Speechless
A gunman opened fire in a dorm and classroom at Virginia Tech on Monday, killing21 peopleat least 30 people in the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history. The gunman was killed but it was unclear if he was shot by police or took his own life.
"Today the university was struck with a tragedy that we consider of monumental proportions," said Virginia Tech president Charles Steger. "The university is shocked and indeed horrified."
Words fail.
UPDATE: Words failed me, but not, apparently, President Bush:
A White House spokesman said President Bush was horrified by the rampage and offered his prayers to the victims and the people of Virginia.
"The president believes that there is a right for people to bear arms, but that all laws must be followed," spokeswoman Dana Perino said.
Words continue to be inadequate.
Since 1949, Durhamites have slept soundly, secure in the knowledge that, in our town, erection can be depended upon. Now, thanks to the power of the internets, we can spread that security all over the world.
3 Comments:
As long as Americans cherish their right to bear arms, I will be outraged and appalled, but not shocked, by such incidents. When this happens in England or German, I'm shocked; you usually can't kill 30 people at once with a knife.
(I know we're about to hear a lot of, "Guns don't kill people; people kill people". Yes, but people with guns kill more people than people without guns).
As a great American civil servant once said, "Freedom's untidy, and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things".
By
toastie, at 11:42 PM
To clarify, I am devastated when I read about the victims and imagine the pain of their loved ones.
My coldness is directed towards the media who ask questions like, "Are our schools safe?" and try to pretend that they haven't been salivating over the chance to cover another Columbine for the past 8 years.
And now I read about the gun-toters blaming Va Tech because the state allows everyone to carry concealed weapons but the campus bans them. If only everyone could have had a gun yesterday, this probably would have been resolved without so much carnage, they argue.
By
toastie, at 11:41 AM
If only everyone could have had a gun yesterday, this probably would have been resolved without so much carnage, they argue.
Which explains, of course, why Iraq is the oasis of tranquility that it is today.
By
Barry, at 12:00 PM
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