Whose Fault Was the Massacre?
@whimsystoryteller (1743)
United States
April 17, 2007 5:35am CST
Ever since the massacre at Virginia Tech yesterday, everyone seems intent on blaming the University officials. Why? They are not mind readers and had no way of knowing that the young man would do what he did. They could not have prevented the second attack anymore than they could have prevented the first.
When that young man decided to do what he did, no one could have predicted it or stopped it unless they knew what he was planning. The University acted on the knowledge they had at the time of the first shooting. If the gunman had told someone what he was planning and they didn't act, then they would have been at fault but that's not what happened.
I also think it's rather funny that people blame gun control because when someone wants to commit a crime or wants to do something as hideous as this, they will find a way. The only way to prevent things like this is to teach kids right from wrong and many parents don't do that these days because they don't know right from wrong and they allow the TV to raise their kids. I realize that a lot of people have to work and don't have the luxury of being home with their kids but teaching kids right from wrong starts when they are small. If people can't take time to discipline their children, they shouldn't be having them.
The point is that if someone had taken the time to teach that young man right from wrong and the value of life, I don't think that what happened yesterday would have happened. So, I don't blame the school, I blame the young man who did the shooting and the fact that he obviosly wasn't taught that it's wrong to kill.
3 people like this
6 responses
@texasclassygal (5305)
• United States
17 Apr 07
I believe people are blaming the university for the security issue and nothing more, no one can predict when someone will go crazy and start shooting up a campus, but I watched a report last evening on our local television channel on how easy it is for anyone to get into a university dorm or a classroom without any problems, this seems to be a problem, especially in the security of our young children trying to attain an education. I hope that the schools are able to look deeper than the problem being the shooter and the real problem is achieving the security to prevent such an incident happening again.
@whimsystoryteller (1743)
• United States
17 Apr 07
From the reports I've watched, they are blaming the University president for not warning students about the first shooting and asking for his resignation. They keep focusing on the fact that the University didn't tell them about the first shooting and didn't cancel classes but with the information they had about the first shooting, it seemed to be an isolated incident and there was no clue that the man had remained on campus. And, knowing about the shooting would not have helped those students to know about the second shooting. Cancelling classes might have helped but the University explained that most of the students lived off campus and would have been in route and there wouldn't have been a way to warn them anyway. The FBI has already stated that with the information the University police had at the time of the first shooting, there would have been no way to have predicted the second shooting or to prevent it. They were of the opinion that the man had left the campus so they didn't perceive any further danger. In regard to the security at the dorm, I think it was a coed dorm and the guy was a student on the campus so there would have been no reason to have kept him out of the dorm. Obviously, it's been a long time since you were in college because the dorm situation these days is very different than when I was in school. Males and females come and go with ease and there was no reason for anyone to suspect this man of anything until after the first shooting. I think that too many people are expecting too much of the University staff and police. We can look at what happened now and see what might have helped or prevented the massacre but at the time that it transpired there was no way to predict or prevent.
@lightningMD (5931)
• United States
17 Apr 07
It was the shooters fault and no one elses. We all are responsible for our own actions in this life. Even if you are raised in a bad neglectful family there comes atime when you must rise above and accept responsibility for your own life and say I will not let my past ruin my future. I agree that kids are lacking the discipline that they need in life. Everything from the music they liten to, too the tv shows they watch,and the video games they play depict violence. We dont allow our daughter to listen, watch or play things with these tendencies. Hopefully she will grow up strong and healthy and well-adjusted.
@suju15 (184)
• India
18 Apr 07
No one else can be blamed for this unfortunate incidence excepting for the young man responsible for it.See, even he knew in his heart that what he was doing was not correct, as he shot himself too.
Basically, its our values which are at fault that the younger generation is not able to take in no to any of their wishes,reasonably.We have to make them understand a few emotions like compassion, dignity, respect, tolerance,etc. in order to have a society with some character, and not just individuals with some distorted sense of values.
@Katlady2 (9904)
• United States
17 Apr 07
I have been watching the updates this morning and, at the moment, the convocation. I would like to add to what you so eloquently said. The young man that did these awful heinous acts should have also been taught how to deal with his inner feelings as well, so as not to reach this point of anger and frustration. It was said on the news that he left a letter in his dorm room, that basically told everyone, "You made me do this". That was all that was disclosed during the report, but I think that is a pretty insightful statement as to the boy's state of mind and inner turmoil going on at the time. I don't blame the school either. They did the best they could considering what happened. And I think they did a wonderful job, and did right by their students and faculty.
@saraa87 (48)
• Sweden
18 Apr 07
I'm Swedish but when I watched the news and read the newspaper I was totally stunned. I feel so sorry for all the innocent victims that was shot. I agree with "whimsystoryteller" I feel so depressed when I hear about all those neglected children out there in the world, who isn't raised up in a loving family. I have that privilidge and I've learned to not take anything for granted. People out there needs to start taking responsibility over the lives they have put here on earth instead of their buisness or whatever being their first priority. THE CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE
