Professor who died in tragedy worked at UNC
Christopher James Bishop, known as Jamie in his five years at UNC, was killed Monday in the tragedy that left 33 dead on the campus of Virginia Tech. He was 35. Bishop worked as an academic technology liaison at UNC from 2000 until 2005 with the Office of Arts & Sciences Information Services. He also taught an intermediate German course in 2004. He left UNC to become an adjunct instructor of German and a technology trainer with the Faculty Development Institute at Va. Tech. He was leading a class in introductory German at about 9:50 a.m. Monday when the gunman aimed at his head and fired, The Washington Post reported Tuesday. "Jamie's thoughtfulness, energy and laughter made him a wonderful peer and friend to many," his former co-workers said in a collective statement. "His legacy continues to shape the education of thousands of students to this day." Bishop first was hired at UNC as a temporary employee in 2000, his former supervisor, Jason Li, said. Bishop later was hired as a full-time employee, working with instructors in language departments and providing one-on-one training in computer applications. "He was such a motivated, dedicated employee," Li said. Charlie Green, associate vice chancellor for teaching and learning at Information Technology Services, looked back fondly on his time working with Bishop. "He was a creative thinker," Green said. "He was someone who saw technology as a creative tool." One innovation of Bishop's was a way to record students' language practice through laptops. Previously, students had to tape-record their practice and physically bring the tape to their instructor, Green said. Bishop crafted a software package to record and send the practice digitally - which is of much higher quality and much more efficient. But Bishop's value was more than just in his work. "He cared about people," Green said. "He would spend a lot of time making sure people he worked with had everything they needed." Green said this aspect of his personality is reflected in the fact that Bishop was nominated for an Information Technology award - designed to reward versatility and willingness to go beyond the call of duty - each year he was at UNC. Bishop's wife, Stefanie Hofer, earned her Ph.D. in Germanic languages from UNC and later taught with Bishop in the German program at Va. Tech. Bishop was a Fulbright scholar at Christian-Albrechts University in Kiel, Germany, and lived in Heidelberg from 1995 to 1996. He earned his bachelor's and master's in German at the University of Georgia. Bishop was also a prolific artist. He had posted an extensive gallery of photos, multimedia projects, graphic designs for book covers and computer-generated images on his Web site - www.memory39.com. "He was a member of our family," Green said. "He will be deeply missed." -- Original Source: Daily Tar Heel - April 18, 2007
Virginia Tech appreciates support from UNC friends
TO THE EDITOR: I am a Hokie. I finished my degree work at Virginia Tech in 1974, and in all these years, I have never regretted my choice to go to Blacksburg. I became the man that I am there. To have this ugly nightmare play out in my emotional home, is a desecration of my special place. The hurt, the disgust, is beyond my ability to express. We are Virginia Tech. I could not be more proud of the current generation of Hokies living and learning at Virginia Tech than I am today. The clarity of thought and action, the selflessness, the love for one another, the support, the unanimity of the University in the face of this "monumental horror," helps me and all VT grads everywhere. I can see where this current generation of Hokies is growing up at Tech. We are the Hokie Nation. When we celebrate, we do it together. When we cry, we cry together. When we need to, we close ranks, hunker down, and face our problems together. And we help each other to keep on going. But as we do just that, we also wonder: Does anyone else even understand what is happening to us? My son is growing to manhood at UNC and has kept me informed of activities there. I have heard of the ribbons being worn, in maroon and orange. I have heard of the message posters being signed by so many of you, expressing support and love. And I have heard of your candlelight service, in memorial to those whose lives were snuffed out before being able to live our motto: "That I May Serve." I have passed news of this to my Hokie colleagues, and the effect on us is profound. You have touched where we live. You understand what is happening to us. We welcome our Carolina cousins into our family, into our nation, with open arms - and great thanks. We are the Hokie Nation. You are the Hokie Nation. For today, we are ALL Hokies. Damon Wilson Virginia Tech Class of 1974
