

[Syn]

the nations deadliest shooting, in which other nations send condolences, doesn't classify as a world class tradgedy? um...wut?

I can probably go to my armory now, pick up a M16 and a few clips of bullets, kill 33 people, and you guys wouldn't even know about it until the day you die. It probably won't even make front page news, and people who even bothered to read it will probably be like "Is this Sinkapore somewhere in China?"

World class tragedy would be something that people would know and talk about regardless of where it happened, and I can safely say that 70% of the goons here would just brush it off as yet another shooting event, and won't give two shit about it. The only difference between this and the previous ones is that he scored higher frags.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but outside teh USA, nobody really cares.

[Keno]

the nations deadliest shooting, in which other nations send condolences, doesn't classify as a world class tradgedy? um...wut?

I can probably go to my armory now, pick up a M16 and a few clips of bullets, kill 33 people, and you guys wouldn't even know about it until the day you die. It probably won't even make front page news, and people who even bothered to read it will probably be like "Is this Sinkapore somewhere in China?"

World class tragedy would be something that people would know and talk about regardless of where it happened, and I can safely say that 70% of the goons here would just brush it off as yet another shooting event, and won't give two shit about it. The only difference between this and the previous ones is that he scored higher frags.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but outside teh USA, nobody really cares.

Just to ask, where do you live? Western Europe?

[theo]

the nations deadliest shooting, in which other nations send condolences, doesn't classify as a world class tradgedy? um...wut?

I can probably go to my armory now, pick up a M16 and a few clips of bullets, kill 33 people, and you guys wouldn't even know about it until the day you die. It probably won't even make front page news, and people who even bothered to read it will probably be like "Is this Sinkapore somewhere in China?"

World class tragedy would be something that people would know and talk about regardless of where it happened, and I can safely say that 70% of the goons here would just brush it off as yet another shooting event, and won't give two shit about it. The only difference between this and the previous ones is that he scored higher frags.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but outside teh USA, nobody really cares.

Just to ask, where do you live? Western Europe?

my gut instinct says Singapore >_>; Unless he was kidding, i dunno.

I think its slightly humorous the way some are comparing events such as this to the "people wasting food = contributing to world hunger" argument. When some dude throws away a bit of food, do you think he is doing it A. maliciously, with specific intentions of killing innocent people, or B. out of laziness.

[Charla]

the nations deadliest shooting, in which other nations send condolences, doesn't classify as a world class tradgedy? um...wut?

I can probably go to my armory now, pick up a M16 and a few clips of bullets, kill 33 people, and you guys wouldn't even know about it until the day you die. It probably won't even make front page news, and people who even bothered to read it will probably be like "Is this Sinkapore somewhere in China?"

World class tragedy would be something that people would know and talk about regardless of where it happened, and I can safely say that 70% of the goons here would just brush it off as yet another shooting event, and won't give two shit about it. The only difference between this and the previous ones is that he scored higher frags.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but outside teh USA, nobody really cares.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but you're right. And because of America's immense self-centered attitude, what happens to us becomes more important to us, and because of that we make it more important to the rest of the world. Now, don't forget that 70% of us here, give or take, do know what Tianamen Square means. It's not like we're completely oblivious, we just put ourselves first every time. Not exactly the best attitude, but that's the state of the world.

[Byrd]

Well I'll give you the Hindenburg/nuclear examples, but the randomness of a serial killer or suicide bomber in an otherwise peaceful time/area gives it a pretty big boost. Also, of those examples only 9/11 was during my/our lifetimes, so the others kinda have to fade in importance over time.

The list of world class tragedies cited interested me, so I did a little research.

36 people died in the Hindenburg: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LZ_129_Hindenburg

1,836 people died here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_katrina

2,973 people died here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11%2C_2001

~18,000 people died here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal_disaster

~73,884 in Nagasaki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagasaki

~80,000 at Hirsohima: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima

~230,000 people died here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_tsunami

I think it's telling that we don't tend not to think of that one, despite the fact that nearly 100 times the number of people died in the tsunami as died in 9/11, and it wasn't even three years ago. I'm an American, by the way, I just found the omission notable.

[BRP]

A tragedy is not a piece of equipment in a videogame, some people should stop caring so much about the stats behind it.

[GRT]

Well I'll give you the Hindenburg/nuclear examples, but the randomness of a serial killer or suicide bomber in an otherwise peaceful time/area gives it a pretty big boost. Also, of those examples only 9/11 was during my/our lifetimes, so the others kinda have to fade in importance over time.

The list of world class tragedies cited interested me, so I did a little research.

36 people died in the Hindenburg: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LZ_129_Hindenburg

1,836 people died here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_katrina

2,973 people died here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11%2C_2001

~18,000 people died here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal_disaster

~73,884 in Nagasaki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagasaki

~80,000 at Hirsohima: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima

~230,000 people died here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_tsunami

I think it's telling that we don't tend not to think of that one, despite the fact that nearly 100 times the number of people died in the tsunami as died in 9/11, and it wasn't even three years ago. I'm an American, by the way, I just found the omission notable.

does innocent women and children died in iraq because the yankees went over there for no apparent reason count as a tragedy?

