Virginia Tech Shootings
First: To everyone affected by this tradegy, my deepest condolences. I know several VT alumni, and I know several folks that have kids going to VT. Thankfully, no one I know has been physically injured as a result, but the emotional scars run really deep. My heart goes out to them specifically, and to the whole VT community as a whole.
Secondly: to the media. STOP IT!
Last time I checked a background in security, or campus administration was not a requirement for reporting the news. Do you really think that your reporting is helping? Do you think asking the students who they feel is to blame is news? Do you think we are not already reminded of Columbine? I do not really think that 24 hours of coverage is justified, do you? Especially when you have only about 15 minutes of news to report. How many times do you have to repeat the same information? And, do you really think that Dr. Phil is really going to contribute anything worth repeating? Make a life choice people. Get rid of useless talking heads.
Lastly: To everyone.
Before you decide the school administration is to blame because they did not lock down the campus after the first shooting, please ask yourself: What would I have done in the same situation?
Just remember that hindsight is always 20-20. It is easy to say what should have been done. Not so easy to predict it before hand.
What if? What if the second wave of shootings was not related to the first? What if the e-mail saying that two people have been killed was what triggered another shooting? What if? What if that e-mail came out immediately following the first shooting, and it triggered a shooting immediately? Then the administration would be blasted for triggering another shooting.
When you play monday morning quarterback, you can always point out where the mistakes were made. How about playing Sunday quarterback? Not so easy is it?
Secondly: to the media. STOP IT!
Last time I checked a background in security, or campus administration was not a requirement for reporting the news. Do you really think that your reporting is helping? Do you think asking the students who they feel is to blame is news? Do you think we are not already reminded of Columbine? I do not really think that 24 hours of coverage is justified, do you? Especially when you have only about 15 minutes of news to report. How many times do you have to repeat the same information? And, do you really think that Dr. Phil is really going to contribute anything worth repeating? Make a life choice people. Get rid of useless talking heads.
Lastly: To everyone.
Before you decide the school administration is to blame because they did not lock down the campus after the first shooting, please ask yourself: What would I have done in the same situation?
- All evidence indicated that the first shooting was in isolated incident.
- The area around the first shooting was locked down.
- It would not be unreasonable to assume that the shooter had fled the campus. (Would you stick around after you shot two people?)
- After sufficient information was collected, a message was distributed to the general student population. It was purely coincidence that the rampage in Norris Hall happened soon after that e-mail was sent out.
Just remember that hindsight is always 20-20. It is easy to say what should have been done. Not so easy to predict it before hand.
What if? What if the second wave of shootings was not related to the first? What if the e-mail saying that two people have been killed was what triggered another shooting? What if? What if that e-mail came out immediately following the first shooting, and it triggered a shooting immediately? Then the administration would be blasted for triggering another shooting.
When you play monday morning quarterback, you can always point out where the mistakes were made. How about playing Sunday quarterback? Not so easy is it?
posted by CBMTTek | 16:27
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