The focus of a discussion between public safety officials on area crime issues quickly turned to Virginia Tech at the 2007 Chapel Hill-Carrboro-Orange County Forum sponsored by WCHL. The forum was intended as an opportunity to discuss local issues, but the Monday shootings left leaders reflective. Chapel Hill has experienced similar incidents on a smaller scale, such as when alumnus Mohammad Taheri-Azar drove through the Pit in March 2006, injuring nine students, and the 1995 Wendell Williamson shooting, in which a law student opened fire on Franklin Street, killing two and injuring two others, including a Chapel Hill police officer. "This community can associate somewhat with the community of Blacksburg because we've come so close ourselves," said Dan Jones, Chapel Hill fire chief. Interim Chapel Hill police Chief Maj. Brian Curran said he also noted the similarities between the two campuses. "It's something that we're afraid could have happened here." Panelists discussed the town's preparedness to handle such an event if something similar was to happen at UNC. Jones noted how difficult it would be to secure the campus. He said every exit door to every building would need to be guarded, in addition to every intersection, sidewalk and open area. "It's easy to see that in a matter of minutes you'd need over 1,000 officers to close off the campus," Jones said. "That'd be just about every officer in Orange, Chatham, Durham and Wake counties on any given day." Capt. Charles Blackwood, of the Orange County Sheriff's Department, said he felt the Va. Tech emergency response was the best it could have been given the magnitude of the tragedy. "I think they did as good a job as they can, and I think we would do the same," Blackwood said. "You try to have a good plan in place, and you hope you can respond in such a situation." Many of the participants noted how failures in addressing mental health issues lead to safety issues, both for the individual and for the town residents. Joyce Kuhn, executive director of Orange Chatham Alternative Sentencing Inc., said it is important to provide services for those in need, something panelists agreed has become more difficult to do as more of the burden is shifted to local municipalities. "There has to be more of these things so people have the care they need," she said. District Court Judge Joe Buckner said that only an estimated 1 percent of those held at Orange County Jail for misdemeanors are repeat offenders, with 10 or more charges, but that they create problems for the entire criminal system with their recurring offenses. Curran reiterated that point, and said what frustrates police is their relative inability to intervene in situations where an individual has not committed a crime and is unwilling to seek mental help. "We're dealing with a relatively small population, but we're dealing with them over and over again," Curran said. "We just kind of stand by and watch these folks spiral out of control - there's really very little we can do." And arresting individuals with mental health issues on minor offenses creates overcrowding in the jails and forces the county to assume costs of treating and housing the individuals. "You can't really arrest yourselves out of a problem," Curran said. Public safety incidents have risen in all areas of the county, and many attribute the increases to the influx of residents into the region. "Growth is all across the public service spectrum," Jones said. "We're seeing a more transient population that makes all of these issues ... more difficult." Part of approaching those difficulties more successfully includes adjusting to the fact that Chapel Hill is growing. "People still think they're living in a small town," said Donna Kay Smith, executive director of the Family Violence Prevention Center. "People are having to make that transition of recognizing that this is not a small town area anymore." -- Original Source:Daily Tar Heel - April 19, 2007
BLACKSBURG, Va. - The revelation that Virginia Tech shooter Cho Seung-Hui had a documented history of psychological problems is likely to intensify an already heated debate about how campuses handle troubled students. A number of high-profile court cases in recent years have centered on the constraints and responsibilities university officials confront in deciding whether to take pre-emptive action on behalf of at-risk students. Christopher Flynn, director of the Cook Counseling Center at Virginia Tech, alluded to that difficulty in discussing Cho's history of strange behavior. "There are lots of issues that are present on a college campus," Flynn said during a Wednesday press conference. "The extent to which we can make a judgment about whether someone is a danger is a separate issue." For universities, it is an issue fraught with moral and legal complications. Officials have to balance concern for campus safety with an obligation to protect individual privacy, often with vague guidelines. "Schools walk a real fine line," said Johnne Armentrout, assistant director of counseling services at Wake Forest University. "The tricky thing is that they face lawsuits on both sides, either from not doing enough or from violating their students' privacy rights." Federal law prohibits universities from revealing a student's psychological problems, even to parents, unless they have a signed waiver or believe the student poses an imminent danger to himself or others. Deciding when to break that confidentiality is difficult, but universities typically have erred on the side of protecting student privacy. In recent cases, universities have prevailed in court against parents arguing that they should have been better informed about their children's psychological problems. "When in doubt, my decision is to respect the student's right to privacy," said David McCord, head of the psychology department at Western Carolina University. "The