Sad day in Blacksburg

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What is sadder still is that a modern vibrant democracy remains wedded to an outdated constitution written when America was in its infancy. Get real, the problem is insanely prolific gun ownership:bang:
 
"IMHO there is no rational alternative. Unpalatable as it is politically and culturally, assault weapons must be declared illegal. The weapons must be collected/confiscated/purchased by the government.'

A simply brilliant idea--then all the druggies, hardened criminals, crazies, etc. will be the only ones armed.
 
Maybe the mods should fork off gun discussion into another OT thread. Otherwise this one will be inevitably locked, while it has it's good use in expressing people's condolences.
 
I know this sounds bizarre considering the horror of what has happened in the current tragedy ... but to my surprise I heard recently that 'murder' has decreased world wide and has done steadily over the last one hundred years or so. It sounds like an unlikely statistic I know ... but there it is! I guess we hear about it instantly and frequently due to advances in communication technology and are terribly confronted by it. My heart goes out to the victims and their families in the US ... I remember vividly how I felt when Stephen Bryant killed thirty five people in Port Arthur in Tasmania all those years ago! :confused:
 
I want to thank Frank as well. Reaction to this event can turn political very quickly (yes, my previous comment included). I think gun rights discussion is for another thread and this should be to express sorrow for those involved.

I am a student at a state university, and this really hits home. I know fellow graduate students (they work in the next office down) that were heading to VT for a conference yesterday morning. They, of course, returned without making the final flight to Virginia. Luckily, the conference was not scheduled earlier. To think that this quite possibly could have happened to me is shocking.
 
To ponder and debate what ails the society and times that produce these kind of behavior is indeed necessary and useful.

But it must be done in a proper way and moderation. An internet forum lacks from both.

Having said that, compared to a lot of other similar discussions internet forums, this thread is far from being chaotic and useless.

What came to my mind is the question, what can we do in our sphere of influence to prepare our young ones for this? One thing for sure we will not be able to shield them from it, not now, not in the future.
 
I received an email this morning from the statistics department at Tech, informing me that no statistics stduent has been harmed and that everybody feels deep sorrow for the victims. I also feel this way. It is a very sad and tragic event. When people die, it is a sad event, and when young people day it is even worse. In China, when someone dies after a certain age, people celebrate, but when someone younger dies, people mourn.

Raid
 
Yeah, right.

Yeah, right.

bottley1 said:
What is sadder still is that a modern vibrant democracy remains wedded to an outdated constitution written when America was in its infancy. Get real, the problem is insanely prolific gun ownership:bang:


This statement offends me. I'm sure you think that guns just float through the air discharging bullets. Get real. Funny how few of the guns out there are ever used this way.

So, let's just wipe our a** with the "outdated constitution", flush it and see where THAT gets us...
 
FrankS said:
Wonder what the statistical probability of this thread being closed is now?

100% and past due.

Folks...you can't change anyone's mind on these issues and statements from either side will be seen as inflammatory.

Worse yet, we're all reduced to squabbling at a time when quiet reflection and sympathy are what is called for. My Grandmother would have called it "unseemly," and she woul have been right.
 
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