Memorial stone of Matthew Joseph La Porte on 4/16/08. Photo by Brian Sewell. -- Original Source: http://flickr.com/photos/briansewell/2419170521/in/set-72157604577382666/
LA TRISTEZA Y LA DESOLACIÓN, OSCURECIERON LOS CIELOS Y LOS CORAZONES DE BLACKSBURG
Publicado por Carmen Moreno Martín Miércoles, 18 de Abril de 2007 11:28 En la universidad de Virginia Tech -clicad aquí- se vivieron momentos en los que el sin sentido y el pánico fueron los únicos rectores de las conductas. Treinta y dos personas, más el presunto asesino, murieron a balazos. El presunto autor de la matanza era un muchacho, dicen que solitario, pero un muchacho, que tenía, al parecer, dos pistolas; y las tenía porque las había comprado con toda naturalidad. El caso es que en EEUU se compran armas como si de comprar piruletas se tratara, y cualquiera que tenga más de 21 años y unos antecedentes penales limpios, puede comprarlas y portarlas sin ningún problema, y en Virginia es aún más fácil obtenerlas. Escuchaba en las noticias que en EEUU hay casi doscientas mil pistolas en los armarios y cajones de los ciudadanos. El caso es que el derecho a poseer un arma de fuego es en ese país un derecho constitucional y que cada vez que el debate sobre el tema surge, los intereses de la industria y de las asociaciones y núcleos de presión, tienen más fuerza y más poder que la vida y ganan la partida: los derechos humanos, la razón y el sentido común se desvanecen y la muerte vence. No es la primera vez que este tipo de matanzas se da en EEUU, pero la universidad de Virginia Tech, se ha llevado trágicamente la palma. Bush se dirigía a los familiares y estudiantes diciendo algo así como que el problema era que los muertos habían estado en un lugar equivocado, en un momento equivocado... Pero ni el lugar ni el momento eran erróneos porque los muertos, que eran estudiantes y profesores, estaban donde debían: en la universidad; y el momento era el adecuado: el inicio de las clases de la mañana. Lo equivoco, lo erróneo, lo desafortunado y lo criminal -además de tener que sufrir a un presidente tan sumamente necio- es el hecho de no haber acabado ya con la facilidad de adquirir armas y de portarlas. Clinton promulgó una ley prohibiendo portar armas de asalto -armas de fuego-, que si bien no prohibía la venta, algo era algo...Pero en 2004, Bush la paralizó. Cierto que nadie puede prever que un sociópata, o un psicópata, o cualquier otro perturbado la emprenda a tiros, pero ¿cuántas matanzas serán necesarias aún para que en ese país comprendan que los tiempos del lejano oeste terminaron y que no es muy civilizado el ir abatiendo personas como si fueran los platos que se lanzan en el tiro al blanco? Y por otro lado, ¿es realmente un sociópata, o un psicópaqta, o un perturbado mental, el autor de los crímenes y de su propio suicidio? ¿O es la sociedad consumista, capitalista y aisladora la que está enferma, la que ha caído en una anómia total al presentar una ruptura total entre los fines y los medios? Es muy fácil achacarlo todo al ámbito psiquiátrico, pero presumo que en este caso son varios los factores propiciadores del problema, y la sociedad no está exenta de culpa. En fin, terrible tragedia. Expreso desde aquí mis condolencias a los familiares y amigos de los fallecidos y el ruego enardecido de que cambien esas leyes sobre la tenencia de armas lo antes posible. Carmen Moreno Martín Alias Hannah -- Fuente Original: Ser Rizomatico http://serrizomatico.blogia.com/2007/041803-la-tristeza-y-la-desolacion-oscurecieron-los-cielos-y-los-corazones-de-blacksbur.php Licencia de uso: Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-SinObraDerivada 2.5 España.
Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-SinObraDerivada 2.5 España
La universidad de Virginia Tech reanuda clases tras la tragedia
Por Andrea Hopkins 23.04.2007 - 23:01h BLACKSBURG, Virginia (Reuters) - Los estudiantes de la universidad de Virginia Tech, portando 33 banderas blancas que representaban a las víctimas y al responsable del tiroteo más trágico de la historia de Estados Unidos, reanudaron las clases una semana después de la masacre. Justo antes de las primeras clases del lunes, el grupo de estudiantes que llevaba las banderas marchó sobre el campus acompañado de un grupo de tambores y trompetas que tocaron 'America the Beautiful' para recordar a los 27 estudiantes, 5 profesores y al asesino Seung-Hui Cho. A las 9:46 a.m. la campaña de la universidad sonó 32 veces y se soltaron 23 globos, señalando los momentos en los que hace una semana Cho, de 23 años, disparaba a sus víctimas en un edificio de clases cercano. Segundos después, se soltaron un millar de globos naranjas y marrones, y llenaron el cielo de los colores de la escuela. Miles de estudiantes, empleados de la universidad y residentes de la ciudad se reunieron en el campo de entrenamiento para ver las ceremonias en silencio, algunos lloraban silenciosamente y otros se abrazaban dándose consuelo. Cuando finalizó, los estudiantes fueron silenciosamente a sus clases, listos para volver a la normalidad tras una semana de duelo, ceremonias emotivas y estar en el punto de mira de los medios de comunicación. La universidad ha dicho que las clases eran opcionales para todos los estudiantes, pero la asistencia fue alta en general, según dijeron los responsables de la escuela en una conferencia de prensa. 'Yo quería volver aquí con mis amigos, porque ellos entienden lo que ha pasado', dijo el estudiante de primero de ingeniería John Meyer, de 18 años, cuando se dirigía a su clase de cálculo. Meyer afirmó que había vuelto a su casa de Frankfort, Kentucky, para estar unos días con su familia, pero nunca se cuestionó volver a terminar las últimas semanas del año escolar. Aún siguen las preguntas sobre cómo Cho, que había sido investigado por dos denuncias de acoso en 2005 y tratado por una enfermedad mental, pudo comprar las dos pistolas que usó en la masacre. La universidad y la policía del campus también se han enfrentado a críticas por su manejo de la tragedia tras el primer tiroteo en el dormitorio, que sucedió dos horas antes de que Cho volviera al otro lado del campus y matara a otras 30 personas. -- Fuente Original: 20 Minutos.es -- España http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/226427/0/VIRGINIA/CLASES/ Derechos Reservados: Creative Commons Reconocimiento 2.1 España.
Creative Commons Reconocimiento 2.1 España
The week after the tragedy,people got together to mourn for the victims around the drillfield.
