Brad, that movie was indeed very good. However, the one I liked even more, and seemed closer to the reality of what must happen in these events, was a Canadian film called Zero Day. I thought it was rather chilling and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who’d like a tiny (but obviously thus far fictitious) peek into the pathos involved.
Also, on the IMDb boards there has been mentioned another movie titled 2:37 and it’s Australian based. It’s gotten pretty decent reviews and, I believe, it was a Cannes selection (and has several other nominations to its credit), however, you know there’s always the ones who think it’s < insert whatever hyperbolic adjective here >. The score listed though is 6.8 out of 600 votes. I’ll definitely be adding it to my Netflix.
Also, something that’s always really struck me is the sentiment that others here have already expressed several times … the whole “but for the grace of God go I” fear. My BH is a director where he works and I’m constantly in fear that he’ll have to fire someone again in the future and the next day they’ll show up toting a firearm or four. Catch him when he’s not even paying attention. And Og forbid, it would all be over before anyone ever realized. So this just highlights how it could be any of us, at anytime, for any reason. Or even none at all.
I don’t give a shit either. Joe Tucker in Butte Montana was killed yesterday by a gun shot and no one cared- I don’t see why a large number dying at once makes it any different. I don’t care if it happened down the block in the classroom I taught in for 20 years, as long as no one I know was killed, again, people get shot every day.
But then again I’m a heartless bastard and didn’t care when a lady dropped dead in our office 50 feet from me, again, probably because I didn’t know her.
One thing I personally don’t get is, for example, people died in huge numbers in various natural disasters across the world, in fighting in Africa thousands of kids and women are raped and murdered, and there is no mass expression of grief by Americans, but a relatively small number of Americans are killed and its overwhelming. Yes guns and natural disaster are different, but I did not see anybody I knew in the US upset about the Madrid subway bombing for example- why is it different if the dead are American? Same as with American hostages or killed in Iraq- one American beheaded, mass sorrow. A foriegner beheaded, much less sorrow.
Man, I really treasure the fact that this forum provides us the opportunity to exchange views openly on such a difficult subject. If that ain’t worth $14.95 a year, I don’t know what is.
Ronald, I appreciate your offerings, and think you’d have a lot to contribute to these boards as a member. Just one suggestion - ever hear of paragraphs, mate?
Here’s something that I think sounds pretty ugly - I’m not sure how to say it “nicely”, so I’ll just say it. I sometimes wonder whether, despite their protestations to the contrary, a good many of the folk who express the loudest outrage following such tragedies actually welcome such events for a couple of reasons.
-In one category you have the folk who use such situations as fodder for publicizing their views. This could be the pro- and/or anti-gun folks, but also include the news and entertainment media, the grief counseling industry, and all kinds of other folks who will attempt to get mileage out of this event for their personal interests.
-In another category, I wonder if a percentage of the people who proclaim how troubled they are by such situations in some respect welcome them as vehicles for proclaiming how empathetic they are. Which, if unaccompanied by charitable acts, may be useless or worse. Sort of “Look at what a fine human being I am, because this upsets me so much.”
Of course I’m not saying everyone who is distressed about this is acting this way. But I tend to be a pretty heartless cynical bastard. And I’m always a little surprised to hear how many folk proclaim themselves such feeling, sensitive beings following events like this - and I wonder where are those folks when I find myself dealing primarily with a bunch of insensitive jerks as I go through my daily life? In some ways I think things might be better if folks expended less attention and emotion on news events like this, and instead, put more effort towards saying “please” and “thank you”, being polite to people they encounter, etc.
I admit that I’ve never been to that campus…but I’ve been to college campuses. I’ve lived in a dorm, sweated out hard courses, seen good friends crack and fail out. I found first loves, first sex, great friends, and amazing memories at a college campus. CNN showed girls wearing heavy cotton hooded sweatshirts crying because of the slaughter. I don’t know them or their families and am probably closer in age to their mothers, but there are memories of those sweatshirts with different college names indelibly etched in my mind.
I care because I can’t help but think that a time of openness and learning has been shattered for everyone who attends there. I’ll never know and I can’t imagine the pain the survivors feel now, but I know first hand about all the memories that the dead will miss out on now and forever and so early in their lives. All I have to do is to think back on all the years I’ve lived since first reading Yeats to a girlfriend while a nightingale sang endlessly to know what has been stolen and can never be returned.