[Leashedragon]

the nations deadliest shooting, in which other nations send condolences, doesn't classify as a world class tradgedy? um...wut?

I can probably go to my armory now, pick up a M16 and a few clips of bullets, kill 33 people, and you guys wouldn't even know about it until the day you die. It probably won't even make front page news, and people who even bothered to read it will probably be like "Is this Sinkapore somewhere in China?"

World class tragedy would be something that people would know and talk about regardless of where it happened, and I can safely say that 70% of the goons here would just brush it off as yet another shooting event, and won't give two shit about it. The only difference between this and the previous ones is that he scored higher frags.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but outside teh USA, nobody really cares.

I think the only person here who needs their delusional little bubble bursted is you.

Speaking with a friend on MSN, I mentioned this post to him. He's from the UAE. He said to quote him if I wanted so:

"sorry to burst your bubble, but you're full of crap mr.knowitall, coz its all over the news here and people really care"

and even if this doesnt mean much but i passed this to ppl on my list "For the students who were killed yesterday at virginia tech university, please put a flower at the beginning of your name. Passed this on to your other contacts Its just respectful of you"

Just because you think people don't care doesn't mean you know what you're talking about. I've read through your replies, and quiet frankly I'm a little ticked. And before you start the arguement of being directly involved, no I technically am not. I am, however, a close friend of Geno's as mentioned in a post way back. Also, another friend of mine has friends who go there as well and lucky he did not lose any of them.

People involved have every right to act however damn well they want to react. Specially this soon after. Expecting them to shrug it off like it was nothing because you don't consider this a big deal because "people die around the world everyday" is just inconsiderate and rude. Everyone has their own way of dealing with death and the healing process that follows. Don't force others to move on like it was nothing just because you take it like nothing.

I do, however, agree that the media does overplay things a bit much. But we have no control over that. We can only simple change the channel or turn it off. Being as this is a "current event" though, expect to see a lot about it.

Human beings have this thing called compassion. It allows them to feel for others loses even if they did not know the person personally. Just because some lack it, doesn't mean the majority of the world does as well. Don't go around assuming you know that 70% of the people where you live don't care. Cause we all know where assuming leads you.

No, I do not take death of close family/friends lightly. Why? Because I just lost my brother about a year and a half ago to suicide. What does this have to do with the current situation? Nothing really. Other than the sudden and unexpected loss of someone close. Despite it being something small in comparrison to what happened at VT, we had people we didn't really know offering condolenses and respects to us becuase they cared. Despite not even KNOWING my brother or even us for that matter. This is merely something I am using as an example and nothing more.

So in other words, setting aside my surpressing of telling you the fuck off and where you can sit:
Kindly shut the fuck up. Take your dumbassery somewhere else, cause if you didn't notice.. the people in this thread CARE ABOUT THOSE LOST AT VT and consider this a major TRAGEDY. Wake up and realize, not everyone is an inconsiderate, uncompassionate ass like you and some people care what happens to others no matter where they come from. Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but some of them are wrong and should be kept to themself. Coming into this thread throwing out, "No one cares outside the US," and "People die everyday, boohoo." You have some balls...

Leave people to deal with it how they want. Simple as that. You don't like it, tough. Keep your mouth shut.

[Coldplay4tw]

Being from EU, i can say that we had 1min silence at my universe and
students and teachers were very upset about this tragedy.

This is sick and makes me puke.

[arlania]

My friend pointed this out to me, it seems to be a recurring trend that most people that do these kind of things are the shut outs of the main clique. Wether they really are or they just feel that way due to self loathing attitudes I think not only should we look at how to find these people before they snap, we should also take a good look at ourselves as well. Pretty much everyone has a breaking point somewhere, this guy had a low one coupled with some serious mental issues and he snapped.

[Kaylia]

The list of world class tragedies cited interested me, so I did a little research.

36 people died in the Hindenburg: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LZ_129_Hindenburg

1,836 people died here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_katrina

2,973 people died here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11%2C_2001

~18,000 people died here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal_disaster

~73,884 in Nagasaki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagasaki

~80,000 at Hirsohima: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima

~230,000 people died here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_tsunami

I think it's telling that we don't tend not to think of that one, despite the fact that nearly 100 times the number of people died in the tsunami as died in 9/11, and it wasn't even three years ago. I'm an American, by the way, I just found the omission notable.

Natural disaster are tragedy, but people usually have less trouble to accept them than tradegy caused by human.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but outside teh USA, nobody really cares.

Lot of people cared about it outside USA...thats retarded. The majority of people usually feel concerned when they hear about something like this. I'm pretty sure every University in EU/NA had a thought about them, knowing this kind of thing could happen everywhere.

I can probably go to my armory now, pick up a M16 and a few clips of bullets, kill 33 people, and you guys wouldn't even know about it until the day you die.

Why do I remember shit like this if school tragedy arent broadcasted around the world? I remember seeing this on the news 2 days in a row
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3899231.stm
The closer the country is, the more you hear about it, but that's normal. Doesn't help that the media were on place during the incident too.