Memorial stone of Jarrett Lee Lane on 4/16/08. Photo by Brian Sewell. -- Original Source: http://flickr.com/photos/briansewell/2419171591/in/set-72157604577382666/
Las caras inmigrantes de la masacre de Virginia Tech
Publicado por La bloguera en Mayo 2, 2007 04:24 PM La peor masacre escolar en la historia de Estados Unidos, que dejó un saldo de 33 muertos en la Universidad de Virginia Tech, ha generado más interrogantes que respuestas, y mientras la nación está de luto muchos se preguntan cómo afectará ésta tragedia la imagen del inmigrante en este país. La prensa repite constantemente que el asesino, Cho Seung-Hui, emigró de Corea a los 8 años. Antes de sus escalofriantes actos, la historia del joven es similar a la de muchas familias inmigrantes. Sus padres que emigraron buscando un futuro mejor, durante años trabajaron en una lavandería, y seguramente estaban orgullosos que sus hijos fueran a la universidad. Inicialmente, Cho Seung-Hui, fue blanco de las burlas por no saber inglés, pero eventualmente aprendió el idioma, y se podría decir que incluso absorbió los aspectos más violentos de esta sociedad, donde los tiroteos en las escuelas parecen repetirse sin sentido. Ahora sus padres viven "una horrible pesadilla" según un comunicado de la familia que agrega que nunca se imaginaron la capacidad de violencia de su hijo quien "ha puesto a llorar al mundo". Pero esta masacre también tiene otra cara inmigrante que no ha recibido tanta atención de los medios. Las víctimas, los héroes y los dolientes de esta tragedia, también tienen rostro inmigrante y desde Perú, Puerto Rico, Indonesia, India, Líbano, Polonia, Vietnam, Canadá y los Emiratos Arabes Unidos, llegaron para cumplir su sueño americano estudiando o enseñando en Virginia Tech. El profesor Liviu Librescu, nacido en Polonia, se interpuso ante las balas tratando de salvar la vida de sus estudiantes. El maestro bloqueó la puerta del salón, mientras le urgía a sus estudiantes que se tiraran al piso. El estudiante peruano, Daniel Pérez Cueva de 21 años, también murió en el tiroteo. Su madre Betty Cueva lo recuerda como un joven alegre, que sin embargo asumió grandes responsabilidades familiares tras la deportación de su padre a Perú y se pagaba sus estudios para no incomodar a su familia. Juan Ramón Ortiz de Puerto Rico, también fue víctima de la masacre. Su padre, al ser entrevistado desde Puerto Rico, dio un ejemplo de compasión al mundo, al decir entre lágrimas, que también había que orar por la familia del asesino. Al igual que ese fatídico 11 de septiembre, con la masacre en Virginia Tech, los inmigrantes sufren en carne propia las tragedias nacionales, pero a la vez son una parte integral y necesaria para cicatrizar estas heridas y luchar por un mejor país. -- Fuente Original: Los Blogueros - Washington, DC. http://www.losblogueros.net/mt-weblog/2007/05/las_caras_inmigrantes_de_la_ma.html
Latest news: Investigators, loved ones try to reconcile the 2 sides of NIU gunman
Photo: ALAN LEON | RRSTAR.COM Ken Shold, an NIU almunus and father of a current student, sheds tears while praying in front of Cole Hall on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008, on the Northern Illinois University campus in DeKalb. Story: Feb 16, 2008 @ 09:40 PM RRSTAR.COM, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, GATEHOUSE NEWS SERVICE AND ESPN.COM DEKALB - A look at those who died in the shootings Visit the NIU February 14 Student Scholarship Fund For more coverage, read our special report Steven Kazmierczak had the look of a boyish graduate student — except for the disturbing tattoos that covered his arms. 9:40 p.m. NIU plans scholarship fund in honor of victims Authorities at NIU said they were creating a scholarship fund in honor of the slain students and also are discussing how to build a permanent on-campus memorial. 8:18 p.m. Virginia Tech plans virgil for NIU shooting victims Virginia Tech plans to have a candlelight vigil on Monday to show support for those affected by the shootings at Northern Illinois University. Hokies United, the student group that formed after the April shootings at Virginia Tech that left 33 dead, organized the vigil and has asked the university community to wear NIU's school colors of red and black as a sign of support and solidarity on Monday. Hokies United will also temporarily lay a red and black Hokie Stone near the campus memorial dedicated to those who lost their lives in the April 16 shootings. Students plan to deliver the stone to Northern Illinois, in DeKalb, Ill., in a week or so. On Thursday, a 27-year-old former NIU student opened fire on a geology class, killing five people before committing suicide. The shooting brought back horrific memories for the Virginia Tech community, still reeling from its own tragedy. Many people on campus donned red and black on Friday in a show of support. The latest shooting also left some families of the Virginia Tech victims feeling anguished. "It just brings it all back. I can't imagine what they're going through, but I know what they're going through," said Suzanne Grimes, whose son Kevin Sterne was injured in the Tech shootings and appeared in a now-famous photograph being carried by rescue workers with a tourniquet around his leg. "I feel their pain, and I feel their loss." Sterne, who returned to Blacksburg to pursue a master's degree, is deeply upset by the latest shootings, and is concerned about entering a classroom, said Grimes, of Eighty Four, Pa. He hopes to reach out to the victims' families and the survivors of the Illinois shooting, she said. Virginia Tech president Charles Steger also expressed sympathy for the NIU community. "This horrific news will certainly bring to mind the hurt, pain, and trauma we experienced less than a year ago," Steger wrote in a message posted on the university's web site. "I have sent my condolences and offer of assistance to the president of NIU. Our university community was bolstered and comforted by the outpouring of support from campuses around the nation and the world," Steger said. "I am sure that expressions of support from the Virginia Tech community will mean much to that now suffering campus community." 6:15 p.m. Students agree closing Cole Hall right move The decision to close Cole Hall, the scene of Thursday's shootings that left six dead, was the right one, said Lee Blank, an NIU student working toward a postgraduate journalism degree. "It would just be wrong ethically, I think, to have to open that building up again and go to class there," he said. The school has asked faculty members to return to campus Tuesday and classes will resume Feb. 25. Teachers and staff will receive extensive training on how to help students cope with returning to class. Student associations are putting a series of activities and events together to keep students busy during the days ahead. All university events, including athletic competitions, remain canceled through Feb. 24. "The last thing on people's minds right now is going back to class," said NIU junior Michelle Rzepka, who said she'd spend Monday attending the funeral of fellow classmate Daniel Parmenter. NIU will increase police presence when classes resume. The school's 45 to 50 sworn officers will be bolstered by private security guards, and police officers from DeKalb and surrounding counties will be added, NIU spokeswoman Melanie Magara said. An extra week will be added to the school year. The May 10 graduation commencement has been rescheduled to May 17. Officials have made no decision about how to handle questions about academic grades or refunds for students who do not return to school immediately or at all. Magara offered no new details about the ongoing investigation into the shooting. Authorities intend to interview the 160 or so people who were in the Cole Hall auditorium where the shooting took place, but those interviews aren't yet finished, she said. She read a written statement from NIU President John Peters, who urged students, faculty and residents to "take care of ourselves and take care of each other" as the community copes in the days and weeks ahead. "Let us continue to show the world that an act of violence does not define us," Peters said. 5:04 p.m. Classes at NIU to resume Feb. 25 Classes at Northern Illinois University will be postponed for another week, with students scheduled to return Feb. 25, the university announced this afternoon. Faculty and staff will return Tuesday, according to Melanie Margara, assistant vice president of public affairs. Margara said the weeklong delay will mean a week will be added to the end of the semester. She said this week will be used to train staff on how to work with students in the aftermath of the shooting and give the university staff and students time to recover from the event. "In the end, the decision ... ultimately gave us a little more breathing time," she said. Margara said Cole Hall, the building where the shooting took place, will be closed for the rest of the academic year. Beyond that, its future is unknown. 4:57 p.m. Seven victims of NIU shooting remain hospitalized Seven people remain hospitalized after the shooting at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Three of the patients are listed in serious condition -- including one who was upgraded from critical. The other four patients are listed in fair condition. They are at hospitals in DeKalb, Rockford, Downers Grove and Chicago. A 27-year-old graduate student from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign killed five people in a NIU lecture hall Thursday before killing himself. 3:35 p.m. Mother of victim retains her faith in goodness After learning of the death of her son, it would have been easy for Linda Greer to withdraw into her grief and shun the rest of the world. But the Elmhurst resident publicly reaffirmed her faith in God and her hope for humanity, even while family and friends struggled to cope with the tragedy that took her son's life. Dan Parmenter, a 20-year-old sophomore at Northern Illinois University, died Thursday after a former NIU student shot and killed five people in a classroom before taking his own life. Shortly after a vigil held Friday evening, Greer shared her thoughts about her son with members of the media. "He was always special," Greer said. "From the time he was a little boy, he was fearless, and he was inquisitive and he loved people. And the character traits just continued to grow as he did." Greer said her son grew up in Elmhurst and became an integral part of the community. And though she wasn't pleased that Parmenter joined a fraternity when he went away to NIU, he used the occasion to do some good by organizing bingo nights with his frat brothers at a nursing home, Greer said. Greer expressed her hope that the goodness in people like her son will triumph over the evil that took his life. "I just want people to know that Dan is gone. It was evil that his life was taken," Greer said. "There is no way to make sense of it. But because I know that so many people are praying for us and are holding us up, there is hope for the future. Evil is not going to overcome good in this world as long as there are people of God and people are praying." The Friday vigil was held at Elmhurst Presbyterian Church, just southeast of York Community High School. Parmenter graduated from York in 2006. 