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[prytania3]

FYI: It's VPI, not VT. Virginia Polytechnical Institute.

The school's own website says "Virginia Tech" in big letters.  "Virginia Polytechnic [not Polytechnical] Institute and State University" appears only in very tiny type at the bottom of the page.  (Also note the "vt" in the URL.)

http://www.vt.edu/

VPI is the old name.

[zarathustra]

FYI: It's VPI, not VT. Virginia Polytechnical Institute.

The school's own website says "Virginia Tech" in big letters.  "Virginia Polytechnic [not Polytechnical] Institute and State University" appears only in very tiny type at the bottom of the page.  (Also note the "vt" in the URL.)

http://www.vt.edu/

VPI is the old name.

P, are your ears burning? We were looking for you on LHC.

[scotia]

Have just switched on the TV on Tuesday morning and it seems that the world has gone mad again.......

Everyone associated with VT - I am so sorry to hear about this. As an academic who is a long way from Virginia I feel a small bit of my faith in humanity has died; it must be truly awful for you. I send my deepest sympathy.

[figee]

I just found out about this logging onto the Forum.  Not sure what to say, but my thoughts go out to my fellow Forumites.

I'm in to teach today.  I walk through one of the worst areas in this city to get to work.  Yet the most I can expect is a knife, a mugging or a beer bottle.  So I'm also giving thanks that I live and work in a society where guns are almost unknown, but grieving as well.  Those students seem so vulnerable.

[illuminata]

You know, one of the most touching emails I've gotten today was from a dear friend in South Africa.

Here it is, in part:

 I know of folk who live in South African cities, and most especially Johannesburg, but also quite a few other places where lawlessness runs rampant, who never quite know whether the morning farewell to a loved one may be the final goodbye. Car jackings, organised financial targeting of big businesses as well as petty indiscrimate street crime can, and does, make any innocent passer by a prospective victim of crossfire.

But, and this is a major 'but', places of education, religious instruction, medical care and other humanitarian institutes in South Africa have, fortunately, escaped the likes of the Whitman sniper killings at the  University of Texas; the Columbine High School massacre; the Red Lake killings; the Amish school attacks ... and now this.

We join in with the many hundreds of thousands - maybe even millions - of concerned Americans who mourn not only the innocent lives that have been extinguished for no other reason than being there, but also the further erosion of the sanctity in which life should be a sine qua non.
Our thoughts are with all, and indeed anyone, who holds the principles of enlightenment and education close to their hearts and will rally to the growing call for a gun free society.

[minor_t]

I thought I was handling this just fine, but I heard the interview with the engineering professor on NPR and just sat and cried in my driveway.  How heartbreaking for the parents and students and faculty, how terrifying for the community.  My heart goes out to the entire VT family.   

[magimax]

You know, one of the most touching emails I've gotten today was from a dear friend in South Africa.

Here it is, in part:

 I know of folk who live in South African cities, and most especially Johannesburg, but also quite a few other places where lawlessness runs rampant, who never quite know whether the morning farewell to a loved one may be the final goodbye. Car jackings, organised financial targeting of big businesses as well as petty indiscrimate street crime can, and does, make any innocent passer by a prospective victim of crossfire.

But, and this is a major 'but', places of education, religious instruction, medical care and other humanitarian institutes in South Africa have, fortunately, escaped the likes of the Whitman sniper killings at the  University of Texas; the Columbine High School massacre; the Red Lake killings; the Amish school attacks ... and now this.

We join in with the many hundreds of thousands - maybe even millions - of concerned Americans who mourn not only the innocent lives that have been extinguished for no other reason than being there, but also the further erosion of the sanctity in which life should be a sine qua non.
Our thoughts are with all, and indeed anyone, who holds the principles of enlightenment and education close to their hearts and will rally to the growing call for a gun free society.

Thank you for sharing that, Illuminata.  It is very touching.

[magimax]

As much as we may rag on administrators from time to time on this board, my heart just goes out to President Steger right now.  Can you imagine any more horrifying task for an academic?  We got into this profession to teach and learn.... and to have to speak to the world about how students at your school were massacred? 

I know he is but one of the many, many people struggling with this situation, but it chokes me up to watch him try to cope with this in such a bright bright spotlight.  That could be any one of us someday folks.  Sigh.  Does anyone really get job training to deal with this kind of stuff? 

No, any situation like this is done by the seat of your pants.  I was very, very impressed with his handling of the press conference (and kudos also to the police officer).  They are good men.

[august]

Thank you Illuninata, for sharing the letter, it is very touching, and for the "mourning words" thread, I hope many people post there.

I have nothing new to offer, just saying that this is such a sad, sad time. 

[threefive]

For those on this forum who seek to outlaw guns: if this man had stepped into my classroom, he would have met the business end of my (usually concealed) .380 semi-automatic. I'm trained, I practice weekly, and I have nothing but respect for my gun's ability to save my life. May the Lord keep me from every having to draw it for that reason.

Whether you are pro- or anti-gun, we are all Hokies today.

[illuminata]

Interestingly, threefive, it never seems to work that way, even with god knows how many "registered" concealed carry gun owners out there. Go to the CDC stats site and take a look at how many times more likely you are to be killed by your own gun than to "get a bad guy". I'm not sure why that is, but it is. If the numbers were not so consistently alarming, OR if any gun ban nations had these sorts of rampages, I would not be agitating for gun ownership reform. However, 31 lives lost is more than enough to convince me that bullets should only be sold to police officers and soldiers.
If you have an alternate plan to end gun violence on a policy level, I'd read it with interest.

[diana_prince]

Should we be so quick to jump into a debate about gun control?

I have questions about how the shooter was here in the U.S. on a student visa -- did we not make more stringent policies about issuing student visas after one of the 9/11 hijackers was here on a student visa? Have we forgotten about that? Was there a connection between the bomb threats the week prior to these shootings? Did the school administrators respond appropriately after the first shooting? The people in charge will have to answer these questions.

This is a very sad day in our country, a massacre on a college campus. This generation is going to have so many memorable and violent times etched into their collective minds, from Columbine to 9/11 to this. We really need to understand what these times are doing to them, that it is changing them.

[threefive]

If you have an alternate plan to end gun violence on a policy level, I'd read it with interest.

I am not God. I can't devise a plan to end poverty or eradicate all disease, why would I be able to come up with a plan to end gun violence? Anyone who suggests they have such a plan is a fool.

The only plan I am qualified to offer is my own personal plan for the protection of me and my family. On this thread (and in many other instances, as it is a hot topic with academics) I have been called a horrible person because I carry a gun, even though I have never and (Lord willing) never will fire a shot in anger.

[dr_evil]

You know, one of the most touching emails I've gotten today was from a dear friend in South Africa.

Yes, that was very touching, illuminata.  Thank you for sharing it with us.

[magimax]

Larry King had Dr. Phil and a woman (I didn't catch her name) who was also apparently a counselor.  They discussed briefly the connection between availability of guns and violent crimes, and her comment struck me - she shared that her son is studying in England and has told her about instances when people knived people randomly, even one where a guy attacked numerous people in a supermarket with a knife.  Her summary was, if a person wants to commit violence, s/he will however s/he can. 

Granted, there may have been fewer casualties with a knife.