<p>This was a human event. If we are going to discuss it, let's stick to that.</p>
<p>The gun control debate is another topic, with several threads. If you want to debate it there, I will be more than happy. BUT PLEASE do not immediately make my friend's death a piece of political debate. It does not do her or any other victim any justice. They were people first, make them statistics in a few weeks if you wish...but not yet.</p>
<p>This incident hit very close to home, my ex-boyfriend and I are BEST FRIENDS. He goes to Northern. Most of his classes are afternoon classes, and I knew he had clas yesterday. I'm not sure if you all know this, but the cell phone towers were over-worked and all the cell phones were going straight to voicemail. I called and called and called and got no answer. I was terrified. I will never forget that feeling of not knowing. Thank god for Facebook, as that's how I found out many of my friends were ok. There was another threat on the bathroom wall last week that said "2-??-08. It will happen". No one took the threats seriously. I am now very nervous to go away to school next year.</p>
<p>I am praying for the victims' families and friends.</p>
<p>There's a segment going on CNN right now about this issue...</p>
<p>... and back to the usual "scare" story about not legalizing phone tapping, staring GWB and GWMcCain.</p>
<p>ROvISION - this is not a thread for political debate - it is about the loss of life - of our young people - way to early to die and such violence - and the grieving process - so please place your comments in the proper threads - and it is not this one.</p>
<p>@JeepMOM, sorry for being over concerned with some issues here, but no need to yell at me! I would've deleted some of my comments, however this forum doesn't allow that. Thank you.</p>
<p>my heart goes out to anyone affected by this horrible incident, especailly the friends and family of the victims. one of the students that died was a graduate of my high school. although the victim and i were not close, i am know many of his close friends. i cannot express how deeply saddened i am by the terrible loss of a person with such great potential. i hope that we, as a society, can learn from the events of yesterday and make changes that will hopefully prevent something like this from happening in the future. i ask that you keep the victims of this event (direct or indirect) in your thoughts and prayers.</p>
<p>My hopes and prayers go ut to all the families.</p>
<p>and I am sorry if you dont want to make this about gun control and political...this doesn't happen in a bubble and if you DON"T talk about it, it will happen again...I get angry when people say, oh can't talk about the cause of something when something like this happens....when then....change happens in the moment, when people are angry and hurting....so here, yell at me, but when you care and want something to not happen again, you try and figure out how and why...we can sit and commisirate and do nothing, or we can stand up and say NO MORE </p>
<p>Same Gun Dealer Sold to 2 Campus Killers</p>
<p>SCOTT BAUER | February 16, 2008 08:46 PM EST | </p>
<p>Compare other versions »
MADISON, Wis. — The online gun dealer who sold a weapon to the Virginia Tech shooter said it was an unnerving coincidence that he also sold handgun accessories to the man who killed five students at Northern Illinois University.</p>
<p>Eric Thompson said his Web site, , sold two empty 9 mm Glock magazines and a Glock holster to Steven Kazmierczak on Feb. 4, just 10 days before the 27-year-old opened fire in a classroom and killed five before committing suicide. Topglock.com:</a> Glock Accessories, Glock Handguns, Glock Barrels, Glock Parts, Glock Sights and Glock Lasers</p>
<p>Another Web site run by Thompson's company, , also sold a Walther .22-caliber handgun to Seung-Hui Cho, who killed 32 people in April on the Virginia Tech campus before killing himself. <a href="http://www.thegunstore.com%5B/url%5D">http://www.thegunstore.com</a></p>
<p>"I'm still blown away by the coincidences," Thompson said Friday. "I'm shaking. I can't believe somebody would order from us again and do this."
Same</a> Gun Dealer Sold to 2 Campus Killers - Politics on The Huffington Post</p>
<p>I think that graph posted by 4trees earlier is really interesting.</p>
<p>What I'm most struck by is that there was a sharp decline in shootings after Columbine. I can't see it being a coincidence. </p>
<p>I wonder why that is? Perhaps people became more aware and measures were taken to prevent that sort of thing from happening again? I dont know, it'd just be interesting to know why there was such a decline.
Based on the "shooters wanting fame and being inspired by each other" theory(which I've always had a lot of merit), you'd think it'd be different.</p>
<p>On another note, I'm not a fan of Michael Moore by any means, but I thought he had a point in Bowling for Columbine about how we live in a culture of fear. Someone earlier made this same point about the tone of violence in our media, which doesn't appear in several other countries who have less violence.
I don't think it's a direct result of the media, because the media is a result of our culture. It's all just a neverending cycle that needs to be broken somehow. People want to see violence, the media shows violence, people want to see more, media shows more, etc.</p>
<p>awww... poor boy couldn't find a valentine?</p>
<p>^^ ooo geepers!!</p>
<p>I just noticed your posting name too uuummm</p>
<p>Actually I think I read somewhere that he actually had girlfriend.</p>
<p>Kind of surprising.</p>
<p>yes, he did have a girlfriend; interviews with her have been shown on TV. She is grieving deeply.</p>
<p>It also seems that he sent her a kind of goodbye package as well and called her the night before this all happened - to say good bye to her.</p>
<p>How truly sad this whole thing is :(</p>
<p>citygirlsmom, there are already threads on gun control. To me, political debate seems a bit too soon, if it starts before the funerals are held and bodies buried.</p>
<p>You could try either of these, or start a new one. I'd be happy to discuss the matter on a topic specific thread.
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/420947-us-supreme-court-hear-second-amendment-case.html?highlight=gun+control%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/420947-us-supreme-court-hear-second-amendment-case.html?highlight=gun+control</a></p>
<p>Saw the interview with his girlfriend on CNN last night.
A couple have posted that parents need to be closer to their kids and watch out for strange behavior.
Well, this girl LIVED with him for over 1 year (together 2 years). And saw nothing unusual. She confirmed that he went off his meds but didn't notice a change. Spent a lot of time with him each day. Said they were very close...and when asked...said she still loved him.
She was contacted after the shooting and assumed he was a victim - until they broke it to her...
So sad. This is a strange case - usually it's a loner type. I guess he lived a double life...</p>
<p>Curious about what others think on a somewhat related issue... Westboro Baptist Church members showed up at two of the funerals here in the Chicago area. One town used their heavy public works machines (plows, etc.) to block the view between where the WBC group stood, and the entrance to the church so that mourners would not see them. One of the larger major daily newspapers covered the story from the perspective of the town stepping in to protect the mourners. As I read some of the on-line comments after the article, many people were furious for the paper even covering the fact that WBC was there (I knew they would be there several days ago from other websites I read), giving them the publicity they so desperately seek. I, too, sort of agree with the possibility that the article gave free publicity to WBC, but wondered if those who mourn might have seen it as a rally of support from their village to protect them from protestors. While nothing can ease the grief these people are experiencing, I had to wonder about how all this was handled.</p>
<p>^ Beyond belief.</p>
<p>We can hope that someone will pass a law preventing picketers at funerals in IL.</p>
<p>treetopleaf - I don't have much hope of that happening, although it seems as if some states are enacting laws regarding the distance and timing of protests. It falls under free speech, and that's not going anywhere. I just wondered what others thought about the newspaper coverage of it.</p>