3:29 p.m. NIU response helped by Virginia Tech lessons Northern Illinois University's response to Thursday's shooting rampage may have been helped by what state officials learned from last year's massacre at Virginia Tech University. A Campus Safety Task Force was created to see what could be learned from the Virginia Tech incident and how those lessons could be implemented here. Representatives from state colleges and universities, including NIU, attended task force meetings. One of the most important lessons discussed was getting information to students as quickly as possible. "The response at Northern Illinois, from our standpoint, was extraordinary," said Mike Chamness, chairman of the Illinois Terrorism Task Force. Students were notified within 20 minutes that a shooting occurred, to take cover and stay away from some parts of the campus, Chamness said. At Virginia Tech, it took more than two hours to issue an alert. Students at NIU also were relaying text messages to each other. One idea discussed by the task force was that colleges should use multiple means to convey an emergency message to students, including encouraging the use of text messaging. Rep. Rich Myers, R-Colchester, said Western Illinois University in his district just went through a drill to notify students in case of emergency. "They sent text messages to cell phones, voice mail, e-mail," Myers said. "As I understand it, it was a very successful test." What to do after an emergency is only part of the task force's responsibility. It is also examining prevention. A full report is scheduled to be delivered April 1. "A mental health survey is still being completed," Chamness said. "That purpose is to look at ways to identify potential issues and how to deal with those, how to get help to those people." That will probably require the assistance of students themselves. "Be alert. If you see something that looks suspicious, don't be shy or embarrassed about picking up the phone and calling law enforcement authorities," Chamness advised. "You may be the person who helps prevent something." At the same time, Chamness said there didn't seem to be the "red flags" in the NIU case that there were at Virginia Tech. "I don't think there's a panacea out there for how you stop this," he said. "You're talking about somebody who walked into a classroom." Chamness said state officials will meet with NIU staff in coming weeks to assess what happened and what parts of the response plan worked and if any didn't. Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, said he wants two House committees — Higher Education and Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness — to convene a joint session in a few weeks to review the NIU situation. "I want to have a joint hearing once reports are released and more information can be obtained as to how we can be better informed and better prepared," said Brady whose district includes Illinois State University. "Even though it looks like everyone worked in synch, there's always something to learn." 3:18 p.m. Godfather of NIU shooter: Reunion planned for today Richard Grafer was supposed to have breakfast with his godson Saturday. Instead, Grafer is mourning him. Grafer, godfather to NIU gunman Steven Kazmierczak, said he lost touch with his godson about 15 years ago, when the boy was 12. He wouldn't say why. it changed about four weeks ago, when Kazmierczak called Grafer at about 10:30 p.m. to reconnect. "He says, 'Hi, Uncle Rich.' I said 'Who is this?'" Grafer said in a phone interview this morning. "He told me it was Stephen." The conversation led to an apology from Grafer for not showing up when Kazmierczak's mother, Gail, died in September 2006. They talked about fishing together, which they'd done in the past, Grafer said. "We had a lot of fun together," he said. "He was a good kid." Grafer said he thought Kazmierczak had a girlfriend, though he did not know her name. He also said he was unaware of what kind of medication Kazmierczak had been taking before he stopped, which made him "erratic" over the past several weeks, authorities have said, before he shot and killed five NIU students and himself Thursday at Cole Hall. Grafer and Kazmierczak, 27, would have reunited today. "This is hard for me. He was supposed to stay at my house today," Grafer said. "He said he wanted to get back in touch and do things." 2:24 p.m. Blackhawks to honor victims of NIU tragedy The Chicago Blackhawks announced today that they will pay their respects to the six lives that were lost in the tragic shooting on the campus of nearby Northern Illinois University by wearing a Huskies decal on the back of their helmets for the game Sunday against the Colorado Avalanche. The decal will be a replica of the overlay of a black ribbon and Northern Illinois Huskies logo that appears on the university's official Web site. The team will also observe a moment of silence before the anthem for Sunday's game to allow fans to pay their respects to six bright young lives that were senselessly taken from us. The team will wear the decals for their road game against St. Louis on Tuesday and again at home against Minnesota on Wednesday. 1 p.m. NIU athletic department implemented crisis plan after Va. Tech shootings After the Virginia Tech shootings in April, the Northern Illinois athletic department upgraded its emergency crisis plan, just in case. "You hope you never have to use it," athletic director Jim Phillips said. Tragically, the plan was put into action Thursday afternoon after a 27-year-old man walked into Cole Hall and opened fire at 3:07 p.m., killing five students before taking his own life at the school's DeKalb., Ill., campus. No student-athletes were among the dead or wounded. Drew Jeskey, a midfielder on the Huskies soccer team, was in the lecture hall during the shooting but escaped. Tim Mayerbock, an offensive guard on the school's football team, was just outside Cole Hall at the time of the shooting and helped a wounded student. "The student got hit with some pellets off of one of the shotgun shells, was not in critical condition but was certainly injured," Phillips told ESPN.com on Friday night. "Tim and his friend helped the kid to safety and also took him to the hospital. He really jumped in at a horrific moment." The tragedy hit especially close for Phillips, who received a message from his wife late Thursday night that their niece was in the lecture hall but didn't attend because she was sick. "Our hearts are broken, and our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families," Phillips said. "But we will not be deterred. We're going to get stronger from this event." Phillips was in a meeting at the athletic department offices Thursday afternoon when university president John Peters called to inform him of the shooting. Department staff members immediately contacted the school's 17 varsity head coaches, who started the process of accounting for all of their athletes. Phillips went to inform the women's basketball team, which was practicing at the Convocation Center when the shootings occurred. He also had NIU's academic advisor check if any athletes were attending the geology class. They found out several hours after the shooting that Jeskey was safe. "I'm very proud of our staff and our coaches," Phillips said. "We were able to get a hold of all of our kids through text messaging, e-mails, phone calls, voicemails, cell phones, on-campus phones. I pray that we never have to go through this horrific tragedy ever again." After an emergency meeting with the school's administration, Phillips cancelled all athletic activities scheduled for the weekend. Athletes were given the option to go home, and counselors were provided for those who remained on campus. No decision has been made on when athletic events will resume. Teams likely will make tributes to the shooting victims. "It's still a little bit premature," Phillips said. "We're certainly going to do something. To what extent, we haven't made any final decisions." Phillips spent much of Thursday night with Peters and other school officials at Kishwaukee Community Hospital, where 18 gunshot victims were transported. Around 10:30 p.m., he spoke with Virginia Tech athletic director Jim Weaver. "He was absolutely wonderful," Phillips said. "I just tried to seek his guidance and counsel to make sure we were making the proper decisions. He felt like we were doing a very good job. That was reaffirming." 12:22 p.m. Media at NIU 'just doing their jobs' Camera lenses from around the world focused on DeKalb this week, dwarfing this university town of about 40,000 residents with their presence. Hundreds of reporters swarmed the campus after it played an unlikely home to the country's third deadliest college shooting in history when Stephen Kazmierczak shot and killed five of his classmates and turned the gun on himself on the stage of Cole Hall. By early Friday morning, a Fox News helicopter buzzed above King Commons, drowning the whispers of several students praying below. The news crews stuck around Friday, perching their satellites and umbrella reflectors outside Altgeld Hall before filling the auditorium. Reporters inside donned badges from outlets as far away as they Los Angeles Times, TIME magazine and Spanish-language network Telemundo. Waiting for debriefings, they slugged down coffee and swapped memories of other national tragedies they've covered. Afterward, they staked out every cranny of the campus; antennae peeped from behind rows of stone buildings. The scene was decidedly quieter Saturday morning. Altgeld Hall, which served as a kind of hostel for media, sat empty. But growling TV trucks sat stationed at hotels around DeKalb, waiting to make their next move. "I think it's good," resident David Castro said of the extra attention the community is receiving, though he never expected it. "They're just doing their jobs." Castro works at Black Stone Restaurant on Lincoln Highway, where patrons on Friday seemed equally fixated by media accounts of the massacre. At breakfast, they're eyes were glued to televisions where scrolling headlines pumped details of the violence. "You really don't think it's here, in your home town," resident Jim Smith said. "It feels like it's happening somewhere else." 11:18 a.m. NIU students search for distractions Dennis Hadley walked out of a candlelight vigil in the Holmes Student Center with tear-stained eyes. But by Sunday, the DeKalb native will be through with crying. He is packing up his wife Susan and daughter Bethany and driving to the Chicago Auto Show. "It's a distraction," said Hadley, a 44-year-old graduate student enrolled in NIU's accounting program. "For a few hours, I'll fantasize about this new car or that new car." Hadley's Huskie roots run deep. His father worked at the university as a janitor and security guard. His uncle worked there as an equipment manager. His wife is a graduate, and his daughter is a senior who plans to graduate alongside her father in May. "You never think a tragedy like this will happen in your hometown," Hadley said. "This is the stuff that happens on TV. It happens somewhere else. It's not supposed to happen in a rural community like this, but it has. We're not safe out here anymore, out here in our corn." Talking about the tragedy is helping Hadley cope. He spent Friday and Saturday e-mailing and phoning students and colleagues he works alongside. They swapped stories about where they were when the campus was locked down and the minutes and hours that followed the shooting rampage Thursday. Hadley was in an accounting class with 30 other students