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
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
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
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. - 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 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
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
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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
Thousands honor fallen, rally hope BLACKSBURG, Va. - Resounding cries of "Lets go Hokies!" echoed off the walls of Cassell Coliseum on Tuesday, capturing the mix of grief and pride that marked Virginia Tech's first full day of coping with the aftermath of Monday's massacre. The basketball stadium was filled with shouting students and community members, clad in the orange and maroon reminiscent of a Hokie Homecoming rally. Only minutes earlier, the room had been silent. The campus and the community gathered at the coliseum for a Convocation to mourn the deaths of the 33 students and faculty members who died Monday. President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush attended the event, along with all of Virginia's congressmen, Gov. Tim Kaine and his wife, members of the university board of visitors, members of the clergy, poet and Va. Tech professor Nikki Giovanni and local officials. "For many of you, your first instinct was to call home and let your moms and dads know that you were OK," Bush said. "I know many of you feel awfully far away from people you lean on and people you count on during difficult times. But as a dad, I can assure you a parent's love is never far from their child's heart." The 10,000-seat arena reached capacity about 20 minutes before the event began at 2 p.m. Several thousand people also camped out in Lane Stadium to watch the ceremony on the JumboTron, filling the football field and parts of the stands. Many students rested their heads on friends' shoulders and cried as speakers took the stage. The Convocation marked the first time the Tech community was brought together after learning that a senior English major, 23-year-old Cho Seung-Hui, was responsible for the shootings. "How can we know if something like this will happen again?" junior Brandon Campion questioned. "That's like everyone here." Later Tuesday night, as students gathered on the campus' sprawling Drillfield for a candlelit vigil, a crowd of thousands stood silent for almost 10 minutes. The only sounds were of sniffles and camera shutters, as hundreds of photographers from across the world took in the scene. But even that somber event would not have been complete without the inevitable shouts of "Hokies!" and thousands of candles hoisted in a defiant toast of light. At one point, a stadium-style wave rippled across the field. "This is definitely a football school," quipped Weston Hunter, a graduate student in the mathematics department. Hunter said it felt right to remain on campus, even as many students left to be with family and friends. "It's good to be here," he said. "This is the most relevant place to be." Police confirmed Tuesday morning that Seung-Hui was the gunman in the shooting at Norris Hall, an engineering building, which left 31 people dead, including Seung-Hui. His death is being called a suicide. An earlier shooting at West Ambler-Johnston Residence Hall left two people dead - resident adviser Ryan Clark and freshman Emily Hilscher. Campus police Chief Wendell Flinchum said Tuesday that one of two handguns recovered from the Norris Hall crime scene also was used in the dorm shooting. However, he stopped short of saying Seung-Hui was the shooter in both incidents. One gun was a 9 mm handgun and the other a .22-caliber handgun. Seung-Hui was a South Korean native and a legal resident alien of the United States, here on a visa. He lived in Harper Residence Hall. His permanent residence is listed as Centreville, Va. As of Tuesday evening, nine people remained hospitalized in stable condition and two in serious condition. More than 20 people were injured in the incident and taken to hospitals across the region. As the names of victims leaked to the media, students found comfort and grief in the news. "(Clark) was doing his job and I think that's the hardest thing to deal with," said senior Manisha Joshi, who was a resident adviser with Clark for two years. Joshi said being around other people who understand what's going on has helped her deal with the tragedy. And even on such a large campus, with more than 25,000 full-time students, it is hard to find anyone who isn't somehow connected to the victims. "You've either had class with them, they lived on someone's hall, or you've seen them around," junior Staci Hudy said. "I'm waiting to see when individual memorial services are going to be held." Many students are using Facebook.com to create groups for friends and supporters of the deceased. Some groups also have relayed information about those believed injured or dead. Numerous students expressed the need for solidarity in this time of crisis, and even many of those planning to spend time at home elected to stay long enough to attend the group events Tuesday. "I think it was a really nice thing that everybody got together," freshman Tiffani Price said after Convocation. Price said that her biology lab partner was killed and that one of her high-school friends still is missing. "I think it helped a lot of people. It helped everybody feel they had someone who was experiencing the same thing as them." Time is what students say it will take to move on and put this incident behind them. The semester is scheduled to close May 2, with Commencement set for May 12. "Please don't be concerned right now about how your academic situations will all work out," said Tom Brown, senior associate dean of students, at the Convocation. "You cannot get your mind back on academics without first taking some time to take care of yourself." Classes have been canceled for the remainder of the week to give students time to cope with the situation, and Norris Hall will be closed for the rest of the semester. "I think going to graduation this year is going to have a different effect on a lot of us," Joshi said. "It's going to be a time to celebrate, but it's also going to be a time to remember." -- Original Source:Daily Tar Heel - April 18, 2007
