85 20 1884 https://april16archive.org/files/original/Sweet Student and Alumni Party_77f8ade226.jpg null Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-25 Omeka Legacy File The metadata element set that, in addition to the Dublin Core element set, was included in the `files` table in previous versions of Omeka. These elements are common to all Omeka files. This set may be deprecated in future versions. Capture Date 2007-05-25 10:41:07 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Chad Newswander Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Max Power Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-25 Description An account of the resource Every food vendor in the New River Valley area was out giving away free food. It was awesome. Original source: <a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/maxpower/468730776/"> http://www.flickr.com/photos/maxpower/468730776/</a> Licensed under <a href=" http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0</a> Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Permission Contact: Max Power (http://www.flickr.com/photos/maxpower/468730776/) Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Title A name given to the resource A Sweet Student/Alumni Party alumni festival april 22 student festival Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Brent Jesiek Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Justin Baeder Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-25 Description An account of the resource Posted Tuesday, April 17th, 2007 at 1:43 AM by Justin I hate it how, whenever we have a national tragedy, journos just eat it up. The TV stations make logos for it, and slogans like "Massacre at Virginia Tech" that become ominous jingles as the anchors and announcers repeat them as a story unfolds. We're watching Dateline NBC now (for the first time ever), and the exploitation of the V Tech tragedy is enraging. Matt Lauer is just getting too much mileage out of it. They take every aspect of the story and make it into an entertainment event. They interview grief counselors and find out how that works. They pull out footage of previous shootings. They interview paramedics and enlighten us about their work. It's all for entertainment and to create viewership for the network. The other people who infuriate me when we have a tragedy is the "expert" morons who get on the tube saying how this could have easily been prevented. Their hindsight is perfect, and they get to promote themselves as experts every time an unpreventable tragedy happens. There's a guy on Dateline now talking about how they should have sent in a massive anti-terrorism response team after the first two people were shot. Come on. We're going to send in the ATF or the army or whomever every time there's a shooting? Ten thousand people are shot to death each year in this country. We can't treat each incident like an act of terrorism as this guy is suggesting. The other thing I hate about the "if only" experts is that they implicitly blame everyone involved. If only the campus police had done something different. If only the email had gone out sooner warning people to stay in lockdown. None of this was foreseeable - who could have known a campus shooting (like the one that happened in Seattle a few weeks ago) would turn into a massacre? I say, mourn with those who mourn, and stop exploiting them for publicity and our need to know. If that weren't enough, they're now doing a story about a guy who survived the Columbine massacre but lost his sister, Rachel Scott. Emotional aftermath and all that. Ugh. "Soon, even prayer was no match for the terror..." -- Original Source: <a href="http://www.radicalcongruency.com/20070416-massacre-at-virginia-tech-let-the-media-exploitation-begin">http://www.radicalcongruency.com/20070416-massacre-at-virginia-tech-let-the-media-exploitation-begin</a> Licensed under <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/">Creative Commons Attribution 2.5</a>. Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Title A name given to the resource Massacre at Virginia Tech: Let the Media Exploitation Begin blog commentary media Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Brent Jesiek Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource a4g / Point Five Blog Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-25 Description An account of the resource By a4g Point Five Staff Writer @ 4:51 pm April 16, 2007 -- Fears Raised That Details Of Shooting Might Be Released Into Context-Free Void -- A massacre at Virginia Tech took the lives of 32 on Monday. But as the sun set, and sketchy details slowly emerged on what was still a largely unclear series of events, an even greater tragedy began to reveal itself, as a few irresponsible Americans had not yet drawn broad life lessons from the atrocity. "We've got scores of kids dead or wounded," said one police officer on the scene, "and there's folks out there who have the gall to tell me they haven't decided what this teaches us about America? Sometimes I wonder if I even recognize this country anymore." While most media reports wisely began to correlate the shootings almost immediately to pre-packaged positions on gun control and video game violence, few ordinary citizens have the resources of a major television network to so neatly encapsulate the horrorÃ¢ï¿½ï¿½- and the life lessonsÃ¢ï¿½ï¿½ of the shooting spree into an easily digestible sound bite. This worries analyst Greg Collier, who warned that such individuals were basically "on their own", and may find themselves without a support system when the media machine moves onto the next big story sometime Wednesday or Thursday. "Listen, if you're big on Sudden Jihad Syndrome, just for example," said Collier, "you've got a window of basically six to twelve hours before they identify the shooter. So what are you waiting for? If you don't take your shot against Islam now, and this guy turns out not to be a diabolical Muslim convertÃ¢ï¿½ï¿½- but just some ordinary shmuck with some adjustment problemsÃ¢ï¿½ï¿½- you're out of the discussion, irrelevant." He said the same devastating metric applied to race hustlers, white supremacists, militant feminists, conspiracy theorists, and Bill Maher. "If you haven't drawn your conclusions by nightfall, you're going to be trampled by tomorrow's news cycle. I mean, imagine if right now you were still pondering the implications of the Imus firing, leisurely asking yourself questions about the proper response to boorish behavior in a society that values free speech. Hello? Imus is gone, baby. Al Sharpton already solved racial inequality last week. We're on school shootings now. We've got a country to save, people." Even worse, mental health professionals feel