Why do some seem to think this is specifically because it’s Americans? Because, you know, I don’t believe that’s the case for everyone. I feel the exact same way when it happens elsewhere. Unfortunately, there just always isn’t a place to discuss it like there is now. I do feel that what goes on in other countries is something that is sometimes addressed quite a bit by those who weren’t born there/reside somewhere else … like female genital mutilation. Or the significant plight that is landmines. Conditions in a better part of the third world. Truly, can’t we have enough compassion (or whatever you want to call it) to go around for everybody? We don’t have a cap on it or anything.
However, I am speaking solely for myself. I just don’t understand this attitude (like the “more sad” comment made up thread) no matter how hard I try.
ETA: Why is there possibly a presumption because someone is heartbroken that somehow equates to “look at what a fine human being I am”? Maybe, just maybe that’s never even been a consideration.
Texas has Concealed Carry; Bush’s stand on the issue helped him become Governor. I know guys with guns–mostly hunters & collectors. Some of them may “carry.” No problem.
But I have no desire to get a gun for “protection.” Sure, I could pass a safety test–I test well. But I doubt that that a few trips to a firing range would suffice to make me truly effective in a violent confrontation.
I would prefer that everyday policing be done by the police–although that’s hardly foolproof.
I have much the same feelings as the OP. I didn’t know anyone in the WTC towers, I didn’t know anyone on the London Tube, I didn’t know anyone at Hilsborough (North West TV gets hijacked for a few days every year over this one - it was twenty years ago!), nor did I know Princess Diana etc. etc.
I don’t particularly care enough to watch the myriad remembrance television programmes aired on every anniversary, let alone stress myself over events that had very little, bordering on zero, effect on my life (although 9/11 and 7/7 could be classed as exceptions, as the political decisions made later could affect me). I cannot even identify with the people who went out onto the street crying at Diana’s funeral, to be honest.
I guess I kind of came close, when I gave a customer a ride once. He was this crazy Korean guy, and attacked me in the car (long story short, he was a regular customer at the store I worked at so it wasn’t like giving a total stranger a ride, but damn I had no idea he was nuts, he was normally just eccentric and funny). I managed to block the choke, damn he was strong, and calmed him enough where I was able to get out of the car. After the police came and took the guy away, I went home and then I totally just broke down crying.
FWIW, I totally agree with you in that most likely I’d panic and run like everyone else if faced with a gun. I basically said that in the next paragraph. I was really just explaining my whole thought process about this tragedy, from beginning to end.
Heh. “Getting out.” I forgot all about that. Is this a Ga Tech thing? I don’t think I’ve seen anyone other than Techies liken graduation to breaking out of prison.
I didn’t think about it before, but I do think this incident resonates with me because of my alma mater. As a fairly well-adjusted person with no history of mental illness, even I struggled to hold it together a few times when I was at Ga Tech. It may sound kind of morbid to say, but I’m surprised these things don’t actually happen more often. This despite it being so senseless.
Dinsdale - I hear what you’re saying. I totally hear it.
This:
is kind of how I view things too - however, I have to add that I didn’t use to - I’ve become pretty darn cynical myself lately. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or not - I guess it’s “growing up”. Which kinda sucks in its own way.
pool - I’m so sorry for your loss. My thoughts are with you.
For some reason seeing your friend’s photo on the news this morning really struck home for me. I’m in Atlanta so there was a long story about him as a local young man -interviews with neighbors - I had to just sit for a moment.
I was disgusted to see the bold AJC headline: BLOODBATH. I hope you friend’s family doesn’t have home delivery… I couldn’t imagine my feeling as a mom in reading a “designed to sell more papers headline” while my baby is dead.
Just found out there was a Canadian French teacher from Montreal among the victims. I guess that’s one step closer to me.
BTW, when I wrote that I was nearby when the street was cordoned off a year ago, I meant Dawson, not Concordia. Not that it matters, just for the sake of accuracy.
I was listening to the Diane Rehm show on the way to work this morning, and talked about the change in tactics when dealing with mass casualties shootings after Columbine. Before that massacre, the first cops to show up were to secure the area and wait for the SWAT team. However, giving the length of time (approx 30-40 minutes) that was clearly too long. So, according to the expert they spoke to, now they engage in what is called a diamond formation which involves the first four police who show up start doing the takedown. As I understand, this is what happen at Va Tech. The suspect was still shooting when they finally breached the chains. They went after him in spite of the danger, but he shot himself before they could catch him.
Whatever comes out of this, it’s pretty clear that there’s much more to the response of law enforcement then meets the eye.
My most immediate reaction is anger. What makes a person believe he has the right to kill another? Times thirty-two? And anger because he was a coward who couldn’t even face the consequences of his tantrum. He got away with it.