students' right to privacy is mandatory training for all faculty." But in the wake of Monday's tragedy at Virginia Tech, there already are calls for revisiting the circumstances when counselors can disclose potential threats. Flynn and other campus officials faced tough questions Wednesday about why Cho was not forced to seek more help when professors complained about his behavior. "We certainly are always sensitive to the potential for violence," Flynn said. "That's a very difficult thing to predict clearly." That uncertainty is what puts counselors in such a challenging position, said Robert Murphy, executive director of the Center for Child and Family Health, a joint venture between UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke and N.C. Central universities. He said universities are likely to review their policies in the aftermath of Monday's shooting. "Legally, our society has come down more on the side of the individual client or patient rights," Murphy said. "There are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people in this country who might present with similar warning signs but never go on to commit an act like this, and that's the really tricky part." -- Original Source:Daily Tar Heel - April 19, 2007
The shootings at Virginia Tech on Monday hit too close to home for some students and faculty at both Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools high schools. Many said they worried that several recent graduates of East Chapel Hill and Chapel Hill high schools who now attend Virginia Tech could have been victims, but no alumni are among those reported dead. "There's great sympathy among our students and concern for graduates from our schools who may have been attending Virginia Tech and to get in contact with the person and make sure they're safe," said Stephanie Knott, assistant to the superintendent for community relations for the district. Linda Klemmer, counseling department chairwoman at Chapel Hill High, said students and faculty expressed anxiety about alumni. "There was some concern for students that had siblings and friends at Virginia Tech," she said. "I got a sense of sadness and shock," she added, as she described the students' moods in wake of the incident. Her department is open to students who want to talk to someone about the shootings, she said. Owen McDonnell, a freshman at Virginia Tech and graduate of Chapel Hill High, was one of the people those at home worried about. "A lot of people were saying they tried to call me and couldn't," he said. McDonnell traveled back to Chapel Hill late Tuesday to be with family after Monday's tragedy struck his campus, but he said he's eager to get back to the daily grind of classes. "I think it's important to get back to normal after having a week to grieve," he said. But students at one of the district's high schools already have experienced gun violence on campus. Last April, William Barrett Foster, then a student at East Chapel Hill High, took social studies teacher Lisa Kukla and student Chelsea Slegal hostage after school. Kukla and Slegal eventually were able to talk to Foster, and they convinced him to shoot out a window instead of killing them. Knott said last year's incident helped calm students' and faculty's fears about the possibility that something such as the Virginia Tech incident could happen locally. The hostage incident forced district officials to prepare campuses for anything. "For the most part we made some revisions to security following the hostage situation at East Chapel Hill High School last year," Knott said. "You'll find in the superintendent's recommended budget about a $206 ,000 request to fund some new safety projects." Knott said she plans to ask principals to encourage students to wear maroon and orange - Virginia Tech colors - Friday for Orange & Maroon Effect Day to commemorate victims of the tragedy. -- Original Source: Daily Tar Heel - April 19, 2007
BLACKSBURG, Va. - A steady stream of breaking news added to the tension on Virginia Tech's campus Wednesday following the Monday deaths of 33 students and faculty. An afternoon press conference revealed that NBC News received a package containing what network officials described as a "multimedia manifesto" from Cho Seung-Hui, the student definitively identified as the gunman in one of two shootings Monday. "Upon reception of this correspondence, NBC News immediately notified authorities," Virginia State Police Superintendent Col. Steven Flaherty said. "This may be a very new, critical component of this investigation." Authorities still were evaluating the materials Wednesday night, even as NBC began to release images and videos taken by Cho. Students gasped and whispered "Oh my god" as television screens flashed an image of Cho posing menacingly with two handguns raised at eye level. The videos portray the intense anger of an individual whose exact motives still are unclear. Cho assigned blame for the massacre to his victims, claiming that he "died like Jesus Christ, to inspire generations of weak and defenseless people." He called his victims "snobs" and suggested the source of his rage was the privilege and materialism that he saw in his classmates. "Your trust funds wasn't enough," he said, sitting in front of a plain cinder-block wall and appearing to read from a script. "Your