that important "closure" may not occur in those who are unwilling to quickly find a way to make sense of the murders. "As humans, we need to make sense of the senseless," said Dr. Jane Krempsky, a grief counselor, television commentator, and frequent expert witness in civil trials. "We need to exert our control over those things that seem uncontrollable, in order to feel safe once again. Some people just don't appreciate that the clock is ticking." Krempsky said the issues involved in this shooting became plain almost the instant that the widely conflicting reports hit the wires, and included increased gun control, liberalized concealed carry, the effects of the Iraq war, America's obsession with violence, the feminization of the Western male, and the prevalence of pre-marital sex and binge drinking on campus. As one blogger noted in an iconic post near the end of the day: "Virginia who? Oh yeah... I remember that. Horrible tragedy. That was the one caused by global warming, right?" -- Original Source: <a href="http://pointfiveblog.com/index.php/2007/04/1260">http://pointfiveblog.com/index.php/2007/04/1260</a> Licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License</a>. Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Title A name given to the resource Tragedy In Virginia As Some Fail To Draw Conclusions From VTech Massacre blog commentary satire Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Brent Jesiek Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Al Shoemaker Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-24 Description An account of the resource VT Written by Al Shoemaker In memory of those who died at Virginia Tech, May they always be with us This poem is dedicated to all that were lost, Because someone wanted power and lives were the cost For all the ones that sat there in fear, For all the ones that shed many tears, And for the ones who lost their loved ones, so kind and dear We give a salute to all of them that tried to protect, From a foolish madman that had a defect Admiration should be given to all those that went to a better place, Because their bravery shined, that moment they looked death in the face For all the ones that suffered grief, We hope very much that their pain will only be brief Many sat there in caution, petrified like stone, As that bad man took many lives, before he took his own This is for all the ones who managed to stay so strong, During that horrible moment, that felt so very long They had to be so brave, to be so filled with hope, And we wish good for the families, who are now trying to cope Now is the time to spread peace and love, In remembrance of the ones that now float above No one knows why this era has already become such a sad time, But now we must stand up, to prevent such similar crimes We must stop other things from going on now, How this became such a scary world, no one really knows how We need to stop murders, racism, gang violence and gay bashing, And we need to stop theft, violence, and window smashing So let's help all the victims, families, and survivors and show that we all care, Help them on their feet and help them recover from this scare, And clean this death and sorrow out of our air, So now we want to give love, to those whose dreams were wrecked, And everyone else, who was there at Virginia Tech -- Author's Comments It was very tragic, what happened a few days ago at Virginia Tech, so I wrote this poem in honor of the victims, survivors, families, and everyone else related to Virginia Tech, and to inspire others to help the cause. May all the lost ones rest in peace. -- Original submitted to deviantart.com on April 18, 2007: <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/53501916/">http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/53501916/</a> Licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License</a>. Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Title A name given to the resource VT: In Memory of Virginia Tech poem poetry Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Brent Jesiek Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tom DeLay Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-25 Description An account of the resource Tom DeLay Former Tennessee Senator and potential presidential candidate Fred Thompson had a very interesting article in the National Review on April 20th entitled, "Signs of Intelligence?" which dealt with concealed carry laws on the Virginia Tech Campus. In the article he writes, <blockquote>Still, there are a lot of people who are just offended by the notion that people can carry guns around. They view everybody, or at least many of us, as potential murderers prevented only by the lack of a convenient weapon. Virginia Tech administrators overrode Virginia state law and threatened to expel or fire anybody who brings a weapon onto campus...</blockquote> <blockquote>...So Virginians asked their legislators to change the university's "concealed carry" policy to exempt people 21 years of age or older who have passed background checks and taken training classes. The university, however, lobbied against that bill, and a top administrator subsequently praised the legislature for blocking the measure.</blockquote> <blockquote>The logic behind this attitude baffles me, but I suspect it has to do with a basic difference in worldviews. Some people think that power should exist only at the top, and everybody else should rely on "the authorities" for protection.</blockquote> To read the article in its entirety click <a href="http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=OTIwYzMyZmQ1YzQ1MDNmZTMyYzQ1Y2U3YTU4YzNmNGE=">here</a> (and I would encourage you to do so because Senator Thompson makes a lot of sense on this issue). I did some research on my own on the background of this Virginia Tech concealed carry debate and I found <a href="http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/commentary/wb/80510">this article</a> in the Roanoke Times submitted by a Virginia Tech graduate student during August of last year. Entitled "Unarmed and Vulnerable" it is written by a Mr. Bradford Wiles and it says this, <blockquote>On Aug. 21 at about 9:20 a.m., my graduate-level class was evacuated from the Squires Student Center. We were interrupted in class and not informed of anything other than the following words: "You need to get out of the building."</blockquote> <blockquote>Upon exiting the classroom, we were met at the doors leading outside by two armor-clad policemen with fully automatic weapons, plus their side arms. Once outside, there were several more officers with either fully automatic rifles and pump shotguns, and policemen running down the street, pistols drawn.