Holy Crap - Massacre At Virginia Tech

[rjs246]

i think youre talking about the lives lost vs how big a story it is

Exactly. The significance of this story is that America isn't in the middle of a genocidal civil war. Relatively speaking, we live in a peaceful society where young people can get educated without fearing for their lives on a daily basis. It's news. And it's significant because it's happening in a stable society.

Neither of you are actually this stupid.

[Rome]

Where did I say I didn't think it was news?

Don't play the semantics game with me, PG. Downplaying the significance of this incident is idiotic.

Your attempts at cynicism don't ring true here.

It's not the least bit significant to me. 

It doesn't affect my life in any way, shape or form, rjs and it doesn't affect your life either. 

[Rome]

these people certainly dont think its a big deal....


http://www.godhatesamerica.com/

Too bad those idiots weren't taken out too.  They're scum, plain and simple.

[Diomedes]

...is something that has never happened before a bigger story than something that happens every day...yes by a mile

I see your point:  Significance and "big story" are not the same.  30 Sudanese being slaughtered doesn't sell as many ads, so it's not a Big Story.  30 Americans being shot to death, now that's good copy!

And while this is the highest body count "in United States history," it's hardly a great shock.  We have plenty more than Columbine to remind us that these things do happen here.  America is rightly known for this kind of crap.  Some guy will eventually top this crackpot and then we'll go through the same crap again, and everyone will act like it's the greatest tragedy ever...


I dissent.

[Rome]

What kind of bugged me yesterday was that while its really tragic and horrible and sad....Brian Williams on NBC news last night said that "Everyone will remember where they were when the shootings at Virginia Tech happened."

Huh? I will NEVER forget where I was or what I was doing when the planes hit the WTC, just as my parents won't forget where they were and what they were doing when JFK was shot.

But like I don't remember where I was when Colombine happened...I won't remember what I was doing yesterday either.

Insensitive or right on?

Hysterical hyperbole from a network news anchor?  Shocking.

[rjs246]

Where did I say I didn't think it was news?

Don't play the semantics game with me, PG. Downplaying the significance of this incident is idiotic.

Your attempts at cynicism don't ring true here.

It's not the least bit significant to me. 

It doesn't affect my life in any way, shape or form, rjs and it doesn't affect your life either. 

You have children. Wait a couple of years and you'll be singing a different tune.

[reese125]

any blind moron trying to post an intelligent remark here of how this isnt big news, shows not only your lack of compassion, but ignorance to the utmost

when your kids go away to college--a safe, open college--and somebody can just come on in and open fire on 30+ people you might just say its big news.

This shtein doesnt happen every day DIO. Yeah it might happen in your Iraqi war torn, capitalistic head--but it doesnt happen here in the US on a school campus every day guy. They dont cover the dead over in pointless Iraq because that shtein happens every day---

Rome--did 911 affect your life at all? Cmon kid--stop it

[Rome]

Anyone comparing what happened yesterday to what happened on 9/11 should be castrated and his balls should be fed to the nearest mongrel.

[reese125]

look at the point genius not the comparison

[ice grillin you]

you can not give a shtein about this AND it can be a big story

you can say it doesnt affect you AND it can be a tragic sad horrifying event

the news media can over report and try to whore out the story AND it can still be a defining even in our countries history


not everything is an either/or scenario...it can go both ways

[PhillyGirl]

What kind of bugged me yesterday was that while its really tragic and horrible and sad....Brian Williams on NBC news last night said that "Everyone will remember where they were when the shootings at Virginia Tech happened."

Huh? I will NEVER forget where I was or what I was doing when the planes hit the WTC, just as my parents won't forget where they were and what they were doing when JFK was shot.

But like I don't remember where I was when Colombine happened...I won't remember what I was doing yesterday either.

Insensitive or right on?

definitely not insensitive...but that will change person by person...i personally will never forget where i was...but VT is essentially a local school for where i live...i work with and know lots of people who went there knew someone who went there or knows someone who is there...that said i also remember specifically where i was for columbine

this is different than columbine tho...columbine wasnt the biggest mass killing in the country much less more than double the biggest ever

Good point. I wasn't thinking of the locals or whatnot. I mean, while 9/11 affected every single one of us profoundly, those who lived/worked in NYC or DC or for the airlines, etc. at the time were affected differently than the rest of us.

[Diomedes]

This shtein doesnt happen every day DIO...They dont cover the dead over in pointless Iraq because that shtein happens every day---

Since when is gun violence in schools unheard of in the United States?.   It doesn't happen every day?   Okay, not every day...just every couple months.  It doesn't happen on this scale every day...just every few years.  Awful story, and by cynical standards of what sells, what keeps viewers, it's a "big" story.  But I'm not buying into the Global/National tragedy angle. 

They don't cover the deaths in Iraq because those deaths aren't valued.  People don't care.  They don't want to know.  It doesn't sell.

With these kids, it sells.  Parents everywhere can get all weepy and terrified for their kids, and the ad rates go up, and everyone gets to feel something and make some coin.

It's a sham.

Goddamned sad story, but I'm with Rome on this.  It affects my life only because I'm being flooded with media coverage and social pressure to act like it's some kind of huge tragedy.   It's a horrible crime, and that's it. 

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to start a campaign for the whole world to put their flags at half mast....

[Rome]

Where did I say I didn't think it was news?

Don't play the semantics game with me, PG. Downplaying the significance of this incident is idiotic.

Your attempts at cynicism don't ring true here.

It's not the least bit significant to me. 

It doesn't affect my life in any way, shape or form, rjs and it doesn't affect your life either. 

You have children. Wait a couple of years and you'll be singing a different tune.

If something like this happened at my daughter's school, then I would agree with you.  I'd be freaking out for sure.

But it didn't so I'm not.  If that makes me a heartless bastich then so be it.  Judging from the comments I've seen over the years in this forum, I'm far from alone in that regard.

[ice grillin you]

Anyone trying to downplay what happened yesterday by saying it wasnt 911 should be castrated and his balls should be fed to the nearest mongrel.

[SunMo]

the biggest mass killing in America, at a college university, and people are complaining about the media coverage...here's a thought, watch a DVD.