Putting the Virginia Tech Slaughter In Perspective

[Matt Molnar]

I found a study published a few years ago estimates that 1,400 college students die annually from alcohol related sickness and accidents. I broke that number down into a daily average over a nine month school year...it works out to over 5 per day. Therefore, it's possible more college students have died from alcohol over the past week than have been killed by on-campus crazies with guns over the past several years.

More fun reactionism:
• Yale bans realistic looking prop weapons from stage productions (http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/04/23/weapons)
• Professor fired for pointing marker at students and saying "POW!" (http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8OMADB80&show_article=1)

[PhilDernerJr]

The difference is that to me, I have zero pity for people that drink themselves to death, while shooting victims are more innocent.

[Matt Molnar]

I absolutely agree. I'm just getting a bit sick of the fuss made about it. It's a terrible tragedy for the families affected by it. The rest of us, starting with the media, need to move on. Bad things happen. So goes the world.

[PhilDernerJr]

Yes, there is a big difference between a time of mourning, and the media taking advantage of it all. It should receive coverage, but as much "in your face" attention as the media gives out.

[USAF Pilot 07]

There's a line that needs to be drawn between not enough coverage and too much coverage. The shootings at VT were tragic, and the World needed to see what had happened there. But, does the world still need to be reminded of it? Did we really need to see the videos put out by the guy before he went on his rampage?

My fear is that somewhere, some kid who's not right in the head is sitting in his college dormroom, or even at home in high school, is seeing all the publicity this guy got for his rampage, and is thinking about copying some of his actions.

This will not be the last school shooting. These shooters aren't well in the head. They have no emotions, they have no remorse for the people they kill, or the families they affect. They do not care about all that stuff. I just hope showing all these images and videos isn't putting new ideas in their heads....

[T-Bird76]

There's a line that needs to be drawn between not enough coverage and too much coverage. The shootings at VT were tragic, and the World needed to see what had happened there. But, does the world still need to be reminded of it? Did we really need to see the videos put out by the guy before he went on his rampage?

My fear is that somewhere, some kid who's not right in the head is sitting in his college dormroom, or even at home in high school, is seeing all the publicity this guy got for his rampage, and is thinking about copying some of his actions.

This will not be the last school shooting. These shooters aren't well in the head. They have no emotions, they have no remorse for the people they kill, or the families they affect. They do not care about all that stuff. I just hope showing all these images and videos isn't putting new ideas in their heads....

Very well said Clark. I'm not sure I agree 100% with the media's choice to show the pictures of this guy with the gun and knife to his throat and head. I know its news but as you said some not so balanced college or even high schooler is looking at this and thinking "hmmm I could get on TV." I think at this point the media needs to put this aside and move on.

I think what's really sad is what Tony Blankley said. A month from now the names of the victims will be forgotten by the public but the killers name will be remembered. The media spent so much time on the killer and his deranged life but nothing on the lives of the lost and who they were and what they did.