at Barsema Hall, a block and a half northeast of Cole Hall where the shooting occurred. "Everyone's cell phones started going off and we knew something was wrong," he said. "But then we tried calling people and none of our phones worked because the lines were overloaded. We we're stuck inside the building until sometime after 4 p.m. I wasn't able to talk to my wife until about 4:45 p.m. I didn't talk to my daughter until 7:30 p.m. that night. Everyone I knew was fine. Shaken, but fine." Hadley said he's been crying a lot. His daughter Bethany, an NIU gymnast working toward an education degree, didn't want to go with her dad to the vigil today. "She wanted to sleep instead," her father said. "I know time will heal the wounds, I just don't know how much time." 10:24 a.m.: Police seize computer from hotel where gunman stayed Steven Kazmierczak checked into a hotel near campus three days before carrying out his deadly shooting spree at Northern Illinois University, paying cash and signing his name only as "Steven" on a slip of paper, according to the hotel manager. Kazmierczak last was seen at the Travelodge, where he smoked cigarettes and downed energy drinks and cold medicine, on Tuesday, hotel manager Jay Patel said. A newspaper report said that authorities found a duffel bag that Kazmierczak had left in the room, the zippers glued shut. A bomb squad was called, but investigators found ammunition inside the bag, the newspaper reported, citing law-enforcement sources. Kazmierczak also left behind a laptop computer, which was seized by investigators, Patel told The Associated Press today. "It's scary," said Patel, adding that he called police when he found the laptop and clothes, but "nobody's in the room." The discoveries added to the puzzles surrounding Kazmierczak, a 27-year-old graduate student some called quiet, dependable and fun-loving who returned to his alma mater on Valentine's Day, leaving five people dead before turning a gun on himself. A former employee at a Chicago psychiatric treatment center said Kazmierczak was placed there after high school by his parents. She said he used to cut himself, and had resisted taking his medications. He also had a short-lived stint as a prison guard that ended abruptly when he didn't show up for work. He was in the Army for about six months in 2001-02, but he told a friend he'd gotten a psychological discharge. Exactly what set Kazmierczak off, and why he picked his former university and that particular lecture hall, remained a mystery. On Thursday, Kazmierczak, armed with three handguns and a pump-action shotgun, stepped from behind a screen on the lecture hall's stage and opened fire on a geology class. He killed five students before committing suicide. University Police Chief Donald Grady said Friday that Kazmierczak had become erratic in the past two weeks after he stopped taking his medication. Kazmierczak spent more than a year at the Thresholds-Mary Hill House in the late 1990s, former house manager Louise Gbadamashi told The Associated Press. His parents placed him there after high school because he had become "unruly" at home, she said. Gbadamashi said she couldn't remember any instances of him being violent. "He never wanted to identify with being mentally ill," she said. "That was part of the problem." The attack was baffling to many of those who knew him. "Steve was the most gentle, quiet guy in the world. ... He had a passion for helping people," said Jim Thomas, an emeritus professor of sociology and criminology at Northern Illinois who taught Kazmierczak, promoted him to a teacher's aide and became his friend. Kazmierczak once told Thomas about getting a discharge from the Army. "It was no major deal, a kind of incompatibility discharge — for a state of mind, not for any behavior," Thomas said. "He was concerned that that on his record might be a stigma." Kazmierczak enlisted in September 2001, but was discharged in February 2002 for an "unspecified" reason, Army spokesman Paul Boyce said. He worked from Sept. 24 to Oct. 9 as a corrections officer at the Rockville Correctional Facility, a medium-security prison in Rockville, Ind. His tenure there ended when "he just didn't show up one day," Indiana prisons spokesman Doug Garrison said. 9:16 a.m.: NIU still unsure when classes will resume NIU administrators are "still pondering" when the campus will open and classes will restart, Pat Erickson, a university spokeswoman, said this morning. Erickson said administrators are meeting sometime this morning to discuss how to proceed. She was unaware of any plans for the future of Cole Hall, where Stephen Kazmierczak shot and killed five students and himself Thursday. Classes and events at NIU since have been canceled. "(Administrators) are taking in all the information as they're getting it," said Erickson, who did not know when more information about NIU's future would be made public. She is steering people to NIU's Web site, www.niu.edu, for more information. She said any new information would be posted as a "status update." 7:12 a.m.: NIU campus quieter; memorials draw attention The NIU campus is decidedly quieter this morning, as TV satellites and a flurry of reporters who stormed the campus Friday have appeared to disperse. Only a few photographers are lingering, milling about the makeshift memorials that have sprung up around campus. Students, who gathered last night for several candlelight vigils also have retreated. But their memorials continue to grow. At Lucinda Street and Normal Road, a memorial with candles and posters offering prayers and messages of support remains. And near the Holmes Student Center, students have placed a sign that reads "We Are NIU," where hundreds have signed their names and light candles. 6:20 a.m.: Tips offer help for grieving NIU students Northern Illinois University officials have issued a tip sheet for grieving students who are struggling to understand how a shooting rampage could take place on the university campus. The paper from the Counseling and Student Development Center and the American Psychological Association says it's typical for people to experience a variety of emotions after the tragic massacre. "You may find that you have trouble sleeping, concentrating, eating, or remembering even simple tasks," the paper states. "This is common and should pass after awhile. Over time the caring support of family and friends can help to lessen the emotional impact and ultimately make the changes brought by the tragedy more manageable." Tips include: Talk about it: Ask for support from people around you. They'll listen to your concerns and your feelings. They will comfort you. Counseling services are available through the NIU Counseling and Student Development Center. It can be reached at 815-753-1206. The center is in the Campus Life Building at the corner of Lucinda and Normal. Strive for balance: Balance pessimistic or negative outlooks or thoughts by reminding yourself of the people and events that are meaningful and comforting. Turn it off: Take a break from the news. Overexposing yourself to news of the tragedy can increase stress. Instead, focus on something you enjoy for awhile. Take care of yourself: Engage in healthy behaviors that help you cope. Exercise and eat healthy meals. Avoid alcohol or drugs because they might intensify emotional or physical pain. 6:06 a.m.: Cleanup crews leave; news crews remain at NIU Crews from Aftermath Inc., a company that specializes in cleaning after homicides, self-inflicted gunshot wounds and unintended deaths worked through the night at Cole Hall on the Northern Illinois University campus. The crews, dressed in plain clothes, appeared to complete their work just before 5 a.m., loading black garbage bags of materials into three utility vans before driving away. Cole Hall remains cordoned off behind yellow police tape. Meanwhile, media crews already are set up just beyond the police tape, preparing for another day of coverage of the tragedy. News vans that had parked just before 5 a.m. on the sidewalk outside of Kings Commons in view of Cole Hall, the scene of a bloody rampage Thursday, were told to relocate by police officers. 5:11 a.m.: Chambers of commerce set up NIU memorial fund The DeKalb and Sycamore chambers of commerce have established an NIU memorial fund through the DeKalb County Community Foundation. Donations may be sent to DCCF, 2600 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore, IL 60178. For information, call the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce, 815-756-6306. Donate online through PayPal on the National Bank & Trust Co. Web site. 5:02 a.m.: Private company begins Cole Hall cleanup A private company has begun cleaning up Cole Hall after Thursday's bloody rampage. Three utility vans with Aftermath Inc. painted on their side were spotted just before 5 a.m., parked outside the building on the NIU campus. Several men, some dressed in shorts and T-shirts, were seen carrying trash bags from the crime scene and placing them into the vans. According to its Web site, the Oswego-based company specializes in "crime scene and tragedy cleanup." 3:55 a.m.: Friends of NIU victim pay respects It's quiet on the Northern Illinois University campus where memorial candles still burn despite the severe cold and frigid breeze. Hours earlier, standing before one of several makeshift memorials scattered throughout the campus, Sarah Hilby and Ashley Leach embraced. They left three roses and candles in memory of those killed this week in a mass shooting. "We wanted to pay our respects at least in this way," said Leach, 20, an NIU sophomore. Both were friends with Daniel Parmenter, one of five NIU students killed Thursday afternoon by Stephen Kazmierczak, an NIU alumnus. "We knew (Parmenter) from freshman year," Leach said. "He was around our room a lot at Lincoln Hall." Dennis O'Brien, an auto mechanic in Oswego, said he came along to pay his respects. "It's just tough," O'Brien said. "It's an upsetting thing and to just pass it by, people don't pay attention, people don't care. Columbine is so far away you don't think it affects you. But this is so close it's a lot more upsetting." 