VTech

Not Sir Phobos · Post by **Not Sir Phobos** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 10:55 am

I blame the shooter. I blame the shooter. I blame the shooter. I blame the shooter.
I blame the shooter. I blame the shooter. I blame the shooter. I blame the shooter.
I blame the shooter. I blame the shooter. I blame the shooter. I blame the shooter.

Cloud · Post by **Cloud** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 10:56 am

I haven't heard anything like that before: bob said it blame the shooter.

Megala00 · Post by **Megala00** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 11:36 am

Kittens, Glad to hear the people you know are ok - I saw your post and like you was waiting to hear from friends. I hope that anyone else who was waiting to hear from someone here has found them. Our phones and email were overloaded yesterday here in blacksburg.

I just want to say that hindsight is 20/20 and what happened yesterday seemed to happen so quickly from where I was on campus (which is the far edge) - we heard both sets of sirens. While perhaps they could have acted sooner, whats done is done and I just hope that all universities are looking at their systems to figure out ways to prevent atrocities like this from occuring It's so hard to communicate events to 40,000 people (even today I am still receiving emails from yesterday) and harder still to get compliance. It amazes me how many people I know went to their cars or walked around campus after hearing there was a gunman loose. I'm afraid that all the media critizism is hurting our community and preventing people from joining in the healing process.

What pains me most is that this person was in my community and he slipped through the cracks. This community is very tight and supportive, there are many outlets for people who are alone and struggling. If only he had asked for help instead of striking out.

Perhaps you all can tell that I'm just in shock, which is why I'm rambling. I've been here for 7 years now and I woke up this morning hoping desperately that yesterday was a horrible nightmare. Please pray for all those involved, their family and friends. Also there are so many here who were not directly involved but are offering their support and still dealing with their own reactions of anger and fear - they need our prayers just as much. Today we are all Hokies.

kittens · Post by **kittens** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 11:47 am

Oh my goodness.... I am glad that you are ok, Megala00.....

I talked to my colleague in VT yesterday on a phone and he said that he could not tell what was going on (he was a couple next buildings from the building there was shooting). He said he was locked in the building and then afternoon he was told to go home.
He said one of his colleague is injured. So I do really hope that he will be ok

RoboFlonne · Post by **RoboFlonne** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 11:57 am

Megala00 wrote:Perhaps you all can tell that I'm just in shock, which is why I'm rambling. I've been here for 7 years now and I woke up this morning hoping desperately that yesterday was a horrible nightmare. Please pray for all those involved, their family and friends. Also there are so many here who were not directly involved but are offering their support and still dealing with their own reactions of anger and fear - they need our prayers just as much. Today we are all Hokies.

I'm very glad that you weren't hurt physically! I can't imagine the mental anguish of having 30+ of your classmates and professors killed. I will pray that you and everyone involved will recover quickly. If only I knew what else I could do.

Cloud · Post by **Cloud** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 11:58 am

Do you think I am Hokies too?

transmet · Post by **transmet** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:15 pm

Virginia Killer's Violent Writings *Beware: Extreme Content*

"The college student responsible for yesterday's Virginia Tech slaughter was referred last year to counseling after professors became concerned about the violent nature of his writings..."

My question is how was a 23 year old student who was apparently deemed psychologically unbalanced allowed to purchase a firearm?

Gonzai · Post by **Gonzai** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:19 pm

Transmet wrote:My question is how was a 23 year old student who was apparently deemed psychologically unbalanced allowed to purchase a firearm?

I am not trying to be snide here. Not at all actually, but
when has it ever been required to take in a copy of a psych
evaluation before being allowed to purchase a firearm?

The worst part is, I don't think it would matter if you had
to or not. Guns will still end up on the streets, and in the
hands of mentally unstable people.

Cloud · Post by **Cloud** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:19 pm

I believe in the Right to Bear Arms.

ZombieBunny · Post by **ZombieBunny** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 2:03 pm

Gonzai wrote:Unfortuantely ZB, I think calling RF out will
only fan the flames. He doesn't seem to think
before he posts - EVER. Otherwise, why would
someone use the emoticon's he is using in a
topic this tragic. Your best bet is to ignore him
completely.

Check. Will do.

transmet · Post by **transmet** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 2:15 pm

Gonzai wrote:I am not trying to be snide here. Not at all actually, but when has it ever been required to take in a copy of a psych evaluation before being allowed to purchase a firearm?

I hear you, and you're right - such a thing is not required.
But the point I was actually attempting to make was that (a) he was a student (as any decent background check would've confirmed) and (b) a general background check on any student wishing to purchase a firearm should be available through the school (any school). I'd bet a red flag would have popped up that this person, without having to go into any specific detail. At the very least the school would/should have a "referred to counselor for psychological evaluation" record on file, albeit personal and private.

I'm just venting frustration at the fact that any student currently attending a university (especially one under 25) is allowed to purchase a firearm. I know this is a moot point because, as you stated Gonzai, if you really want to get a gun they're not all that hard to come by. As a gun owner myself, I'm obviously also an advocate of the right to bare arms (which makes it seem as if I'm contradicting myself

). While I've never been a huge fan of the Brady Bill, I do respect what it is trying to accomplish - trying to put legally registered firearms in the hands of relatively reasonable people who exhibit a certain amount of common sense. I know... good luck with that.

I guess that 20/20 hindsight thing of having all these warning signs not being heeded has got my feathers ruffled. Sorry.

kymaera · Post by **kymaera** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 2:31 pm

transmet wrote:I'm just venting frustration at the fact that any student currently attending a university (especially one under 25) is allowed to purchase a firearm.

If you mean that any student living on campus, that's one thing. However, not all students live on campus. For example, there are students that are married with small children, but due to low income, they are living off campus in neighborhoods that aren't the best. I don't see why they would not be allowed to purchase a firearm to try to protect their family.

Even if you mean only any student living on campus, there would pretty much be unenforceable as a good portion of students keep their parents' address as their permanent during college. It would be way too easy to omit the fact that they're going to college, give their parents' address and a part-time job as their employment.

Not Sir Phobos · Post by **Not Sir Phobos** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 2:44 pm

transmet wrote:Virginia Killer's Violent Writings *Beware: Extreme Content*

"The college student responsible for yesterday's Virginia Tech slaughter was referred last year to counseling after professors became concerned about the violent nature of his writings..."

My question is how was a 23 year old student who was apparently deemed psychologically unbalanced allowed to purchase a firearm?

The serial numbers had been filed off the Glocks. They were illegally obtained. Which goes to show that criminals do not follow gun laws.

You do not want restrictions where the government has to peek at every aspect of your life. I have a friend that was denied training for CHP because he had letters of complaint from a Juvinile hall he worked at. All the charges were from a misunderstanding, yet they never told them they received complaints. Now he was denied a job he's been working towards for years because of a beurocratic snafu.

Believe me, involving more government and beurocratic processes rarely helps anything.

Instead be angry at the shooter who broke the law and found a way to kill people.

transmet · Post by **transmet** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 3:11 pm

Not Sir Phobos wrote:Believe me, involving more government and beurocratic processes rarely helps anything.

Instead be angry at the shooter who broke the law and found a way to kill people.

Yeah, you're right. I'm obviously just frustrated and very upset.
Going back and re-reading what I was trying to say... I'd fight it tooth-and-nail as well.
Whatever... just disregard. Chalk it up to a momentary lapse of judgment.

RoboFlonne · Post by **RoboFlonne** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 3:17 pm

What are the guidelines to helping someone like this? I would love to help them from their isolation and hate.

But if we do it wrong, they might just kill me. Is there some guidelines?