</blockquote> <blockquote>It was at this time that I realized that I had no viable means of protecting myself...</blockquote> <blockquote>...This incident makes it clear that it is time that Virginia Tech and the commonwealth of Virginia let me take responsibility for my safety.</blockquote> Given the horrific nature of recent events, Mr. Wiles' article has certainly become even more prescient and chilling. Would that Bradford had been in the engineering building that terrible day with the correct law in place - perhaps the tragedy may have ended very differently. There are many who view supporters of concealed carry laws as fringe crazies who envision life as some kind of ongoing shootem' up western movie. However, statistics don't lie. Jurisdictions which allow responsible citizens the free exercise of their Second Amendment rights have lower levels of violent crime. Ask most incarcerated criminals whether they take into account existing gun laws in choosing their targets and where they will commit a crime and the answer is a resounding yes. Call me a crazy if you wish, but I think this pro Second Amendment Argument of mine and others bears listening to. Posted on Thursday, April 26, 2007 at 09:41AM by Tom DeLay -- Original Source: <a href="http://www.tomdelay.com/home/2007/4/26/dont-conceal-this-debate.html">http://www.tomdelay.com/home/2007/4/26/dont-conceal-this-debate.html</a> Licensed under <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5</a>. Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Title A name given to the resource Don't Conceal This Debate blog commentary delay gun laws second ammendment Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Brent Jesiek Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource lithiumfailed / MayB Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-24 Description An account of the resource I woke up today This mirror doesn't reflect me No one that I know of Has time passed so quickly? Did you give the final shove? Save us from evil Save us from evil Is this what I've become? A heart left untouched My wounds have come undone I hold your lives in a clutch ((Save us from evil)) And all I have to say ((Save us from evil)) Is that I never walked that way ((Save us from evil)) Can the night save the day? ((Save us from evil)) I woke up today Is this the end of me? And all I'd hoped to be? I can only save myself Through the blood of someone else ((Save us from evil) I cannot walk this way ((Save us from evil)) I will not live to say ((Save us from evil)) That I walked that way ((Save us from evil)) I can't wake up today And all this pain I see Reflects right back at me I've been where you were before But I ignored that door ((Save us from evil)) I'm proud to say ((Save us from evil)) I never walked that way ((Save us from evil)) I've finally found my day ((Save us from evil)) My eyes are open today Save us from evil I woke up today -- Author's Comments Inspired by the events at Virginia Tech. Rest in peace :heart: MayB -- Original submitted to deviantart.com on April 18, 2007: <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/53516419/">http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/53516419/</a> Licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License</a>. Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License Title A name given to the resource SONG: 'That Way' by lithiumfailed poem poetry song https://april16archive.org/files/original/Cho_Seung_Hui_by_Latuff2_2b055a28f9.jpg null Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-24 Omeka Legacy File The metadata element set that, in addition to the Dublin Core element set, was included in the `files` table in previous versions of Omeka. These elements are common to all Omeka files. This set may be deprecated in future versions. Capture Date 2007-05-24 12:19:53 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Brent Jesiek Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Carlos Latuff Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-24 Description An account of the resource Artist's Comments Ask yourself... -- Original submitted to deviantart.com on April 20, 2007: <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/53664372/">http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/53664372/</a> Licensed under <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5</a>. Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Title A name given to the resource Cho Seung Hui by Latuff2 art cartoon drawing https://april16archive.org/files/original/Cho_Seung_Hui_comics_2_by_Latuff2_13a27c4e8a.jpg null Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-24 Omeka Legacy File The metadata element set that, in addition to the Dublin Core element set, was included in the `files` table in previous versions of Omeka. These elements are common to all Omeka files. This set may be deprecated in future versions. Capture Date 2007-05-24 11:51:22 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Brent Jesiek Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Carlos Latuff Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-24 Description An account of the resource Artist's Comments Experimental black and white comics on Cho Seung Hui, the Virginia Tech gunman. -- Original submitted to deviantart.com on April 24, 2007: <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/53908783/">http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/53908783/</a> Licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License</a>. Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Title A name given to the resource Cho Seung Hui comics 2 by Latuff2 art cartoon drawing https://april16archive.org/files/original/Cho_Seung_Hui_comics_by_Latuff2_aa6613cbc9.jpg null Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-24 Omeka Legacy File The metadata element set that, in addition to the Dublin Core element set, was included in the `files` table in previous versions of Omeka. These elements are common to all Omeka files. This set may be deprecated in future versions. Capture Date 2007-05-24 11:49:13 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Brent Jesiek Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Carlos Latuff Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-24 Description An account of the resource Artist's Comments Experimental black and white comics on Cho Seung Hui, the Virginia Tech gunman. -- Original submitted to deviantart.com on April 23, 2007: <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/53830744/">http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/53830744/</a> Licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License</a>. Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Title A name given to the resource Cho Seung Hui comics by Latuff2 art cartoon drawing https://april16archive.org/files/original/Cho_Seung_Hui_comics_3_by_Latuff2_fc294a7370.jpg null Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-24 Omeka Legacy File The metadata element set that, in addition to the Dublin Core element set, was included in the `files` table in previous versions of Omeka. These elements are common to all Omeka files. This set may be deprecated in future versions. Capture Date 2007-05-24 11:53:01 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Brent Jesiek Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Carlos Latuff Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-24 Description An account of the resource Artist's Comments Experimental black and white comics on Cho Seung Hui, the Virginia Tech gunman. -- Original submitted to deviantart.com on April 28, 2007: <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/54219309/">http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/54219309/</a> Licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License</a>. Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Title A name given to the resource Cho Seung Hui comics 3 by Latuff2 art cartoon drawing Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Brent Jesiek Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Mark Malloy Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-24 Description An account of the resource Today was by far the most trying day I've experienced in my life. On April 16, 2007 33 people were killed, with 15 more wounded on the Virginia Tech Campus. I know that this is likely not new information, but I repeat it just to add strength to my message. There are not words to properly express just what feelings this day has brought. Surreal doesn't even begin to describe it. I've spoken to more people on the phone today than I have in any day I can remember. The hours spent in the dorm just waiting and watching, seeing the events unfold and hearing the number of dead and wounded climb higher was the epitome of helplessness. This was a tragedy the likes of which have never been seen before, and hopefully will never be seen again. We heard it over and over again. The worst school shooting in US history, they said at first. Then, the worst mass murder in US history as the numbers climbed. Any attempt to convey the emotions and thoughts which barraged my mind today would be futile, vain, and ultimately trite. This was a dark day, near black as night. That said, I have every confidence in this university and this community. I believe this town is capable of rising to the occasion and overcoming this monumental tragedy. I have no idea what the coming days and weeks hold in store, or even the slightest notion of what will happen as time transpires. There is no set procedure for handling something of this magnitude, by sheer virtue of the fact that it has never happened. In spite of that, I feel we, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, students, faculty and staff all, and the town of Blacksburg, are capable of bonding together to lift each other over this hurdle. We will pay our dues and respects to those deceased. We MUST pay our dues and our respects. Anything less would be a mark upon our record. It is only then that we can hope to begin the rebuilding and healing process. It will be a long time before any student can step into Norris Hall without immediately drawing to mind thoughts of the events which occurred in that building today. I can only imagine what those who live on the 4th floor of West Ambler Johnston Hall must feel now, and likely for nights to come, in regards to what transpired there as well. However, as time passes and we slowly heal, these things will become easier. And until that time, if we band together, teachers and students, all majors and classes, then we will be able to carry on our work as an academic institution. That is the best way we can hope to honor the memories of those murdered here for years to come. We must continue to learn, to advance the knowledge of our society and our species, that we may continue to understand the universe in all its parts. This applies not only to this university, but to every university in the United States and the world, present and future. I leave you all with one final plea from a freshman at this university, a plea echoed from every corner of this university by every student, faculty and staff member, all who witnessed this tragedy. I beg of you, on Tuesday, April 17, 2007, and for as long afterward as you may be convinced to do so, wear any maroon and orange you can find in remembrance of those innocents slain here. To borrow from several sources throughout the day, for the sake of those lost, put aside your allegiances and college ties for at least a short time. For today, we are all Hokies. In most sincere regards and hope, Mark Malloy Virginia Tech Class of 2010 -- Author's Comments A letter to the world from me, a Virginia Tech student, regarding the events of April 16, 2007. Please spread this as far as you can. Feel free to copy it and send it to people. If you have trouble doing that here, go to my xanga site, <a href="http://www.xanga.com/guitaristam73">[link]</a> for a copy. I'd also like to thank everyone around the world who has been so supportive in this time. We are all Hokies, yesterday, today, and every day hence. -- Original submitted to deviantart.com on April 19, 2007: <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/53551291/">http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/53551291/</a> Language A language of the resource eng Title A name given to the resource Letter from a VT Student blog commentary letter Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Brent Jesiek Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Keithlee Spangler Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-24 Description An account of the resource We know not your name We know not your height Nor your weight Nor your burdens The things that brand you We know not the reason We know not the thoughts Nor the sorrow Nor the regret The things that brand you We know not who you are We know not who you want to be Nor who you could be Nor who you should be The things that brand you To me you are a killer To her you are a savior To him you are a bastard To them you are nothing Is this why In the end They paid With their lives? Is this why In the end They won't see Her again? Is this why In the end She is alone And all she can do is cry You've killed Daughters Sons Fathers Mothers Friends Grandsons Granddaughters Nieces Nephews Cousins Aunts Uncles Brothers Sisters Lovers You've hurt Daughters Sons Fathers Mothers Friends Grandsons Granddaughters Nieces Nephews Cousins Aunts Uncles Brothers Sisters Lovers You've hurt Me -- Author's Comments This is my worst poem I've yet to write, but the things that happened today, Monday, April 16, 2007, have really touched and upset me. This beats slicing, so I figured whatever. Comments are disabled b/c I really don't like this. (C) Keithlee Spangler a.k.a. fickshonal a.k.a. Bella If you are unaware as to what happened in Virgina today, here is a [link] to read it. Byes for now. -- Original submitted to deviantart.com on April 16, 2007: <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/53399599/">http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/53399599/</a> Licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License</a>. Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Title A name given to the resource Virginia Killings - We Know Not poem poetry https://april16archive.org/files/original/Today_We_Are_All_Hokies_3c907bbbbb.jpg null Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-24 Omeka Legacy File The metadata element set that, in addition to the Dublin Core element set, was included in the `files` table in previous versions of Omeka. These elements are common to all Omeka files. This set may be deprecated in future versions. Capture Date 2007-05-24 14:58:24 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Brent Jesiek Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Phantom Inker Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-24 Description An account of the resource Artist's Comments On a sunny warm morning on September 17, 1996, a young woman with a long history of mental health problems walked onto the Penn State campus, sat down under a tree on one of the most popular lawns on campus, took a seven-millimeter Mauser rifle, and fired five shots randomly into the crowd. Melanie Spalla was killed, Nicholas Mensah was injured, and two others later found bullet holes in their backpacks. When the bullets started to fly, Brendan Malovrh had the amazing courage to run not away from them but toward them; he wrestled the rifle and a knife away from the deranged Jillian Robbins and held her until police could arrive. Had he not acted so quickly and selflessly, Penn State could easily have suffered the tragedy that Virginia Tech is dealing with today. On my way to class, I walked right past the spot where Jillian killed a girl --- only an hour after it happened. If my class had been an hour earlier, I could have been right in the line of her sights. Today, we are all Hokies. Every alumnus who carries a degree and every student who studies in the quad, every professor who goes beyond the call of duty and every parent who worries about her child, we are all Hokies. Our hearts and prayers go out to you, Virginia Tech. By the grace of God we all hope that may never happen again anywhere. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hetzel_Union_Building_shooting">The Hetzel Union Building Shootings</a> | <a href="http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/1996_jan-dec/1996_sept/1996-09-27_the_daily_collegian/1996-09-27d01-001.htm">The Digital Collegian, Sep 27, 1996</a> | <a href="http://kdka.com/topstories/local_story_108154617.html">Penn State Shooting in 1996 Hauntingly Familiar</a> | <a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=980CE3DE1638F937A15756C0A96E958260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fOrganizations%2fP%2fPennsylvania%20State%20University">Woman Pleads Guilty in Penn State Shooting</a> -- This picture is of Ally, my centauress character, and I drew it in a single sitting of six hours during which I had a very hard time not crying. I'm offering it as a print, and it's my first (and only) print. Due to the seriousness of the situation, I'm also offering <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/55169511/">a version where Ally is human</a>, which some people might prefer. Regardless of her species, the point remains the same: We're thinking of and praying for you and yours, VT. -- Original submitted to deviantart.com on May 12, 2007: <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/55167862/">http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/55167862/</a> Licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.5/">Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 2.5 License</a>. Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 2.5 License Title A name given to the resource Today We Are All Hokies by phantom-inker art drawing https://april16archive.org/files/original/Question_Mark_by_artistm0nk_83542f63b4.jpg null Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-24 Omeka Legacy File The metadata element set that, in addition to the Dublin Core element set, was included in the `files` table in previous versions of Omeka. These elements are common to all Omeka files. This set may be deprecated in future versions. Capture Date 2007-05-24 15:16:09 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Brent Jesiek Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Aletheia Rio ("Artistmonk") Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-24 Description An account of the resource Artist's Comments ? Lay me on the ground Fly me in the sky Show me where to look Tell me what will I find... Teach me how to speak Teach me how to share Teach me where to go Tell me will love be there Will love be there? - Shine by Collective Soul This is Seung-hui Cho aka "Question Mark", the gunman of the Virginia Tech Massacre. -- Original submitted to deviantart.com on April 24, 2007: <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/53906656/">http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/53906656/</a> Licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License</a>. Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource reative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Title A name given to the resource Question Mark by artistm0nk art cho drawing question mark Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Brent Jesiek Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource SamiSunshine Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-24 Description An account of the resource by SamiSunshine That is a prime example of colleges not looking into the right cases and not checking up on people. Once Cho started to stalk people, he should have been expelled. They seem to spend more time fighting underage drinking than sexual assult. Relating that to the U of A, at one of the dorms my friend was staying with a girl who had moved into her room from another dorm. What my friend didn't know was that the girl was moved from the other room for taking a knife and slashing up the furniture and threatening people. Finally my friend got really scared because the girl did