2:12 a.m.: 'I wanted to be around people who could understand' Northern Illinois University alumnus Andrew Crow relit memorial candles, straightened others that had fallen over and tended the makeshift memorial on a hill bordering the Kings Commons shortly after midnight. From there, Cole Hall — where five students were shot to death and up to 18 others wounded before the gunman killed himself a day earlier — can be seen about 150 yards away. An electrical engineer who graduated in December 2005 from NIU, Crow said he needed this. Tending the memorial is his way of paying respect to the dead and wounded. "This is more for myself," Crow said. "I needed people who know what I was feeling. I wanted to be around people who could understand." In the wee, frigid hours of Saturday morning, dozens of folks are still walking from memorial to memorial, looking for solace. Looking for solidarity. And looking to come to grips with what, until Valentine's Day, had been unimaginable. Crosses taller than a man stand vigil at the corner of Lucinda and Normal just outside the Lutheran Campus Ministries. There, NIU student Amber Larson, 21, of Stillman Valley paused with friends to write a message. Larson said the vigils on campus have given her some measure of comfort as grief has replaced yesterday's shocked disbelief of the massacre. "The vigil was good," Larson said. "It was nice to have a sense of community and know people are there for us." 1:55 a.m.: Mourners pay respects for victims of 'selfish act' Northern Illinois University is a campus in stunned grief. Outside the Lutheran Campus Ministries stand six crosses about 6 feet tall symbolizing the six who were left dead after a vicious attack on a Geology 104 class in Cole Hall on Thursday. Across the street at the corner of Normal and Lucinda, dozens of candles and posters have been left by mourners on a snowbank. Bridget Buehler, 19, of DeKalb, a sophomore NIU student, left candles at the makeshift memorials, paying her respects to the dead. "Everyone is trying to band together," Buehler said. "I think everyone still thinks it's somewhat surreal. Growing up here has made it difficult to deal with. You never think something like this will happen in your town. I never felt unsafe here or worried about anything. I had a class in that room." Where once virtually all felt safe on this campus that's still surrounded by cornfields despite significant commercial growth over the past decade, that cloak of security has been ripped away. Dave Kupcinet of Chicago came here to pay his respects along with girlfriend Chrissy Clark, a student from Pacific College in Chicago. They came looking for answers. How could someone do something like this? But Kupcinet said perhaps he knew all along there would be no answers. "Parents feel their kids are in college, in a classroom or a dorm room and they are safe," Kupcinet said. "No place is safe anywhere. It's an unbelievable tragedy that something like this could happen. What a selfish act. It's hard to accept. I can't imagine your college carreer being broken apart by something like this. Why did it happen? Who knows." 1:22 a.m.: NIU gunman's deadly rampage baffles many who knew him If there is such a thing as a profile of a mass murderer, Steven Kazmierczak didn't fit it: outstanding student, engaging, polite and industrious, with what looked like a bright future in the criminal justice field. And yet on Thursday, the 27-year-old Kazmierczak, armed with three handguns and a brand-new pump-action shotgun he had carried onto campus in a guitar case, stepped from behind a screen on the stage of a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University and opened fire on a geology class. He killed five students before committing suicide. University Police Chief Donald Grady said, without giving details, that Kazmierczak had become erratic in the past two weeks after he had stopped taking his medication. But that seemed to come as news to many of those who knew him, and the attack itself was positively baffling. "We had no indications at all this would be the type of person that would engage in such activity," Grady said. He described the gunman as a good student during his time at NIU, and by all accounts a "fairly normal" person. But other details of his life emerged on Friday, including short-lived stints as a prison guard and service in the military. Kazmierczak enlisted in the Army in September 2001, but was discharged in February 2002 for an "unspecified" reason, Army spokesman Paul Boyce said. Late Friday, a former employee at a Chicago psychiatric treatment center told The Associated Press Kazmierczak was placed there after high school by his parents. She said he used to cut himself, and resisted taking his medications. And he worked briefly as a full-time correction officer at the Rockville Correctional Facility, an adult medium-security prison in Rockville, Ind., about 80 miles from Champaign. His tenure there lasted only from Sept. 24 to Oct. 9, 2007, after which Indiana prisons spokesman Doug Garrison said "he just didn't show up one day." He said he didn't know if Kazmierczak had tried to get his job back. Exactly what set Kazmierczak off — and why he picked his former university and that particular lecture hall — remained a mystery. Police said they found no suicide note. Authorities were searching for a woman who police believe may have been Kazmierczak's girlfriend. According to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is still under investigation, authorities were looking into whether Kazmierczak and the woman recently broke up. In Chicago, FBI spokesman Ross Rice said, "I know that we're looking for a roommate, but I don't know whether it is a girlfriend or not." Investigators learned that a week ago, on Feb. 9, Kazmierczak walked into a Champaign gun store and picked up two guns — the Remington shotgun and a Glock 9mm handgun. He bought the two other handguns at the same shop — a Hi-Point .380 on Dec. 30 and a Sig Sauer on Aug. 6. All four guns were bought legally from a federally licensed firearms dealer, said Thomas Ahern, a spokesman for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. At least one criminal background check was performed. Kazmierczak (pronounced kaz-MUR-chek) had no criminal record. Kazmierczak had a State Police-issued FOID, or firearms owners identification card, which is required in Illinois to own a gun, authorities said. Such cards are rarely issued to those with recent mental health problems. The application asks: "In the past five years have you been a patient in any medical facility or part of any medical facility used primarily for the care or treatment of persons for mental illness?" Kazmierczak, who went by Steve, graduated from NIU in 2007 and was a graduate student in sociology there before leaving last year and moving on to the graduate school of social work at the University of Illinois in Champaign, 130 miles away. Unlike Virginia Tech gunman Seung-Hui Cho — a sullen misfit who could barely look anyone in the eye, much less carry on a conversation — Kazmierczak appeared to fit in just fine. Chris Larrison, an assistant professor of social work, said Kazmierczak did data entry for Larrison's research grant on mental health clinics. Larrison was stunned by the shooting rampage, as was the gunman's faculty adviser, professor Jan Carter-Black. "He was engaging, motivated, responsible. I saw nothing to suggest that there was anything troubling about his behavior," she said. Carter-Black said Kazmierczak wanted to focus on mental health issues and enrolled in August in a course she taught about human behavior and the social environment, but withdrew in September because he had gotten a job with the prison system. He resumed classes full-time in January, Carter-Black said. His University of Illinois student ID depicts a smiling, clean-cut Kazmierczak, unlike the scowling, menacing-looking images of Cho that surfaced after his rampage. NIU President John Peters said Kazmierczak compiled "a very good academic record, no record of trouble" at the 25,000-student campus in DeKalb. He won at least two awards and served as an officer in two student groups dedicated to promoting understanding of the criminal justice system. Exactly what sort of career he planned for himself was unclear. But he wrote papers on self-injury in prison and the role of religion in the creation of early U.S. prisons. The research paper on self-injury in prison said his interests also included political violence and peace and social justice. Speaking Friday in Lakeland, Fla., Kazmierczak's distraught father did not immediately provide any clues to what led to the bloodshed. "Please leave me alone. ... This is a very hard time for me," Robert Kazmierczak told reporters, throwing his arms up and weeping after emerging briefly from his house. He declined further comment about his son and went back inside his house, saying he was diabetic. A sign on the front door said: "Illini fans live here." A statement posted on the door on the Urbana home of Kazmierczak's sister said "We are both shocked and saddened. In addition to the loss of innocent lives, Steven was a member of our family. We are grieving his loss as well as the loss of life resulting from his actions." Neighbors in the brick apartment building in Champaign where Kazmierczak last lived were shocked to hear he was the gunman. "It's not possible," said Maurice Darling, 80, who lives in an adjacent second-floor apartment. "He seemed to be much too nice." He said the tall, thin and bespectacled Kazmierczak shared the apartment with a woman and neither showed any sign of anger or aggression. "They were friendly, agreeable — just like any neighbor would be," he said. Chelsea Thrash, a 25-year-old waitress who lives with her 3-year-old daughter in the apartment directly beneath Kazmierczak's, said he was always up late and there was frequently a lot of "trampling" noise coming through the hardwood floor. She went up and knocked on the door once recently at 1 a.m. or 2 a.m. to request quiet and he said through the closed door, "Oh, I'm sorry — I dropped my weight." "It's kind of creepy," she said. "I never thought someone in this tiny corner of southwest Champaign would ever dream of that, let alone carry it out, and have that above me and my daughter." Kazmierczak grew up in the Chicago suburb of Elk Grove Village, not far from O'Hare International Airport. His family lived most recently in a middle-class neighborhood of mostly one-story tract homes before moving away early in this decade. His mother died in Florida in 2006 at age 58. He was a B student at Elk Grove High School, where school district spokeswoman Venetia Miles said he was active in band and took Japanese before graduating in 1998. He was also in the chess club. Kazmierczak spent more than a year at the Thresholds-Mary Hill House in the late 1990s, former house manager Louise Gbadamashi told the AP. She said his parents placed him after high school because he had become "unruly" at home. She also said he used to cut himself for attention. She said he often resisted taking his medications, though he eventually became "compliant." Gbadamashi said she couldn't remember any instances of Kazmierczak being violent. At NIU, six white crosses were placed on a snow-covered hill around the center of campus, which was closed Friday. They included the names of four victims — Daniel Parmenter, Ryanne Mace, Julianna Gehant, Catalina Garcia. The two other crosses were blank, though officials have identified Kazmierczak's final victim as Gayle Dubowski. By Friday night, dozens of candles flickered in packed snow at makeshift memorials around campus as hundreds of students, mostly wearing NIU red and black, formed a standing-room-only crowd at an evening memorial service. "It's kind of overwhelming. It feels strong, it feels like we're all in this together," said Carlee Siggeman, 18, a freshman from Genoa who attended the vigil with a group of friends. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Generic -- Original Source: http://www.rrstar.com/niu/x1529756411
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Generic
Items left at the memorial plaque of Lauren McCain on the drillfield. Photo taken on 5-1-07. Photo by Teri H. Hoover.
Teri H. Hoover <crystalirisphotos@gmail.com>
On the morning of Monday, August 20 - the first day of Fall 2007 classes - an unidentified visitor places a white daisy next to each victim's hokie stone at the intermediate memorial. The memorial had been formally dedicated the previous day. Many new flowers and mementos continue to be added to the site, while old items are gradually disposed of or put in storage. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0.