vodka and cognac wasn't enough. All your debaucheries weren't enough." The release of the video capped an already uneasy day. Even two days after the shootings, and with a dwindling number of students on campus, the community remained on edge. Early in the day, a swarm of police and media descended on Burruss Hall after a Va. Tech operator received a threat on university President Charles Steger's life. The building was secured by police and a report of a suspicious person came in amid the confusion, said campus police Chief Wendell Flinchum. "These kinds of reports are not uncommon in the wake of what has occurred in the last 48 hours," he said, alluding to the vigilant mood in Blacksburg. The last two days have left investigators, reporters and students scrambling to understand an event that left friends, family and community members dead. There is growing frustration at the news that Cho had an extensive history of psychological instability, including a recommendation of involuntary hospitalization dating back to 2005. Campus police were contacted with complaints about Cho in November and December of last year, when two female students alleged that he repeatedly contacted them through phone calls, Internet messages and in person. At the time of the second complaint, police received a separate report that Cho might be suicidal. University counselors found the risk credible enough that he was sent to a mental health facility in nearby Radford, Va., on Dec. 13. Lucinda Roy, the chairwoman of the English department at Va. Tech, also shared her concerns with campus police during the fall semester of 2005 when she became concerned about the substance of Cho's writing. Flinchum was careful to note that there was no direct threat in the writings, so the university had no ground for taking drastic action. "The writings did not express any threatening intentions or allude to any criminal activity, and no criminal violation had taken place," he said. "Since those contacts in November and December of 2005, I am not aware of any additional incidents or reports made to our department." Even as the revelations about Cho's history at the university became public, most students remained reluctant to fault the university's handling of the supposed warning signs. "You never know what's beneath the surface," said Matt Stewart, a senior at nearby Radford University who was on campus to pick up his girlfriend. "You can't prevent crazy." Stewart said his girlfriend would be staying with him for a few days because she had a "bad vibe" about remaining on campus. "She just wants to get away and let the town settle down a little bit," he said. That seemed to be a common sentiment. Throughout the day, students trickled out of dormitories carrying backpacks and suitcases, some piling into cars with friends and others being picked up by parents. "I'd say most people just want to get away for a bit, get a little breather," said Eric Hilgartner, a freshman waiting for his ride outside West Ambler Johnston Residence Hall. "I need to come home for my parents' sake more than mine. I know they'd like to see me." The university canceled the spring football scrimmage scheduled for Saturday, and professors still are figuring out how to cope with grades and class schedules before students return Monday. Across campus Tuesday and Wednesday, groups of students speculated about what might happen with essays and tests that had been scheduled for this week and how exams might be affected. University officials announced Wednesday afternoon that individual deans would have the authority to decide how to proceed with the semester. They left open the possibility that final exams could be canceled at the discretion of the university's separate colleges. But with police visible on every corner and a continuing frenzy of media activity on campus, many students said they simply wanted to get out of town. Hilgartner said he hopes the university is out of the media glare by the time he returns. "We'd like to get back to that quiet reputation we had in Blacksburg," he said. "Well, if we can ever get it back." -- Original Source: Daily Tar Heel - April 18, 2007
SEVILLE, Spain - The news of the 33 deaths in Blacksburg, Va., on Monday spread a sobering cloud over the UNC students studying in this traditional Spanish city. Here, where the streets still shut down for the sacred midday siesta, students have pulled themselves away from the news on their computers and have begun to speak with foreign friends and host families about the Virginia Tech shootings. In places around the world, UNC students are seeing the foreign reaction to the violence at home. Some of the 436 University students abroad have found that the attacks did not surprise their non-American acquaintances as much as they surprised themselves. "This has happened so many times in the U.S.," said Kristin Haug, a student from Oslo, Norway, in reference to the Columbine shooting. "It's just so weird that it's still so easy to get a weapon." Her friends, all Norwegians in Spain for the semester, nodded in agreement outside the school building they share with UNC students. International media have spotlighted the shootings. On Wednesday, two days after 23-year-old senior Cho Seung-Hui opened fire on Va. Tech's campus, the events were still on the front pages of newspapers in Paris, Dublin, London, Israel, Turkey, Dubai and Iran. But the impact has not resounded with most foreigners in the same way it's hit Americans abroad. Norwegian students here called the shootings, with no intentional callousness, "typically American." Michael Turner, a junior from Elizabeth City, first heard of the shootings when he turned on Al Jazeera in Jordan. He stated in an e-mail that local coverage depicted the violence as part of a trend. "I don't expect it comes off that way in American media, and it certainly doesn't in my mind," he stated. UNC sophomore Rosanne Niforos, a former advertising representative for The Daily Tar Heel, was in Puebla, Mexico, when she saw news about the shootings online. Lacking her cell phone, she waited for a friend at Va. Tech to change his Facebook.com status to show he was safe. Now Niforos is watching the reaction on her Mexican campus. Much of the student community there has used the incident to examine U.S. policies in general. "There are already posters up on campus with pictures of Va. Tech victims being carried out of Norris Hall and then an image superimposed next to it of President Bush, dressed in militant clothes, bullets and a machine gun," she stated in an e-mail. "I haven't seen many of those, but they are there." UNC students have said non-Americans have asserted that this type of shooting could not happen in their home country. Some, like the Norwegian students, blamed U.S. gun control laws and pointed out that in many European countries, citizens cannot own handguns and that in some places, even police officers do not carry guns. On ElPais.com, a poll of the day asked readers if there should be more gun control in the U.S. As of Wednesday morning, 93 percent of the 5,790 responders said "yes." "When people here see this happen, they're really shocked," Spaniard Celeste Castellanos Calvo said. "They see it as an American thing." -- Original Source: Daily Tar Heel - April 19, 2007
Wake of shooting tragedy is not time to point blame
TO THE EDITOR: I attended the vigil for Virginia Tech Tuesday night, and it was extremely touching. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by Monday's shooting. It is times like this when we ask ourselves how someone could even be capable of carrying out such an event. However, the one thing that this is not a time for is playing the blame game. The day of the shooting, the media was already pointing fingers at whomever they possibly could. I've overheard some blaming society. I've heard some blame the president of Virginia Tech. And I've heard some blame gun control laws. There is a time and place for everything, and at this time, there is no place for politics or playing the blame game. It's a horrible disrespect to all those who died, who deserve our supporting thoughts and prayers, not our fingers in others' faces. Chris Buchheit Freshman Undecided -- Original Source: Daily Tar Heel - April 19, 2007
Escrito por Cronista en 11:11 AM jueves 19 de abril de 2007 Intento redactar una nota sobre lo ocurrido en Virginia Tech pero no puedo. Me perturba leer los testimonios. Me perturba la fragilidad humana. El punto de quiebre tan variopinto como difícil de entender. No sabré nunca esa respuesta... qué lo llevó a cometer tal masacre. No entiendo la situación, no la asimilo. Intento rearmarme de valor y seguir escudriñando en este entuerto de emociones, de contradicciones, de tristeza y desamparo. Estoy con las víctimas, estoy con los muertos. 33 velas levanto hoy por los muertos y espero, solamente espero que esa sociedad tan violenta como marginadora entienda que el éxito no solo se mide por los triunfos materiales, sino por la correcta convivencia, por el respeto a los demás y por interesarnos despojándonos de la filosofía de que somos más que todos... Paz en 33 tumbas abiertas por Seung Cho... -- http://cronicacero.blogspot.com/2007/04/por-qu-seung-cho.html Derechos Reservados: Creative Commons Atribución-SinDerivadas 2.5 Argentina.
Creative Commons Atribución-SinDerivadas 2.5 Argentina
CULTURA DE VIOLENCIA EN ESTADOS UNIDOS Y EL SISTEMA CAPITALISTA
Publicado por Andercismo Los últimos acontecimientos en Estados Unidos - desagrdables por supuesto - nos trae a tema la cuestion del ¿por qué?. Definitivamente en este país existe una cultura que promueve la violencia pero quizás el tema vaya mucho mas alla y se trate en realidad de un modelo socioeconomico capitalista el verdadero responsable de todo esto. Recordemos primero que Los Estados Unidos constituyen tal vez el único país del mundo donde sus ciudadanos cometen actos de violencia mortal contra profesores, administradores y estudiantes en recintos escolares. Vale empezar aclarando que el estado norteamericano promueva la idea de que las armas y el uso de la violencia son un método para conseguir la libertad. La política armamentista del presidente Bush solo alimenta esta ideologia en una sociedad con un marco de conflicitividad social, pensado esto, no es tan sorprendete el tipo de matanzas que cada cierto tiempo llenan de dolor al pueblo estadounidense. Estados Unidos posee casi un arma por habitante, sumado a esto es necesario destacar los altos niveles de desigualdad social que existe en el país: esto es altos indices de pobreza, de encarcelamiento y de represión. No es el "País de la Libertad como