Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends, and loved ones of the individuals who were tragically slain and injured Monday morning at Virginia Tech.
Watching the events unfold in this tragedy resulted in great sadness. I was even more amazed at the response of administration and the students. It brought home the reality that a strong administration that is fully staffed with effective, functional workers is necessary for not just the operation of a university, but for the safety of everyone on campus. Education is serious business and serious, focused individuals (without personal agendas) are necessary fot the success of our students.
I am just stricken with grief. I feel so sorry for the parents, friends and loved ones of the victims.
This also makes you realize just how vulnerable we all are and just how much we really do not have control over our own lives. All it takes is one psycho to instantly take away someone (child) or something (a career) that has taken you years to mold and build.
I thought about the damage the bomber at FAMU could have done. I think about the number of students FAMU, FSU, & TCC serve on a daily basis who have untreated mental illnesses.
I applaud that professor who tried to warn people about this young man. There was a mom who tried to warn the police about the Columbine kids, but the cops said they had no proof, and did nothing.
NPR had an interesting debate today between a woman whose mom was killed in a massacre in Texas and an anti-gun advocate, Ironcially, the woman whose parents were killed felt that people should own guns.
She also said that places that do not allow guns (campuses, parks,etc) are the most vulnerable for psychos like this one to strike and do major damage.
I was struck by the ready response of GWB & his wife, Laura, in terms of their presence on the VTech campus versus GWB and the government's response to the Katrina victims. While one incident was a "natural" disaster and one was man-made, what a difference color and class makes. While I know this is perhaps something that should be in a comparative mode, it sure is apparent that race and class is still the governing social element in today's color-conscious society. Correct me if I am wrong, but I do not remember the president or his wife readily appearing in New Orleans during the aftermath. I do, however, remember his flying over the city surveying the site, which, of course, is not the same thing as actually being on the ground and talking to the people. GWB is tyring not to commit the same pos-Katrina errors that happened during the Katrina disaster. No matter what, race and class matters in this nation more than anything else. Just ask those poor folk in New Orleans and see what their responses will be.
I believe we can be in a comparative mode, whether a tragedy occurs because we acted directly, failed to heed warning or failed to react to reduce the damage, the result is the same ... PAIN and DESTRUCTION! Inevitably, the poor and the politically weak, loses. If this had happened in Compton, or Brooklyn or some other town that is highly populated by African-Americans, no politician would be rushing to the area. Those types of lives do not matter in this country.
Watching the events unfold in this tragedy resulted in great sadness. I was even more amazed at the response of administration and the students. It brought home the reality that a strong administration that is fully staffed with effective, functional workers is necessary for not just the operation of a university, but for the safety of everyone on campus. Education is serious business and serious, focused individuals (without personal agendas) are necessary fot the success of our students.
ReplyDeleteI am just stricken with grief. I feel so sorry for the parents, friends and loved ones of the victims.
ReplyDeleteThis also makes you realize just how vulnerable we all are and just how much we really do not have control over our own lives. All it takes is one psycho to instantly take away someone (child) or something (a career) that has taken you years to mold and build.
I thought about the damage the bomber at FAMU could have done. I think about the number of students FAMU, FSU, & TCC serve on a daily basis who have untreated mental illnesses.
I applaud that professor who tried to warn people about this young man. There was a mom who tried to warn the police about the Columbine kids, but the cops said they had no proof, and did nothing.
NPR had an interesting debate today between a woman whose mom was killed in a massacre in Texas and an anti-gun advocate, Ironcially, the woman whose parents were killed felt that people should own guns.
She also said that places that do not allow guns (campuses, parks,etc) are the most vulnerable for psychos like this one to strike and do major damage.
There really are rough times.
deepbluesea
I was struck by the ready response of GWB & his wife, Laura, in terms of their presence on the VTech campus versus GWB and the government's response to the Katrina victims. While one incident was a "natural" disaster and one was man-made, what a difference color and class makes. While I know this is perhaps something that should be in a comparative mode, it sure is apparent that race and class is still the governing social element in today's color-conscious society. Correct me if I am wrong, but I do not remember the president or his wife readily appearing in New Orleans during the aftermath. I do, however, remember his flying over the city surveying the site, which, of course, is not the same thing as actually being on the ground and talking to the people. GWB is tyring not to commit the same pos-Katrina errors that happened during the Katrina disaster. No matter what, race and class matters in this nation more than anything else. Just ask those poor folk in New Orleans and see what their responses will be.
ReplyDeleteI offer a correction on my above post---"while this is something that should NOT be in a comparative mode..."
ReplyDeleteI believe we can be in a comparative mode, whether a tragedy occurs because we acted directly, failed to heed warning or failed to react to reduce the damage, the result is the same ... PAIN and DESTRUCTION! Inevitably, the poor and the politically weak, loses. If this had happened in Compton, or Brooklyn or some other town that is highly populated by African-Americans, no politician would be rushing to the area. Those types of lives do not matter in this country.
ReplyDeleteSAY NO TO GUNS
ReplyDeleteSAY NO TO CRAZY PEOPLE WHO HAVE ACCESS TO GUNS
ReplyDelete