Erin France, Eric Johnson, Jessica Schonberg and Alexandria Shealy
UNC community feels connected to Va. Tech Hokie maroon and orange dotted the solemn crowd Tuesday night as hundreds from the Carolina community turned out in support of their peers at Virginia Tech. At a candlelight vigil organized by three UNC students from Northern Virginia, students, faculty and residents gathered in the Pit, on its steps and stood 10 deep in places outside it, many sporting ribbons with Va. Tech colors. Speakers and audience members expressed the need for community, both within UNC and also with all college students nationwide. "This is the time when, for all our words, we are speechless, when our fears trump our hopes," said Jan Rivero, campus minister of the Wesley Campus Ministry. "It is times like this when we need each other the most." Counselors from Counseling and Wellness were circulating the crowd in case of a need. Students were invited to write messages on posters that will be sent to Va. Tech. The posters will be in the Pit until the end of this week. Messages ranged from expressions of love for specific individuals to solidarity with the "Hokie nation" to "It could have been us" - an idea that seemed to be on the minds of many. "Virginia Tech is a lot like Carolina," said Margaret Jablonski, vice chancellor for student affairs, citing traits ranging from campus geography to each school's rabid sports fans. These similarities caused many students to wonder if a situation similar to the tragic shooting by a Va. Tech senior characterized as a loner that left 33 dead - including the shooter, Cho Seung-Hui - could happen here. "No campus is immune from what happened yesterday at Virginia Tech," Chancellor James Moeser said in a Tuesday press release addressed to the Carolina community. "Just as we always do in the wake of a security issue on this campus, we also will learn from the Va. Tech tragedy." Stephanie Berman, Skylar Gudas and Alison Linas, the Northern Virginia natives who organized the event, led the gathering in lighting candles as an expression of community. "As we pass the flame let us be silent and reflect on these events and remember our peers in Blacksburg," Linas said. Student Body President Eve Carson urged students to carry the feelings of community and solidarity forward. "We need to keep this culture of peace at the forefront of our mind." Chelsea Stahr, Va. Tech class of 2005, who sported maroon and orange from head to toe said she was encouraged by the UNC response. "I have been overwhelmed by the amount of support that UNC and all other schools have shown, and it just made it a lot easier." Stahr, who now lives and works in the area, commended Va. Tech for how it's coped with the situation. "The amount of support that they have shown the students and the amount of unity the students have shown ... that's what's going to get us through this," she said. Winston Crisp, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs, said counselors and representatives from the dean of students office and various campus ministries were available to students Tuesday in the Union. He said his office will evaluate the situation today to see if a similar need exists. "We want to make it easy for students," he said, also citing the availability of counselors with walk-in hours in Counseling and Wellness, the office of the dean of students, community directors, resident advisers and faculty members. Campus Y Director Virginia Carson said that difficult times show what's truly important. "Our values are connecting with each other," she said, urging students to reach out to those most directly affected by the shootings. "They need you a little more now than they did yesterday." -- Original Source:Daily Tar Heel - April 18, 2007
La cultura del arma de fuego en los Estados Unidos
Traducción libre. Original en francés Publicado el 22 de Abril, 2007 El miércoles pasado se publicó en Le Monde una interesante entrevista realizada a Pap Ndiaye, historiador en la Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales, donde habla acerca de la cultura del arma de fuego en Estados Unidos. Esta entrevista fue impulsada por la tragedia ocurrida el pasado lunes 16 de abril en el Instituto Politécnico de la Universidad Estatal de Virginia en Blacksburg. Pap Ndiaye afirma que historicamente las armas de fuego en los Estados Unidos han tenido gran relevancia en el imaginario colectivo y que grupos de poder organizados en torno a su uso, como la National Rifle Association, juegan un papel fundamental en cuanto a la regulación de estos artefactos. Para Ndiaye este tipo de organizaciones se amparan en la Segunda Enmienda de la constitución estadounidense, la cual estipula que no se puede restringir el derecho de las personas a tener y portar armas. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¿Usted piensa que se puede hablar de una cultura de la violencia en los Estados Unidos? Yo hablaría sobre todo de una cultura del arma de fuego, es decir, de una parte de la población americana para quienes poseer un arma no es únicamente un derecho, sino de igual manera una protección indispensable. Se ha conformado una comunidad de algunos millones de activistas que coleccionan armas, se entrenan regularmente, con frecuencia son miembros de la National Rifle Association (NRA), profesan un patriotismo a ultranza y se organizan eficazmente, en particular al seno del Partido Republicano. Por otra parte, la difusión masiva de armas de fuego favoriza su utilización rutinaria en situaciones de delincuencia, de conflicto, etc. Por ejemplo en Filadelfia en 2006 se registraron más de 330 muertos por arma de fuego. La situación se ha tornado tan alarmante en esa ciudad que los partidarios por el control de armas no militan por su prohibición, pero sí por una limitación en la venta de armas a razón de un arma por persona y por mes. Cada año se registran alrededor 10 000 homicidios por arma de fuego en los Estados Unidos, teniendo por víctimas y autores fundamentalmente a hombres jóvenes, de los cuales un número desproporcionado son negros e hispanos. Tan dramática es la situación que tiroteos como los de Virginia Tech cuentan poco dentro del total anual. En fin, existe una tradición de violencia política: los presidentes Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley y Kennedy fueron asesinados, del mismo modo que personalidades como Martin Luther King y Robert Kennedy. La cultura del arma de fuego afecta a la mayoría de los estadounidenses, pero eso no es objeto de una movilización política suficiente que permitiera hacer retroceder al poderoso grupo de presión de armas y los intereses económicos asociados. Tan solo las ventas anuales de armas de fuego ligeras sobrepasan el millón de dólares. Gracias a la NRA, desde 2005, los fabricantes de armas y de municiones están al abrigo de toda acción judiciaria. ¿Las armas son parte de la ideología americana? En cierto sentido sí. La Segunda Enmienda de la Constitución estadounidense garantiza el derecho a poseer armas de fuego. Pero los historiadores han subrayado que las armas de fuego no siempre han hecho parte de la cultura americana. Antes de la Guerra de Secesión, muy pocos americanos poseían armas, comprendiendo a los habitantes del Oeste, que tenían más libros que fusiles... A partir de 1860, las armas se generalizaron, llegaron a ser menos caras y más precisas, fueron promovidas por los industriales del armamento y los políticos. Las armas formaron parte de la cultura popular gracias a personajes como Buffalo Bill, cazador de bisontes, que presentará la conquista del Oeste como una historia de carabinas y colts. La NRA fue fundada en la misma época, en 1871, y ha mantenido relaciones estrechas con el poder político hasta nuestros días. En su más reciente libro, Gun Show Nation (New Press, octubre 2006), Joan Burdick ha mostrado que la puesta en marcha de la Segunda Enmienda se remonta a los años 60, cuando una franja ultraconservadora del pais promovió las armas como medio para defenderse contra los movimientos sociales de la época, la sublevación negra, comunista y feminista, asociando su uso a un pasado mistificado: la de los verdaderos americanos de la libertad y el patriotismo. Precisamente, la Segunda Enmienda es uno de los principales argumentos de la NRA... SÃ­, pero es objeto de interpretaciones jurídicas variadas en un sentido más o menos liberal. Varias leyes han venido a regular el comercio de armas, desde el Gun Control Act de 1968 hasta la ley "Brady" de 1994, que impone la verificación de los antecedentes penales del comprador de un arma. Pero eso no atañe a las ventas en los "gun shows", las ferias donde se vende una cantidad increíble de armas de todo calibre. Conseguir un arma es siempre muy cómodo, particularmente en los Estados del oeste o el sur, como Virginia. ¿La matanza de Blacksburg puede hacer evolucionar el debate? Víctimas, como las de Columbine en 1999, tuvieron la oportunidad de hacerse entender por los partidistas del control de armas, pero no supieron, hasta el presente, estar tan organizados como el grupo de presión de armas, muy bien representado en el Congreso y en la Casa Blanca. Sin embargo, el Congreso viene de cambiar de mayoría y el momento podría ser propicio para la consolidación de la legislación. Pero es necesario permanecer prudentes, ya que la NRA es influyente y activa. Es uno de los más poderosos grupos de presión en los Estados Unidos, de los cuales los 4 millones de miembros contribuyeron a las victorias electorales de George W. Bush. Los demócratas que piensan en la elección presidencial de 2008, se muestran circunspectos sobre la cuestión. Es probable que no pasará nada. -- Fuente Original: Sociología Contemporánea, Recursos electrónicos para la generación de crítica social. http://sociologiac.mitus-serveur.net/2007/04/22/la-cultura-del-arma-de-fuego-en-los-estados-unidos/ Licencia de Uso: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0.
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0
Creado por: Salinger (a.k.a. Al Valdes) Posteado por Äl a las 2:37 AM Tarde, pero no quiero que las fatales e inocentes victimas de Virginia Tech caigan en el olvido de este mi humilde blog. Por ende, quiero escribir unas palabras en su recuerdo. Ya se que no tiene remedio, pero todos esperamos que descanseis en paz. Sabemos que no lo mereciais, ni vosotros ni las familias, ni la ciudad, ni siquiera el mundo entero. No empañaré vuestra memoria mencionando al instigador de semejante atrocidad. Total, es lo que queria, visto lo visto. Y tampoco voy a entrar en nacionalidades, razas o credos. Todos somos iguales, para bien o para mal. Alla donde esteis, 'Rest in Peace'. -- Fuente Original: Acuse de Recibo Retazos Sutiles en forma soñica, España. http://parajeremoto.blogspot.com/2007/04/rest-in-peace.html Licencia de uso: Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-SinObraDerivada 2.5 España
Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-SinObraDerivada 2.5 España
People came to the Squire Student Center with flowers and balloons to mourn for the victims on April 19.
Students of Virginia Tech encourage and comfort each other by writing the inspiring words. April 19,2007 in the Squire Student Center
Pictures of the victims in April 16 were posted in the Squire Student Center.