se cree". Este país tiene recogida en la segunda enmienda de su Constitución el derecho de los ciudadanos a portar armas de fuego. La tradición que acoge esta disposición legal crea una espiral diabólica en la que la existencia de delitos promovidos con armas de fuego motiva que las personas caigan en la tentación de disponer de éstas, lo que a su vez promueve su uso. Sin lugar a dudas acontecimientos como los de Virginia Tech y Columbine no seran los mas impresionantes ni los últimos. Estados Unidos es un país que desde el 11-S ha sido victima de una paronoia genralizada y obsesiva con la seguridad, lo cual ha justificado una guerra en la que casi todos los días se reportan tragedias de la misma o mayor magnitud de lo ocurrido hoy en Virginia, resulta contradictorio con la política Bush que la mayor amenaza a la seguridad nacional no sea el terrorismo o los regimenes islamicos sino su propia población y millones de armas que circulan libremente. El gobierno norteamericano gasta miles de millones de dólares de su presupuesto para el Departamento de Seguridad Interna, a pesar de ello y de los códigos de color para alertas de amenazas a la seguridad nacional, hay muy poca regulación y es muy limitado y a veces nulo, el control de las aproximadamente 200 millones de armas de fuego en manos privadas en este país, suficientes para armar a cada hombre y mujer en este país. No hay un registro preciso de armas de fuego en manos de civiles en los Estados Unidos. Se calcula que son más de doscientos millones de pistolas, revólveres, rifles y armas de guerra que, en la mayoría de los estados, pueden ser adquiridas con un ligero trámite en el que no tener antecedentes penales es la única condición exigida por las autoridades para ejercer el derecho constitucional a poseer un arma. Según cifras oficiales del Centro Federal de Control de Enfermedades, en los últimos cinco años (las cifras más recientes son de 2004), más de 148 mil personas han muerto por una arma de fuego en Estados Unidos, de éstos, 14 mil 500 son menores de edad. En un año murieron 29 mil 569 personas a causa de armas de fuego, un promedio de 81 personas por día o una persona asesinada cada 18 minutos, reporta la organización Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, con cálculos hechos con información oficial. De acuerdo con el Brady Campaign, se calcula que 39 por ciento de los hogares en Estados Unidos tiene una arma de fuego. Se registran ventas de entre 3 a 4 millones de armas de fuego al año, y se calcula que entre uno y tres millones adicionales se intercambian en mercados secundarios. Los heridos por bala sumaron 69 mil 825 en 2005; más de 191 al día. Una investigación de los costos económicos directos e indirectos de la violencia con armas de fuego en Estados Unidos se calculó en 100 mil millones al año, informó el Brady Campaign. Sin embargo y a pesar de tener una lamentable tradición de matanzas como las de Columbine, y varios más que se han registrado desde entonces, incluyendo recientemente la muerte de cinco niñas en la escuela rural de Amish, no se ha promovido en un mayor control de armas. De hecho, organizaciones que se dedican a promover leyes de control informan que la mayoría de los estados no requiere que los dueños de armas tengan licencia o que sean registradas y miles de armas son compradas en ferias sin verificación del historial criminal del comprador, mientras que los bancos de datos sobre criminales no son actualizados, permitiendo que delincuentes obtengan armas fácilmente. Peor aun, la agrupación New Yorkers Against Gun Violence recordó que "desde la tragedia de Columbine, es ahora más fácil obtener armas", y detalla cómo gobiernos estatales han promulgado leyes que minan esfuerzos para controlar las armas. Además, acusa que el Departamento de Justicia ha promovido medidas que hacen más difícil detectar quién está comprando armas, mientras que el Congreso ha promulgado medidas que en los hechos facilitan el tráfico ilegal. La falta de un control de armas de fuego ha sido un triunfo de poderosas agrupaciones de cabildeo, en particular la Asociación Nacional del Rifle (NRA), que ha convertido el derecho a portar armas en una misión sagrada y patriótica. A pesar de que esta demostrado que la interrelación entre los parámetros de delitos violentos, número de presos, aplicación de la pena de muerte y permiso para comprar armas forman un entramado que retroalimenta a una de las sociedades más violentas del mundo, los dirigentes políticos siguen sin tomar posiciones frente a la libertad de venta de armas y de su uso restringido porque entienden que es una costumbre tan arraigada en los Estados Unidos que enfrentarse a ella tendría negativas influencias electorales. Estados Unidos es una mixtura de una de las sociedades más avanzadas con algunos lastres arcaicos que determinan que la dureza de la ley, la violencia y una de las poblaciones reclusas proporcionalmente más grande nos inviten a dudar de la solidez de ese sistema de vida. Fuente Original: http://andercismo.blogspot.com/2007/04/cultura-de-violencia-en-estados-unidos.html Derechos Reservados: Creative Commons Atribución-NoComercial-CompartirDerivadasIgual 2.5 Argentina
Creative Commons Atribución-NoComercial-CompartirDerivadasIgual 2.5 Argentina
Un día de silencio en los blogs en honor a las víctimas del Virginia Tech.