something similar again and instead of kicking the psycho girl out, they moved my friend in with another girl and the psycho has her own room. In this same dorm, another friend got kicked out of the dorm system because his roommates said he didn't clean and said he was smoking pot while there was no evidence of the fact. And counselors and administrators never get back to you. I had a really bad panic attack the night before an exam and I couldn't take it because of some harm I did to myself and I explained that to the dean's secretary who said that she was going to refer me to counselors who would call me in the next few day. They never called. I finally went to the counselors on my own and a lady gave me the names of therapists and said she would call in the next few days. She never called. I could have been so far on the edge that I could have harmed myself or others. I could have been another Cho. But, the university decided to not check up on me, a severely stressed out, freaked out person who was living in the dorms with many other students. I could have been a risk to others and they still did not make sure that I wasn't a threat to myself or others. I wouldn't be surprised if that had happened at Virginia Tech. Don't blame strict/lax gun laws, violence in the media, or society in general: blame the people who were supposed to be protecting, mentoring, and caring for the students. Cho Seung-Hui had been referred to counseling, he had a record as a stalker, he had a reputation as a disturbed individual: did the President have to march over to the Virgina Tech campus health and demand that they see Cho? This tragedy could happen anywhere. My heartfelt condolences to the victims, their families, and Cho's family. This should be something that should inspire universities to protect and try to heal their students, not lose them in the masses. ETA: On a more frivolous note, its appalling that someone with such bad writing could be a Senior English major. The most disturbing things about his writing is how bad it is. That says something about the writing program at Virginia Tech. And, it ain't good. -- Author's Comments This is a little rant about how many chances they had to stop Cho and how little they did and how it isn't just a problem that Virginia Tech has. Its a problem at universities all over the United States. -- Original submitted to deviantart.com on April 19, 2007: <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/53594990/">http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/53594990/</a> Licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License</a>. Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Title A name given to the resource Losing Students: Virginia Tech commentary Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Brent Jesiek Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Joseph M. Skipsey Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-24 Description An account of the resource Why must we pay the price For others sins and vice? As I lay dying here, I cry. I wonder, Why, why, why? ~Joseph M. Skipsey, April 23rd, 2007 Of Shooters and Schools Can video games make kids more violent? A new study employing state-of-the-art brain-scanning technology says that the answer may be yes. Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine say that brain scans of kids who played a violent video game showed an increase in emotional arousal - and a corresponding decrease of activity in brain areas involved in self-control, inhibition and attention. Does this mean that your teenager will feel an uncontrollable urge to go on a shooting rampage after playing "Call of Duty?" -Excerpt Taken from the MSNBC On the Level article, "Does game violence make teens aggressive?" It's the same tired old stories, over and over. These are but entertainment, without meaning. So, they make you more violent? No, I believe the article is suggesting that playing violent video games simply makes you more more "emotionally aroused." You can't blame games, the ESRB was put there for a reason. If you're unaware that video games are under a strict ratings system, you don't deserve to speak on such an issue. Movies don't have anything on the incredible vista of the ESRB. You can't find a medium of entertainment with a more defined set of guidelines than the ESRB, and the ratings are there for a reason, and deserve enforcement. Pardon me, but just because you can scan and find emotional arousal, does that mean positive emotion? Negative emotion? Neutral emotion? What exactly does this arousal mean? Until it can be discerned, all these statements are inaccurate. You need to prove then, that emotion is the link. Or, is it? After all, these killers are described as being cold and emotionless, right? What makes people do the violent acts in the first place? So far, most of these cases have shown mental illness, rage/anger issues, hate, race, and of course, suffering. Where are the cases of sane, rational, normal individuals playing these games and deciding to go kill people? None. All the school shootings? Most were angry youth, youth with guns, youth who were outsiders, the weak, the defenceless, the bullied. Not a single average Joe picking up a gun after a refreshing game of "Kill People" and blowing away innocents. What we fail to see is an actual connection between motive and games. I see motive in one way, and games in another, because they are NOT the SAME! There are very well-defined lines between motive and what someone does in their spare time. You see, when it comes down to it, you need motive to commit, and without a motive, there is no crime. Motives like, oh say: Abuse by parents, abuse by peers, bullying, loneliness, delusions, hatred, religious beliefs, monetary issues, and many more. What needs to be examined is the link between society and killers like this. What makes these people? Look, and you shall find, and it will surprise me not, but shock you beyond your comfortable world of minor tragedy. The breakdown in society comes not from video games, but from the way we treat some people in it. No one can imagine what horrors some have gone through. I have lived through what I can only describe as sheer torture, for a lack of wanting to dredge up the painful memories. I have come through, and come through well, and I am now working on becoming someone to change the ways these things go about. "Boys will be boys." A bitter, and cruel memory of a tear cried long ago. I came through my own trial that was childhood, and emerged matured beyond my chronological age. I have stared a coming death in the eyes, and welcomed it with relief. Never does one grow so quickly than when faced with their own life, about to be snuffed out. But I did not