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0
2007.04.17. Students laying wreaths at the stone of the Congressional Medal of Honor honorees. Photo courtesy of Ivan V. Morozov
Sonia Rao Issue date: 4/18/07 Section: News In light of the Virginia Tech shooting tragedy Monday, student body president Liz Brown asked members of the Council of Representatives (COR) for input Tuesday on how the Notre Dame student body could show its support to the campus located in Blacksburg, Va. "Immediately after this happened, [student body vice president] Maris [Braun] and I started talking about what we should send as a student body," Brown said, noting that both she and Braun had already received e-mails from concerned students with suggestions. "One of the ideas that has been tossed around is some kind of letter that we would write and solicit signatures from the student body from a variety of points on campus," Brown said. "We just want to get as many signatures of support as possible to send in one package. We could also have blank cards at those sites that people could write messages on." Braun said she looked on Virginia Tech's Web site and saw the school was observing National Maroon and Gold Day. "I think that it would be a really cool thing if we could get Notre Dame students to observe this day sometime next week or something ... maybe notify them through advertisement in The Observer, sending an e-mail out or whatever," she said. In addition to these ideas, members suggested that the student body observe a moment of silence sometime next week, either at a designated location or just during first minute of class at a certain time. -- Original Source: http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2007/04/18/News/Leaders.Consider.Responses.To.Tragedy-2849121.shtml
Group offers condolences, solidarity; discusses candlelight memorial service Kaitlynn Riely Issue date: 4/19/07 Section: News At their first meeting following the shooting deaths of 32 students and faculty members at Virginia Tech, the Student Senate voted unanimously Wednesday to send a letter to the mourning community to express its condolences. Student body president Liz Brown wrote the letter after she received several e-mails from students and senators asking the student government to do something in the wake of the tragedy. The letter, signed by Brown and vice president Maris Braun as representatives of the Student Senate, expressed Notre Dame's shock and sorrow after Monday's events, when Virginia Tech senior Cho Seung-Hui opened fire - first in a dorm and then in a classroom building - before turning the gun on himself. "Despite the many miles that separate our campuses, the victims of this tragedy, as well as the entire Virginia Tech community, remain at the forefront of our thoughts and always in our prayers," the letter reads. "No amount of words will take away the pain and suffering of these events, but we pray that God will guide you through this difficult time." The letter also describes several memorial events the student government intends to hold today and in the next few days. The student government plans to send posters depicting the mascots of each of the 27 dorms, signed by members of the Notre Dame community. Included with the posters, Brown said, will be a note of solidarity to say that Virginia Tech is included in the Notre Dame community. Students can sign the posters today from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. and on Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the main television lounge in LaFortune. Students can also sign the posters on Fieldhouse Mall today and Friday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Each person who signs the posters will receive a maroon or orange ribbon - Virginia Tech's colors - as a sign to show their solidarity with the school, Brown said. A rosary service is planned at the Grotto for Friday, although no definitive time has been announced. Senators disagreed over whether to light 32 candles at the Grotto or 33 - to include the gunman. Brown's original letter stated that the Notre Dame community would light 32 candles entwined with maroon and orange ribbons. But Morrissey senator Tom Bacsik asked the Senate to consider whether or not to change that number to 33 to include Cho. Zahm senator Nick McCollum said he believed the number should be changed. "I feel as a Catholic university, we do stand for forgiveness, and I think we should still pray for him for what he did," McCollum said. "I think we should forgive him." Residence Life committee chair Mariana Montes questioned whether people at Virginia Tech - which is not a predominately Catholic university - would find Notre Dame's forgiveness offensive. Brown said she would make the decision to change or not to change the number according to the number listed on Virginia Tech's Web site, allowing the school to make the decision about how many victims there were. -- Original Source: http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2007/04/19/News/Leaders.Draft.Letter.To.Virginia.Tech-2852850.shtml http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2007/04/19/News/Leaders.Draft.Letter.To.Virginia.Tech-2852850-page2.shtml
One of the items on display at the Alumni Center Art Exhibit. On 4/16/08, as part of the Day of Remembrance observance, the Holtzman Alumni Center Museum displayed examples of art, crafts, quilts, and other memorabilia contributed since April 16, 2007. This is one of over 60,000 items that will eventually go to Special Collections at Newman Library. A plaque from the Jewish National Fund that says, "One thousand trees have been planted in honor of Liviu Lebrescu A true hero With tremendous respect, Marian Prince.
Memorial stone of Henry J. Lee on 4/16/08. Photo by Brian Sewell. -- Original Source: http://flickr.com/photos/briansewell/2419987506/in/set-72157604577382666/
Legisladores sólo piden mayor control sobre las ‘personas peligrosas’ en EE.UU.
Publicado por La Raza Newspaper 06-14-2007 Washington, D.C. (EFE).— Un comité creado por el presidente de Estados Unidos, George W. Bush, para estudiar la matanza en la Universidad virginia tech recomendó ayer controlar mejor a las "personas peligrosas", pero no pidió endurecer las leyes para restringir el acceso a las armas. El informe dice que todos los estados deberían enviar los datos de personas que no pueden poseer armas por problemas mentales a una lista nacional de la Oficina Federal de Investigaciones (FBI) denominada Sistema de Comprobación Inmediata de Antecedentes Penales (NICS). Actualmente, sólo 23 de los 50 estados del país envían esa información. El estado de Virginia no envió al NICS los datos de Cho Seung-Hui, un estudiante coreano de 23 años que había sido sometido a tratamiento psiquiátrico. Sus problemas mentales deberían haberle impedido comprar las dos armas que usó para matar en abril a 32 estudiantes y profesores en la Universidad Politécnica, pero Cho pudo adquirirlas legalmente porque su nombre no estaba en esa lista nacional. La Cámara de Representantes de EU aprobó ayer un proyecto de ley que obligaría a los estados a pasar al FBI de forma automática los nombres de personas como Cho. El informe, elaborado por los secretarios de Salud, Michael Leavitt, y Educación, Margaret Spellings, así como el fiscal general, Alberto Gonzales, también señala que existe "confusión sobre las leyes que regulan el intercambio de información" respecto de personas que pueden ser un peligro. El comité concluye que profesores, administraciones e instituciones no tienen claro cuándo pueden o deben alertar a las autoridades sobre estas personas para impedir que tengan acceso a armas. "Este miedo y malos entendidos probablemente limitan la transferencia de información", se explica en el documento. Asimismo, el comité recomienda poner en marcha programas para instruir a padres, alumnos y profesores sobre los signos de que una persona sufre desequilibrios mentales que le pueden llevar a la violencia. Además, insta a mejorar los servicios médicos para estudiantes que padecen enfermedades mentales. Por último, plantea que los planes para responder a emergencias a nivel local y estatal tengan en cuenta las necesidades de los centros educativos, y que los cuerpos de seguridad de las escuelas colaboren de forma más estrecha con la policía. El informe no habla en ningún momento, sin embargo, de la necesidad de endurecer las leyes para restringir el acceso a las armas en general, en un país donde sus ciudadanos poseen más de 200 millones de armas de fuego. En Virginia, por ejemplo, cualquier persona que no tenga un historial criminal puede comprar legalmente un arma por mes. Otras matanzas han sido cometidas por personas que no habían sido tratadas por problemas mentales, como por ejemplo la ocurrida en 1999 en la escuela secundaria de Columbine, en la que murieron 14 estudiantes y un profesor. -- Fuente Original: Diario La Raza - Chicago http://www.laraza.com/news.php?nid=44534&clave=a%3A1%3A%7Bi%3A0%3Bs%3A13%3A%22virginia+tech%22%3B%7D