Reproducido por: Zona Cerebral Este es el propósito de la web OneDayBlogSilence.com para el día 30 de Abril, intentar que miles de bloggers en todo el mundo detengan su maquinaria incesante de producción en honor a las víctimas de la masacre ocasionada en el Virginia Tech, cuando el estudiante universitario Cho Seung-Hui irrumpió en el edificio y asesinó hasta 30 de sus compañeros con dos armas de distinto calibre, para posteriormente grabarse en vídeo, enviarlo a la prensa y finalmente suicidarse con un disparo en la cabeza. La iniciativa surgió del blog de Steli Efti y aunque hay ciertos comentarios en contra de esta idea por el hecho de que los blogs en la actualidad constituyen una fuente importante de noticias e información, otros consideran que es un día para el recuerdo, no una razón para dejar de bloggear ni para detenerse, ya que esto puede hacerse antes y después de este evento, por lo que puede parecer acertado o moralmente favorable dedicar un día a la memoria de las víctimas desde la blogosfera. No sólo a las víctimas del Virginia Tech, sino a todas aquellas con las que de alguna forma sintamos la necesidad de solidarizarnos por un día. Puedes descargar la imagen en la web OneDayBlogSilence.com para participar en esta acción, publicándola en un post el día 30 de abril y manteniendo el silencio en tu blog durante el resto del día. Links: http://supercoolschool.typepad.com/blog/2007/04/oneday_blog_sil.html http://www.onedayblogsilence.com/OneDayBlogSilence.com.html http://www.quickonlinetips.com/archives/2007/04/one-day-blog-silence-to-honor-victims-at-virginia-tech/ Fuente Original: http://www.zonacerebral.com/2007/04/un-da-de-silencio-en-los-blogs-en-honor.html. Derechos reservados: Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial 2.5 España.
Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial 2.5 España
Por El Nuevo Día - Puerto Rico Hace un año, los recién casados Juan Ramón Ortiz y Liselle Vega se trasladaron a Virginia a estudiar sus respectivas maestrías. BAYAMON - Amante de los bongós. Estudiante de talento extraordinario. Sano y sin vicios. Ése fue el Juan Ramón Ortiz Ortiz que describieron ayer sus familiares, atónitos aún ante el fallecimiento del joven de 26 años a manos del desquiciado que ayer mató a 32 personas en el campus de la univesidad Virginia Tech en Blacksburg, Virginia, en la peor matanza a tiros en la historia de Estados Unidos. "Él era un tipo completamente sano, sin vicios y buen hijo" El doctor Oscar Marrero, primo hermano del difunto, dijo que fue la esposa de Ortiz Ortiz, Liselle Vega, quien se comunicó al hogar de sus suegros para dar la mala noticia de la muerte del joven de 26 años graduado con altos honores de ingeniería civil de la Universidad Politécnica. Vega también estudia en Virginia Tech, pero no se encontraba en los predios al momento de la tragedia. "Ella estaba llamándolo, pero no lo conseguía en el celular. Luego llamó a un hospital y le dijeron que el cuerpo estaba en la lista del la morgue", dijo Marrero, entrevistado en las afueras de la residencia familiar, mientras se escuchaban personas orando en el interior del hogar. "La verdad es que no tenemos muchos detalles. Liselle es el enlace con la familia y ni siquiera le dejan ver el cuerpo", agregó Marrero. Explicó que la familia no tiene idea de cuándo el cuerpo podría arriba a a Puerto Rico. Ortiz Ortiz y Vega, quien es oriunda de Manatí, llevaban apenas un año casados y no tenían hijos. Ambos graduados de la Universidad Politécnica, decidieron partir rumbo a Virginia Tech para completar sus respectivas maestrías. Debido a su excelente promedio, Ortiz Ortiz, se desempeñaba como profesor y estudiante. Estaba pautado a terminar su maestría en diciembre. Los familiares que hablaron con El Nuevo Día describieron a Ortiz Ortiz, graduado del Colegio Nuestra Señora de Belén, como un excelente estudiante y amante de la música. Era amante de los bongós y cualquier instrumento de percusión. "El era un tipo completamente sano, sin vicios y buen hijo", dijo Marrero, mientras otros familiares asentían con sus cabezas. http://www.endi.com/noticia/portada/noticias/atonita_la_familia_del_isleno_abatido/198254 -- Fuente Original: abc.gov.ar http://abc.gov.ar/lainstitucion/noticiasdeladgcye/v07/internacionales/completo.cfm?id=651
