Monday, April 16, 2007

Thirty-three dead in mass shooting at VA Tech

Call me an asshole if you will, but do you think Don Imus secretly wishes that he could have just, y'know, waited about a week or two?

Here's a running timeline on all the news, as it happens.

4 comments:

Rev. Joshua said...

The proprietor of one of the political blogs I read, Balloon Juice, made the same observation much to the consternation of some of his readers. I don't see the need for hand wringing about the statement; it's true and it's a valid observation given our media-driven 24-hour-a-day news fetish. Making that point doesn't add to the tragedy unless the reader is a dainty old Victorian matron and no lives would be saved by not making the point.

I view things like this as Carlin does: entertainment. Sure, here's a qualifier: it's a terrible thing to experience as a victim or friend or family member of a victim and I'd prefer to avoid such incidents, but my feelings on the matter don't change a damn thing about it.

I first saw the shooting on USAToday.com when I arrived at work around 11 AM, but the death toll at that point was one. At lunch, 3-and-a-half hours later, the shooter must have picked up the pace, as the body count had ratcheted up to 31.

Nate said...

And I want to add, good for Michael Vick, who, according to the newslink I put in the original post, is setting up a financial aid foundation to help survivors and to contribute to improving student life at VA Tech. I remember Michael Vick was big time when I was still in school getting my Masters, so I think that's a classy act. Almost makes you forget that he used to give girls herpes under the pseudonym Ron Mexico.

Rev. Joshua said...

Did you go to VaTech?

Nate said...

I went to Radford University, which is about 20 minutes away from Blacksburg.

VA Tech is one awe-inspiring campus; very large and very pretty. They're library was awesome. Almost all of the buildings look like castles.

I guess my comments on the situation at Virginia Tech are a backlash toward media coverage, how they can cover Anna Nicole Smith and Don Imus to death, but they really eat it when it comes to more serious news items.

I'm surprised that no one has put up an interview with Don Imus about the tragedy, as in, why the fuck would Don Imus' thoughts about the tragedy have any relevance at any other point in time, other than a few days removed from his meeting with the girls on that basketball team that he called "nappy headed hos?"

I surmised elsewhere that mental health or terrorism would be outed to blame, and come to find out now that it looks like mental health is holding the full house on that one. Yippee, fucking skippee.