Virginia Tech News
It’s really very hard to know what to say as I was reading the short biographies of the victims of the senseless, cruel, and bloody act of violence at Virginia Tech. I found myself getting really upset and having to stop reading them.
But what got me even further, was that this was on MSN, and some of the victims were listed as though nothing was known about them except where they were born. Quick searches found that this information was in fact pretty readily available elsewhere. Those who had compiled this page had obviously used pictures from MySpace, Virginia Tech’s website, and goodness knows where else, but seemingly hadn’t found the same blogs/sites that I had.
Yesterday while more of the information about the shooting was being gleaned, I found a video taken on some kind of camera phone of a police officer shooting, on a blog. The plays written by the gunman are now readily available via a blog on AOL, posted by a former classmate of the gunman. So now that we know who the gunman was and major news media are posting about his homicide/suicide note, I naturally assumed I would be able to find the text of that note somewhere in the blogosphere. I have not found it.
This has got me thinking a great deal about ‘citizen journalism’ and what information gets posted where, and when, and by whom, about huge tragedies like this one. It seems to me that only official sources would be able to read/see the suicide note. Is the decision not to release its details a form of information control by the authorities? Will they release it, ever? Am I just getting too used to instant news and citizen blogs? And more importantly, why is it so important that I personally feel I need to read that suicide note?
Maybe, and hopefully, an event like this causes me, and should cause us, to self-evaluate. While there is no justification whatsoever for this sort of act, if we do not look at ourselves closely and hate what is in ourselves, we cannot hate and combat it in others.
God hold each of the victims’ friends and families.
Nothing bothers me more than the “I told you sos” and people who put themselves in front of the camera to tell stories about how they knew something was wrong with the killer etc. etc. Everyone seems to have an opinion, some special insight or profound knowledge about the “loner” who was responsible for these terrible murders.
This always happens. Former friends, acquaintances and even strangers all have something to say. Instead of stealing their 15 minutes of fame as a result of a tragedy, they could have done more to prevent it.
My thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this tragic incident.
Comment by Eric Brown — April 18, 2007 @ 6:27 pm