die, thanks to one boy who saw others throw me into a dumpster like so much trash, unable to move my arms from the beating they gave me first, bare seconds before a garbage truck came by to collect the garbage, to compact it... and me. One boy, who defied apathy, and saved my life. Live through the worst pain you could ever feel, for six years, alone, different, and scared, then claim that "Boys will be Boys." For some, the burden warped them, destroyed them, and turned them into beasts, murderous and violent. Killers. But, thanks to several factors, including loving, caring parents, kind teachers, books, and counselling, I stayed human. It's an odd feeling, to know you have lived through what broke others, what turned them into bitter, meek, but ever defiant individuals, right down to when they killed others and then themselves. It's hard to take when others blame playthings, hobbies, toys, and useless, un-important junk and lay the cause of guilt onto simple objects. Hard to take, to know that someone spent their life in pain, ends it, and yes, they made a bad choice, but it was also a lesson. One which went ignored. Rather than try to fix what is broken, we find ways to avoid examining it. It's hard to believe, that when a young man kills his peers, takes his life, and writes in a note left in his house about just how horrible a life it was, that others simply dismiss it as vanity, preening, a bid for publicity, rather than take in stride that there is a problem in the echelons of societal form. No one understands them. And that's one of the worst parts. I am alive. I am well. I live my life, and rejoice in the pleasures of taking breath, looking at the natural beauty of the world around me, the cool caress of the wind on my face, with the glow of the sun. I live content, confident in a future, bright in possibilities. But I will always remember what it took to make me see the way I do, to have the very thing that makes me different, and the humiliation and indignities I lived through. But the past is the past, and I look to the future, looking to speak, be heard, and change the system that nearly destroyed me, the system that is supported by the strong, the system that propagates stereotypes, and the system that creates the very things it fears most. I lost my childhood when I was but six. I grew up too fast, in a hard system, and have learned some very hard lessons. These lessons have taught me what you're still struggling to comprehend. There is no deep mystery to why the school shooters do this. It is simply misguided vengeance, striking against what they feel is the cause of their misery. Their school, their peers, and themselves. They hate their existence, and others for what they did to make their existence the kind they hated. Therefore, they attack both at the same time, and martyr themselves to their ideas of justice, of vengeance, and of retribution. They do it for themselves, for other victims, for the weak, the defenseless, whatever they want to. Because they are without hope. They are without pity, for they have received none. They have no mercy or regret, as they have learned from those who showed them nought. Their consciences are but husks, destroyed by oppression and injustice. They looked into others eyes as they were hurt, as they were abused, in pain, and all they saw were the malice of their attackers, and the apathy of the crowd, staring into their eyes, and seeing nothing. They have walked where few have dared to tread, but where several are forced to walk. Alone, feeling only the worst things, falling into darkness, with healthy shoves from ignorant and callous peers. This is why. This is what no one will say. This is not your pretty glossy CNN coverage, not your heartening fiction of fantasy, nor your peppy college psychology lecture. This is hard, gritty truth, this is a revelation of knowledge, and a desperate cry to end the pain, the bloodshed, the sorrow. Kind of sad, don't you think, how a 17 year old just told you exactly what countless people have been searching for. The answers to why School Shooters do what they're named for. And do you know what the saddest part will be? When this goes ignored, because this couldn't possibly be it. And I will watch and cry, as more and more people die while we look for the answer that is right in front of our noses, as we assign blame to scapegoats, and as we lower the bodies of innocents, and heroes into the ground. -- Author's Comments I hate the way the world is working these days. All violence and bloodshed, killers and crazies, all over school shootings. The latest Tragedy is now becoming a Travesty, and all we can seem to do is blame peripherals. Monsters aren't born; They're created. -- Original submitted to deviantart.com on April 23, 2007: href="http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/53886930/">http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/53886930/</a> Licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License</a>. Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Title A name given to the resource Of Shooters and Schools commentary video games violence https://april16archive.org/files/original/Class Takes Cover_885ad86be6.jpg null Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-24 Omeka Legacy File The metadata element set that, in addition to the Dublin Core element set, was included in the `files` table in previous versions of Omeka. These elements are common to all Omeka files. This set may be deprecated in future versions. Capture Date 2007-05-24 12:07:16 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Chad Newswander Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Chase Damiano Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-24 Description An account of the resource Students gather in Holden Hall during the massacre at Virginia Tech License The statement below was made by the photographer: I hereby license the attached photo under the GNU Free Documentation License with the following statement: Copyright (c) 2007 William Chase Damiano. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License". Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource License The statement below was made by the photographer: I hereby license the attached photo under the GNU Free Documentation License with the following statement: Copyright (c) 2007 William Chase Damiano. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License". Title A name given to the resource VA Tech shooting - Collegiate Newspaper - class takes cover collegiate newspaper french class holden hall students https://april16archive.org/files/original/Pittsburgh University II_3f4b9d5b53.jpg null Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-25 Omeka Legacy File The metadata element set that, in addition to the Dublin Core element set, was included in the `files` table in previous versions of Omeka. These elements are common to all Omeka files. This set may be deprecated in future versions. Capture Date 2007-05-25 11:44:04 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Chad Newswander Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kris Radder Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-24 Description An account of the resource Photo of a Candlelight Vigil that was held on Pittsburgh University, Monday April 23, 2007, just a week after the tragedy on Virginia Tech campus. Original source: <a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/radder86/472520523/"> http://www.flickr.com/photos/radder86/472520523/</a> Licensed under <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">Creative Commons Attribution 2.0</a> Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Permission Contact: Kris Radder (http://www.flickr.com/photos/radder86/472520523/) Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Title A name given to the resource Names candlelight vigil pittsburg university university vigil vigil https://april16archive.org/files/original/Pittsburgh University_3b9f9c4328.jpg null Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-25 Omeka Legacy File The metadata element set that, in addition to the Dublin Core element set, was included in the `files` table in previous versions of Omeka. These elements are common to all Omeka files. This set may be deprecated in future versions. Capture Date 2007-05-25 11:45:31 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Chad Newswander Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kris Radder Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-24 Description An account of the resource Photo of a Candlelight Vigil that was held on Pittsburgh University, Monday April 23, 2007, just a week after the tragedy on Virginia Tech campus. Original source: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/radder86/472534895/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/radder86/472534895/</a> Licensed under <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">Creative Commons Attribution 2.0</a> Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Permission Contact: Kris Radder (http://www.flickr.com/photos/radder86/472534895/) Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Title A name given to the resource Gathering candlelight vigil pittsburg university university vigil vigil Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Brent Jesiek Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Roger Passman Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-24 Description An account of the resource Dr. Roger Passman April 18, 2007 Reporting for <a href="http://tinyurl.com/35g965">Reuters</a>, Andrea Hopkins writes:</a> <blockquote>By all accounts, the prayers started even before the gunshots stopped at Virginia Tech university, and the pleas to God from grief-stricken survivors of the massacre have continued ever since.</blockquote> <blockquote>"God cares about Virginia Tech," said Megan Martin, 24, joining about a dozen fellow students in a traveling prayer vigil that rambled across the sprawling campus a day after the worst U.S. shooting spree in modern history.</blockquote> <blockquote>Carrying placards reading: "Jesus loves you," "God knows and He cares," and "Can we pray with you?" the small knot of students worked their way through the university grounds in Blacksburg, a Bible Belt town in the mountains of southwest Virginia.</blockquote> I suppose turning to God(s) cannot do any serious harm to the individual that does the turning. The evidence, however, does not justify such a move. "God cares about Virginia Tech," said Megan Martin, is quoted in the article. Is this God so cruel that he (she, it) only cares after the fact? Is this God(s) so indifferent that he (she, it) only takes an interest after the dastardly deed has been accomplished? God knows and He cares, is another after the fact fantasy that may serve to salve heightened emotions but does not address the fundamental issue-was this God who cares so much simply on vacation when Cho Seung-Hui decided to engage on a shooting rampage on the VT campus? Does the evidence point to a God(s) who cares, who knows? I think not. What the evidence points to is a random series of events that occur every so often because Americans are willing to sacrifice security for the right to bear arms for any purpose whatsoever. The evidence does not point to a loving God(s) but, rather, to a heightened probability that because guns are so readily available in the United States tragic events such as the VT shootings are more likely than not to occur. While turning to God(s) is a defensive move in cases of unthinkable tragedy for many people, it seems to me that it is simply a misplaced use of human energy. Telling one's self that God(s) really care, while that might have a temporary calming effect, does nothing to solve the problem that lies at the root of the VT shootings. Far more productive an approach is to focus the anger and frustration one feels in moments of unspeakable tragedy into efforts to place meaningful regulation on the ownership of weapons that have no other use than to cause permanent harm to those to whom the guns are directed. Gun nuts that demand no regulation of weapons spouting rights granted under the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution of the United States (A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed,) must ask: to what militia did Cho Seung-Hui belong when he began his rampage? Why was Cho Seung-Hui permitted to purchase and own guns? Why do we put up with this cowboy mentality? Is life really imitating the wild west shootout of the movies? Rather than turning to God(s) how about turning to Congress and demanding that your lawmakers do something to prevent tragedies like this from ever happening again. If you don't then, it seems to me, that events like the VT shootings will surely occur over and over, again and again. One Italian journalist wrote that the VT shootings are as American as apple pie. It this the image America and Americans portray to the world? Is this the image we want to portray? It is time to stop the madness. -- Original Source: <a href="http://rpassman.wordpress.com/2007/04/18/vt-students-turn-to-god/">http://rpassman.wordpress.com/2007/04/18/vt-students-turn-to-god/</a> Licensed under <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States</a>. Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States Title A name given to the resource VT Students turn to God blog commentary god gun control guns politics religion