Jorge Mederos Executive Editor La Raza Chicago Inc. jorge.mederos@laraza.com August, 13 2007
Gregor Hens 20.04.2007 00:00 Uhr Anzeige Während der Übung piepst ein Telefon. Ich werfe einen genervten Blick in die Richtung, aus der der Ton gekommen ist. Es piepst noch einmal - derselbe Student. Ich sehe jetzt, wie er seine SMS liest, und bitte ihn, das Handy auszuschalten. Er sagt, es ist etwas Schreckliches passiert. Er geht raus. Ich mache mit dem Unterricht weiter. In der Pause dann die Nachricht, auf die wir alle irgendwie längst gewartet haben. Dass ein Massaker an einer Universität verübt worden ist, die Rede ist von 28 Toten. Später erfahren wir, dass es mehr sind. Es war nur eine Frage der Zeit, sagt jemand. So etwas musste ja mal passieren. Stille. Irgendwie scheinen wir sehr gefasst. Keiner rührt sich. Aber nein, sagt eine junge Frau in die Stille hinein, diese Amokläufe in den Highschools hatten etwas mit dem Alter zu tun. Mit fünfzehn, sechzehn, da kommt man vielleicht auf solche Ideen. Wegen der Pubertät und so, den Ängsten und Obsessionen der Jugend. Aber an einer Universität, damit konnte niemand rechnen. Ich möchte einwenden: Ihr seid ja selbst noch so jung. Ihr wirkt wie Jugendliche auf mich. Was weiß ich, was in euren Köpfen vorgeht, worüber ihr redet, was ihr für Filme schaut, wie es um eure Hormone steht. Eure Welt ist mir sehr fremd. Ihr riecht wie Kinder. Diesen Gedanken behalte ich lieber für mich. Vielleicht, schlägt jemand vor, sind die Schüler, die vor ein paar Jahren in den Highschools gewesen sind, jetzt einfach im Studium angekommen. Und bringen die Gewalt mit. Eine Art Generation Columbine, die erwachsen geworden ist. Es hat schon mal sowas gegeben, in Texas, sagt einer, der sonst nie etwas sagt. Nichts Vergleichbares allerdings. Ein Typ klettert auf einen Glockenturm, legt an und spielt den Scharfschützen. Fünfzehn Tote. Aber das ist schon lange her. Langsam entsteht so etwas wie ein Gespräch. Der Student mit dem Handy ist wieder da, er hat Freunde an dieser Uni, sagt er. Niemandem scheint etwas passiert zu sein. Der Schütze in Texas damals, er hieß Whitman, höre ich, Charles Whitman. Meint ihr nicht, dass es mit den Waffengesetzen zusammenhängt? Es ist so einfach in diesem Land, an Waffen zu kommen. Du gehst in einen Laden und zeigst deinen Führerschein her und kaufst dir ein Arsenal zusammen für deinen privaten kleinen Krieg. Eine Studentin in der ersten Reihe sieht das anders. Sie meint, das Schlimme sei, dass jetzt die Europäer wieder einen Anlass hätten, den Amerikanern ihre Waffengesetze vorzuhalten. Jetzt können die sich wieder über uns lustig machen, sagt sie, weil wir so dumm sind, unsere Verfassung zu ehren, unsere Traditionen. Dabei geht es um etwas ganz anderes. Sie nimmt diesen Einwand vorweg, denke ich. Meinen Einwand. Ich bin der Europäer. Ich bin gemeint. Wir spielen ein Spiel, wie eine Schacheröffnung: Beide Seiten wissen längst, welche Möglichkeiten der Fortsetzung es gibt. Also lassen wir das. Mir geht es im Moment nicht darum, diese Leute von irgendetwas zu überzeugen. Worum geht es denn? Sollen wir uns auch bewaffnen? Sollen wir uns rund um die Uhr bewachen lassen? Metalldetektoren ... das funktioniert alles gar nicht, das stört den ganzen Betrieb, die Abläufe hier, schau dir den Campus doch an. Dieser Amokläufer hatte offenbar ein psychisches Problem. Und ...? Natürlich hatte er das, wirft jemand ein. Wie so viele andere Studenten auch. Jeder von uns kennt doch jemanden, der Antidepressiva nimmt. Sind nicht alle Mörder, oder? Potenzielle Mörder? Vielleicht sollte man jeden Studienbewerber erst psychologisch untersuchen lassen. War das jetzt Sarkasmus?, frage ich mich. Das wäre allerdings etwas ganz Neues. Die meisten der Opfer, lese ich später, saßen in einem Deutschkurs, zweites Semester. Der Dozent, Jamie Bishop, wurde auch erschossen. Aber eigentlich ist es ein Angriff eines Studenten auf seine Kommilitonen - eine Strafaktion, eine Exekution. Ich behaupte, weil jemand das Thema anspricht, Videospiele funktionieren doch anders: Da wird gekämpft, es geht um bestimmte Fertigkeiten, um Strategien, da kann man nicht einfach Leute an die Wand stellen und niedermähen. (Das Vokabular, das wir für diese Dinge haben.) Haben Sie eine Ahnung, sagt einer. An seiner Halskette baumelt ein silbernes Kreuz. Ich weiß es nicht. Ich habe keine Erklärungen, nichts, das hilft. Ich höre einfach zu. Morgen um 15 Uhr ist für den gesamten Campus eine Schweigeminute angeordnet, heißt es in einer E-Mail aus dem Büro des Universitätspräsidenten. Im Land fliegen die Flaggen auf Halbmast. Es gibt im Amerikanischen diesen Ausdruck: going postal. Weil ziemlich viele Amokläufer etwas mit der Post zu tun hatten. Es gab einige spektakuläre Fälle - gefeuerte Briefträger, die mit halbautomatischen Waffen auf ehemalige Kollegen und Vorgesetzte losgegangen sind. In dem Ausdruck offenbart sich unsere ganze Hilflosigkeit, denn er liefert eine Scheinerklärung, ein vermeintliches Muster. Er verhöhnt jeden, der wirklich wissen will, wieso es immer wieder passiert. Vielleicht trifft es uns so, weil die Ohio State University, an der ich seit vielen Jahren unterrichte, einige Ähnlichkeit mit der Uni in Virginia hat. Die Studenten entstammen größtenteils der Mittelschicht. Der Campus ist riesig und offen. Man kann durchfahren. Es gibt Stellen, an denen man kaum weiß: Bin ich schon drinnen oder nicht? Kein Tor, an dem man kontrolliert wird. Jeder kann hier rumlaufen. Kaum eine Tür ist abgeschlossen. Ganz sicher habe ich mich nie gefühlt, dabei bin ich kein ängstlicher Mensch. Pro Jahr werden in der Stadt - sie hat etwa siebenhunderttausend Einwohner - um die hundert Morde verübt. Auch auf dem Campus gibt es immer wieder Übergriffe: Mord, Raubüberfall, Vergewaltigung. Letztes Jahr ist einer spurlos verschwunden, unter mysteriösen Umständen. An allen Ecken stehen beleuchtete Notrufboxen. Es gibt eine Dienststelle, die man anrufen kann, um sich nach Einbruch der Dunkelheit eine bewaffnete Eskorte zu bestellen. Wenn man etwa vom Sportzentrum, das bis Mitternacht geöffnet hat, zur Bushaltestelle kommen will. Ich habe immer geglaubt, dass es zuerst die Lehrenden treffen wird. Dass ein Student, der bei einer Prüfung durchgefallen ist, durch ein Bürogebäude geht, von Tür zu Tür, und uns alle abknallt. Wir sind vollkommen wehrlos - sitting ducks. Noch so ein Ausdruck aus der amerikanischen Waffenkultur. Nichts ist einfacher, als eine brütende Ente abzuschießen, weil sie sich nicht vom Fleck bewegt, egal, wie groß die Gefahr ist. Vielleicht fahre ich deshalb dann und wann zu der Schießanlage in New Albany, miete mir eine Glock 17, setze mir den Ohrenschutz auf und verschieße eine Packung Patronen. Neun Millimeter. Es ist eigentlich gar nichts dabei. Was immer wieder hochkommt, ist Kent State, eine kleine Uni ganz in der Nähe. Am 4. Mai 1970 erschossen Nationalgardisten vier Studenten, die gegen den Einmarsch in Kambodscha demonstriert hatten. Es war der Anfang vom Ende des Vietnamkriegs. Wir sind ein bisschen stolz darauf, dass es in Ohio passiert ist. Gerade kommt das nächste Bulletin übers Netz: Die städtische Polizei und die Universitätspolizei - wie die meisten amerikanischen Unis haben auch wir eine eigene Einheit, mit eigenen Wagen, einem Logo und einer Website - versichern in einer Erklärung, dass sie auf eine Situation wie die an der Virginia Tech vorbereitet sind. „Unser Einsatzteam würde sofort stürmen und den Amokläufer außer Gefecht setzen", wird ein Sergeant zitiert. Die Studenten reden. Endlich einmal. Sie diskutieren sonst zu wenig, streiten sich nie. Über Kontroverses spricht man nicht. Ich finde sie immer etwas apathisch. Heute hat jeder eine Meinung. Es geht um ihr Leben. Sie sind es, die zurück in diese zwölfstöckigen Wohnheime auf der Südseite müssen. Ich setze mich am Abend ins Auto und fahre nach Hause. Der Schriftsteller Gregor Hens ist Professor für Germanistik an der Ohio State University in Columbus. Zuletzt erschien von ihm im S. Fischer Verlag der Roman „In diesem neuen Licht" . -- Ursprüngliche Quelle: Der Tagesspiegel http://www.tagesspiegel.de/kultur/;art772,2141887
Items left at the memorial plaque of Leslie Sherman on the drillfield. Photo taken on 5-1-07. Photo by Teri H. Hoover.