[Elmer the Pointy]

OK, here we go:

http://www.cactusleaftl.com/pics/bboard.jpg

Where

• N = # of gunmen[/*:m:6ff68]
• Lambda= casualties[/*:m:6ff68]
• s = degrees you are from victim[/*:m:6ff68]
• If America, A=1, else A=0[/*:m:6ff68]
• e = 2.something I forget[/*:m:6ff68]
• i = per capita income of nation[/*:m:6ff68]

If the result is less than 57, you aren't allowed to feel sad.

What the hell happened to this thread? Seriously...

I know Genosync unleashed the twin barrels of bold and italic on us but a few people here should be a little more understanding. Imagine having your dorm, your apartment complex, your street, your office building... locked down because a lunatic is loose. Your only communication is Facebook or a forum, which you frantically refresh trying to find your friends and any information you can. Just take a little time to think before you throw out some of these posts.


EDIT: shit, that's lambda not sigma...

[Kyreth]

Most of those tragedies (and all of them were) listed failed to note that none of the were the act of a single person- and a deranged one at that.

Even 9/11 was a terrorist organization training and funding the resulting carnage. This was a single person armed with a pair of small-caliber pistols systematically killing every person he could get, in a place where I have a feeling he knew would cause the greatest amount of trauma.

The concept of a human being capable of that kind of savagery (and handily enough having killed himself leaving them no ability to ask him why) doing so to a group of young people who don't have any clue exactly how evil the world can be...well, it's horrible. And effective.

I don't even live near Blacksburg, and I had folks from the UK sending me emails and condolences- because they realized some of the dead students are local to me. This one nutcase managed to push the buttons of millions of people, tens of millions of people. The shock was enough to put both of his parents in the hospital just from finding out about it.

It's not about how much. It's about who and where and why. 33 people dead in a war zone is a sad thing. 33 people in a country town, sitting in classrooms, far away from anything really bad or violent being pumped full of lead by a madman is a tragedy.

We're confronted with the reality of someone who walked into the nicest place he could find, covered it in dead bodies, and then used it as a handy spot to blow his brains out because he didn't give a shit for any life whatsoever- including his own. That's hard to get a grip on for an adult, much less a college student. People elsewhere look at that, realize it's not a theoretical question- it's a reality, and wonder "What if it happens here?".

[SephYuyX]

I'm with Syn on this. Yes this was a bad and horrible thing, but it's just another shooting.

[Keno]

Well I'll give you the Hindenburg/nuclear examples, but the randomness of a serial killer or suicide bomber in an otherwise peaceful time/area gives it a pretty big boost. Also, of those examples only 9/11 was during my/our lifetimes, so the others kinda have to fade in importance over time.

The list of world class tragedies cited interested me, so I did a little research.

36 people died in the Hindenburg: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LZ_129_Hindenburg

1,836 people died here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_katrina

2,973 people died here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11%2C_2001

~18,000 people died here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal_disaster

~73,884 in Nagasaki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagasaki

~80,000 at Hirsohima: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima

~230,000 people died here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_tsunami

I think it's telling that we don't tend not to think of that one, despite the fact that nearly 100 times the number of people died in the tsunami as died in 9/11, and it wasn't even three years ago. I'm an American, by the way, I just found the omission notable.

Do you not remember all the hubbub that went down after the 2004 tsunami? There was shit about it for months... Not saying there shouldnt have been, but just showing that as a country who was not affected (USA), we still cared about someone else's losses.

[Norelco]

I'm with Syn on this. Yes this was a bad and horrible thing, but it's just another shooting.

Not really. It's now the biggest shooting in the history of the US. That makes it a little more than "just another shooting."

Guys, ease up off of Geno, and other VA Tech students posting here. Until this shit settles down, they absolutely get a free pass from me if they lash out. I can't even begin to imagine the stress and the shit they're dealing with.

Honestly, you need to give them the benefit of the doubt. If you can't, just get the fuck out. No one wants to read your negative fucking bullshit.

[Jakune]

You know, yall really need to let up off geno... this is not something cool to mess with right now, and I am seriously biting my tongue right now to not be pissed at the ones saying "its just another shooting" worse case to me and geno, its not just another shooting. I also walk by norris regularly, have had classes/tests in there, and being an engineer, I have many friends that know some of the students. I got back to school on Sunday from visiting my fiance, and there was a basically street fair of international stuff. Someone had grabbed some deserts for me... little did I know that it was rema that had grabbed the stuff, and that she would be gone within 24 hours. Another girl, eco-nut, hippie, whatever, she was great and I had met her a couple of times, fiance knew her. She won't get the chance to work on saving the planet anymore. Julia is gone. I have many friends that knew others very well...

on top of this, this guy knew what he was doing, he most definitely planned this out. had they locked down the campus, he woulda just went off there in the dorm or something. This was no ones fault but the shooter, he seemed intended enough that he was going to kill a few people at least regardless of who or what tried to stop him... So unless you know for a fact there there was something you could have done to stop him shut up. Unless you are offering condolences to those who are grieving shut up. For that matter if you have anything negative to say against the school or the community right now SHUT UP!