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
El mundo entero expresa sus condolencias por la masacre de Virginia
20MINUTOS.ES. 18.04.2007 - 04:54h Ban Ki-moon, el Papa o Javier Solana han mostrado su pesar. Países 'enemigos' como Irán o Venezuela también han condenado los asesinatos.<br La matanza perpetrada el lunes en la Universidad Politécnica de Virginia, que dejó 33 muertos, incluido el atacante, ha sido condenada por líderes políticos y religiosos de todo el mundo. El primer ministro británico, Tony Blair, en nombre del Reino Unido, expresó su "profunda tristeza" y solidaridad a los estadounidenses, en especial a las familias de las víctimas". La reina Isabel II, que tiene previsto viajar a Estados Unidos en mayo próximo, también manifestó que está "conmocionada y entristecida" por la tragedia. Desde Ciudad del Vaticano se informó de que el Papa Benedicto XVI reza por las víctimas y familiares de esta "tragedia sin sentido", como fue calificada por el sumo pontífice. El secretario general de la ONU, Ban Ki-moon, surcoreano como el presunto asesino, el estudiante Cho Seung Hui, de 23 años, rechazó el múltiple crimen y afirmó que "la matanza rampante de civiles inocentes es inaceptable, por lo que lo condeno en los términos más enérgicos." Javier Solana fue profesor durante cuatro años de la universidad atacada El Alto Representante para la Política Exterior y de Seguridad Común de la UE, Javier Solana, que fue profesor de la Universidad Politécnica de Virginia, expresó su pena desde México, donde se encuentra realizando una visita oficial. "Para mí es un acontecimiento más doloroso, si cabe, porque he pasado cuatro años de mi vida en esa universidad dando clase y recuerdo con gran emoción los años que pasé allí", señaló. Incluso los 'enemigos' Irán, un país que ha sido acusado por EE.UU. de apoyar a grupos insurgentes en Irak e intentar desarrollar un programa nuclear secreto y que no tiene relaciones diplomáticas con Washington desde principios de los años ochenta, se sumó a la cadena de condolencias. Una nota emitida por el portavoz del Ministerio de Exteriores, Mohamad Ali Huseini, dice que "las acciones que perjudican a los civiles inocentes, cualquiera que sea su etnia, religión o nacionalidad, son condenables y contrarias a los valores de la Humanidad". El presidente de Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, que encabeza la oposición a EEUU en Latinoamérica, también manifestó sus "condolencias al pueblo y a las familias de las víctimas de esta horrible masacre". Desde Ecuador, país en sintonía con Venezuela, el vicepresidente, Lenin Moreno, señaló: "estoy muy apenado y quiero manifestárselo así al pueblo de EEUU, ese gran pueblo, del que tenemos tantas cosas que imitar y tantas cosas que no imitar". República Dominicana se sumó a la corriente de pesar y su presidente, Leonel Fernández, envió una carta a su colega estadounidense, George W. Bush, en la que señaló que es "importante" que EEUU sienta el apoyo moral y la solidaridad "que deseamos expresarle las naciones que apreciamos el valor de la vida y respetamos los derechos humanos". El Consejo Mundial de las Iglesias (CMI), expresó desde Ginebra (Suiza) su pesar y también su inquietud por el uso de las armas de fuego en Estados Unidos. El secretario general del CMI, Samuel Kobia, señaló que "todos somos virginianos en nuestras simpatías (hacia las víctimas), pero muchos en el mundo nos preguntamos también por la vulnerabilidad de los ciudadanos de Virginia ante el mal uso de las armas no reguladas". -- Fuente Original: 20 Minutos.es - España http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/224436/0/mundo/expresa/condolencias/ Derechos Reservados: Creative Commons Reconocimiento 2.1 España.