I was fortunate to teach Leslie Sherman in my Advanced Placement European History course at West Springfield High School. She was a wonderful student with a creative mind and a great sense of humor. She was especially known for her beautiful smile and positive attitude. Leslie was always happy and cheerful and brought out the best in others. Academically, she was brilliant without being "bookish." During her senior year, she served as president of our History Honor Society and was awarded the Social Studies Department Award for outstanding scholarship. She also ran on our school cross country team for four straight years, so she was truly a gifted student-athlete. After graduation, Leslie frequently came back to visit us at West Springfield, and we were not surprised to learn that she was majoring in history and international relations at Virginia Tech. She loved history so much. Her death has come as a shock to all of us at West Springfield High School, and we are only now coming to grips with this tragedy. Last Friday we had "Hokie Hope Day" at West Springfield. Almost everyone - students, faculty, and staff - wore Virginia Tech colors in tribute to Leslie and the other victims of the Virginia Tech shootings. Our school has established a scholarship in Leslie's name and contributions have already been made by students, teachers, and parents. Our school's National Honor Society made lapel ribbons with Hokie colors and sold them for a dollar to raise funds for the scholarship. They sold over 800 ribbons. A group of alumni is planning a West Springfield memorial run to raise money for the scholarship. I have written a song for Leslie which I hope to record so that we can sell copies to raise money for the scholarship. Others events and fundraisers will be planned by different groups in the future. The family has also requested that contributions be made to the scholarship fund in lieu of flowers. On Tuesday, April 24, friends and family gathered at the Demaine Funeral Home in Springfield. Many people came to pay their sad respects. I was most impressed with Leslie's family. Her Father Tony, mother Holly, and sister Lisa carried themselves with a grace and dignity that was truly inspiring. I spoke with Tony at length about his daughter. He told us of the events of April 16 and how he and his wife could not reach Leslie and eventually were informed of her death when two policemen knocked on their door late that night. Leslie's mother is a veteran and her father is in the reserves. Both, I am sure, drew on their military training and experience to face this tragedy with tremendous courage. They strength and calm demeanor did more that anything to honor their fallen daughter. The funeral was held yesterday, April 25, at the Old Presbyterian Meeting House in Old Town Alexandria at 11:00 am. Here, in a building where George Washington frequently worshipped, hundreds came to say good-bye. Many current and former students from West Springfield attended the ceremony including many from Virginia Tech. Many of her teachers attended as well. Also attending were Leslie's counselor from Tech and a member of the Board of Visitors. (Leslie's counselor told me that this was her fourth funeral in three days.) The ceremony was solemn and dignified. No members of the family or friends spoke in accordance with the strict tradition of this particular church. The hymns were all traditional and from the Presbyterian hymnal: Sing Praise to God, Who Reigns Above; Amazing Grace; and O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go. Following the funeral service, we all gathered in front of the church for a time of fellowship and consolation. The street in front of the church had been closed off by the police in advance although some news media vehicles had been allowed to park on the far side of the street opposite the Meeting House. There were many hugs and many, many tears by both students and adults. The news media filmed and took pictures from across the street. (Cameras were not allowed inside the church.) I was approached by one newspaper reporter (Washington Times) and one television reporter (Channel 7 News) for comments about Leslie. I declined. Partly, this was due to my frustration with the media's coverage of the entire event with its sensational emphasis on the shooter instead of his victims. Also, I did not want to appear to be grandstanding or calling attention to myself on this very sad day. At 1:30 pm, the funeral procession began its long, slow journey to Arlington National Cemetery. This was a profoundly moving experience. There must have been 50 or 60 cars in the procession which stretched for well over a mile. Police and sheriff officers had closed all cross streets along our path so we moved at a steady pace. Some officers saluted as we passed by. One woman stood at attention with her hand over her heart. The ceremony at Arlington was simple and dignified. The color guard carried the casket from the hearse to the grave. The preacher said his prayers. We recited the Our Father. There was a moment of silence. A three-gun salute from off in the distance. Then it was done. But it is not over. Those of us who knew and loved Leslie will never forget her. I taught her about history, but she taught me about life. Her positive spirit, energy and love of life have left an indelible impression on many people. Her tireless efforts to help those less fortunate have touched the lives of so many. Her memory will live on in our hearts and minds forever. A final note on all of this. The internet has played a significant role for all of us in trying to make sense of this senseless act. Any number of "tribute" pages can be found where people have posted messages and shared their thoughts. In Leslie's case, these have included The Washington Post, New York Times, CNN, Legacy.com, and others. A Google search on "Leslie Sherman" reveals an almost endless variety of websites and postings about Leslie including photos and biographical material as well as remembrances and condolences to the family. Many of these messages are from people who did not know Leslie or any of the other victims. Yet, people somehow have gained a sense of connectedness by expressing their thoughts and emotions in this new virtual "public square." I think the impact of this kind of digital gathering place is only now being recognized as an important new characteristic of our modern culture. It has helped me, and perhaps many others, to comprehend the incomprehensible loss of Leslie's life.
By Richard Crocker, College Chaplain Friday, April 20, 2007 To the Editor: We mourn the deaths of students and faculty at Virginia Tech ("Virginia Tech gunman kills 32 in bloodbath," April 17). It is appropriate and natural that we should do so. We identify with the victims and their friends and families, because they are like us. They are students and staff at a university in a very pastoral location. Our own sense of security is threatened by this violence. Already, in e-mails and blogs, I am hearing calls for greater college security, ranging from arming campus police to allowing students to arm themselves. Our sense of invulnerability at Dartmouth has, despite some very tragic events, remained rather strong. Last year I attended my son's graduation from a college in New York City; all guests went through metal detectors and had their belongings examined. This is, of course, a great contrast to the Dartmouth graduation. While I understand that conversations about campus security will inevitably, and perhaps productively, occur, I hope that one important fact does not get ignored: senseless violence is horrible wherever it occurs, whether in Darfur or Israel or Palestine or Iraq. The deaths at Virginia Tech are devastating, but their number is a fraction of those being killed daily in Iraq or Darfur. This does not mean that we should grieve these students' deaths less; rather, it means that we should grieve all violent deaths more. And, unless our grief produces opposition to violence, it is futile. Every life lost at Virginia Tech was precious; the loss is incalculable. But every life lost to violence anywhere is equally precious. Let us remember, and speak. -- Original Source: The Dartmouth - April 20, 2007 Reprinted with the permission of The Dartmouth
"Edward D. Kalletta III" <publisher@thedartmouth.com>
By Armin Rosen PUBLISHED APRIL 19, 2007 It unfolded like a terrifying set-piece, and each new item of information seemed more trite and intuitive than the next: the killer had been a student. He had been a social outcast, homicidally contemptuous of the society that he felt had cast him out. The guns used had been purchased legally. And there had been warning signs that now seem to have stopped tantalizingly short of portending the coming carnage. "When this is all said and done," the online magazine Slate cited one blogger as writing a few hours after the shooting, "we will likely have an unhappy young person who probably had an unhealthy obsession with guns, violence, gory video games, and over the top blood-fest movies"-which means that, even in its horrifying randomness, the Virginia Tech shooting takes on a grim aspect of predictability. But what should this predictability teach us? Since noted poet and Virginia Tech English professor Lucinda Roy found Cho Seung-Hui unstable enough to justify contacting campus counseling services over 18 months prior to the attack, it could be argued that universities and society in general should be more aggressive in administering psychological help to those who obviously need it. We Americans are great believers in therapy: with nearly one in four adults seeking professional help and Adderall alone bringing in over a quarter-billion dollars in annual revenue, we, arguably, have put more faith in the redemptive powers of the clinical or prescriptive than any other society on earth. But it would be a mistake to let this past week's events reinforce this notion that normalcy can be clinically prescribed, or, as some have recommended, clinically imposed. As author Deepak Chopra appropriately noted in an interview with CNN, psychologist Abraham Maslow maintains that love and belonging are as fundamental to human existence as food and shelter. And the professional concern of a therapist for her patient can't fill basic emotional or social voids any better than social relationships alone can cure mental illness. Does this teach us that our society predisposes people to committing horrific killing sprees? I, for one, appreciate a certain irony in the fact that this event has ultimately strengthened the very community from which Cho felt so excluded. However, it is patently insensitive to blame the Virginia Tech community for excluding someone who was so invisible to it. And, by all accounts, Cho was not just invisible to those around him, but invisible to himself as well: by shaving off his weapons' serial numbers, carrying no identification, and committing suicide in a way that would obscure his most individual physical feature-his face-he argued against his own humanity and individuality. So if we are to blame the community as a whole for its exclusivity, then it would be disingenuous because we too fail to reach out to those in potential danger of lapsing into a permanent state of social and personal non-existence. But is the existence of such people alone enough to teach us that our society is somehow structured to produce killing sprees like the one at Virginia Tech? In his seminal work, Suicide (1897), sociologist Emile Durkheim poses a similar question, and proceeds to argue that the social and historical consistency of the suicide rate proves the act to be an unalterable "social fact," built into the social structure. It's terrifying to think of the destructive confluence of mental instability, exclusion and a propensity for violence as one such "social fact." But reactions to the massacre suggest that that's exactly how a lot of people feel: for instance, New York Times columnist Bob Herbert blamed a "staggering amount of murders" on "feelings of inadequacy, psychosexual turmoil and the easy availability of guns." According to Herbert, the only item over which we, as a society, have conscious control is the last. Yet, if we learn one thing from the Virginia Tech massacre, it should be the importance of using what sliver of control we do have. We can encourage people like Cho to seek the help they desperately need without expecting that help to be a cure-all. We can reach out to the socially alienated, and make an effort to acknowledge those people who we would usually ignore. We can also limit the availability of handguns. Most importantly, we can insist that this past Monday's event were not structural, and avoid lapsing into the kind of cynicism that might have made such an event possible in the first place. Scores of Facebook groups have a name derived from the phrase "Today, we are all Hokies." The phrase was meant as a show of solidarity with a university suffering in ways none of us can imagine. But as long as we keep internalizing, tolerating, or even ignoring the factors that led to Monday's attack it, also functions as a cynical truth: we are all vulnerable. And in that respect, we are all Hokies. -- Photo By: Shana Rubin Original Source: Columbia Spectator http://www.columbiaspectator.com/node/24952
Armin Rosen (Author)/Shana Rubin (Photo)