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Tuesday, April 24, 2007

VT revisited.

I keep thinking about my last post. I hate my "knee jerk" reaction to some things. That post was one of them. The more I look at it the more I think...okay all of it still stands except the part about:

"What has to happen before people start taking active roles to prevent this type of tragedy?"

Now that I have gotten past it a little, I realize that human beings are human beings. We do what we can when we can. Many of us just do not realize what we CAN do.

Then there was:

"There needs to be a way for someone or a group to be prepared to figure out who these people are. There should be a person or group that staff and students could go to who would be willing to REALLY look into the warning signs exhibited and offer support to these people before they take things into their own hands and find a way to lash out at others and/or themselves."

I can not reinvent the wheel, nor should I expect anyone else to. I do want to state, that I do NOT think it is the fault of the college that this happened and I fear that is what some may have felt that I was suggesting (though no one has said anything...this is just me reviewing my post and going 'Ugh! How did people perceive that?').

This is a good lesson for me I think:

Before posting about a hot, emotional, event and giving my opinion...not only do I need to give myself time to look at intentionally...I need to give myself time to react to it emotionally, let the emotions simmer down, and THEN post.

Noted.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Regarding the Virginia Tech shootings

Please know that I did not experience college the way most do. I have a year under my belt at a community college and of course there was that year at beauty school...but that does not count. I say that to let you know that I honestly do NOT know what resources are available on campus and I am going to share a letter I wrote to my friend Cher who is a college professor:

"I had been trying to avoid the VT shooting incident until I could REALLY look at it. Yesterday I made a point of watching a broadcast that told about the victims and I had not realized how many professors had been killed and I instantly thought of {my friend Cher}.

It worries me that there were several people who feared this young man and no one listened to them. Fellow students saw in his writing that there was something wrong. He had a tutor that feared him so much so that she had a code word for her assistant to seek emergency assistance. There were records of him stalking not one, but two different women. Obviously no one was 'listening' to him either. What has to happen before people start taking active roles to prevent this type of tragedy? Those victims could have been my daughter, or her friends and the professors could have been {my friend Cher}.

This morning, I watched clips from the video that Mr. Cho made between his shootings and obviously this guy was hurting and feeling insignificant and was obviously mentally unstable. There are records of him having spent time in a mental health care facility. Isn't that on part of the background check when people apply for a gun license and make purchase of a gun?

College years are very transitional for most people. Some people do not have the maturity, sense of responsibility, independence, ability to adapt, social skills, level of mental health, etc. required to be in that sort of environment. There needs to be a way for someone or a group to be prepared to figure out who these people are. There should be a person or group that staff and students could go to who would be willing to REALLY look into the warning signs exhibited and offer support to these people before they take things into their own hands and find a way to lash out at others and/or themselves.

The Cho family must be devastated. I know the victims families are, but image if you were the parents or family of Mr. Cho...guilt on top of grief. Layers and layers of pain. How sad for all of them. What a tragic loss for all of us. What potential leaders, doctors, entertainers, authors, teachers, mothers, fathers, and friends did we lose in those that were lost that day? So many people with so much potential to contribute to society, now gone.

Thursday, April 05, 2007

A shocking discovery!

So, I got on here today because I wanted to create a new post and add to my list. You see, in my drafts I am keeping a running tally of books that I have read this year...I don't know if I will ever publish the post, but I like having a list. So in doing that I notice that I actually have COMMENTS on my last post!!! Holy COW! I have COMMENTS!! People DO read this blog...maybe it wasn't crickets I was hearing when I would log on and post.

The one from "Baker" surprised me. I did not know she read my blog...so let me give a shout out to Kristin Baker!

The other comment was from Dell's corporate office. DUDE! They must have a team of people just searching the 'net for stuff like this. I am torn...do I respond? Right this moment, the me who is on vacation is thinking NO, but the customer service person in me is kicking my shin and telling me it is the right thing to do. So, Dell...I will get back to you. It may be in about 10 - 14 days. (I am on vacation and next week will be chock full of catching up and working on preparing for what will be an awesome wedding event)

So, anyway...after all of the "excitement" I can not remember what I was going to post about...shoot. I'm sure it will come back to me. Maybe tomorrow.

Flickr

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

VT revisited.

I keep thinking about my last post. I hate my "knee jerk" reaction to some things. That post was one of them. The more I look at it the more I think...okay all of it still stands except the part about:

"What has to happen before people start taking active roles to prevent this type of tragedy?"

Now that I have gotten past it a little, I realize that human beings are human beings. We do what we can when we can. Many of us just do not realize what we CAN do.

Then there was:

"There needs to be a way for someone or a group to be prepared to figure out who these people are. There should be a person or group that staff and students could go to who would be willing to REALLY look into the warning signs exhibited and offer support to these people before they take things into their own hands and find a way to lash out at others and/or themselves."

I can not reinvent the wheel, nor should I expect anyone else to. I do want to state, that I do NOT think it is the fault of the college that this happened and I fear that is what some may have felt that I was suggesting (though no one has said anything...this is just me reviewing my post and going 'Ugh! How did people perceive that?').

This is a good lesson for me I think:

Before posting about a hot, emotional, event and giving my opinion...not only do I need to give myself time to look at intentionally...I need to give myself time to react to it emotionally, let the emotions simmer down, and THEN post.

Noted.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Regarding the Virginia Tech shootings

Please know that I did not experience college the way most do. I have a year under my belt at a community college and of course there was that year at beauty school...but that does not count. I say that to let you know that I honestly do NOT know what resources are available on campus and I am going to share a letter I wrote to my friend Cher who is a college professor:

"I had been trying to avoid the VT shooting incident until I could REALLY look at it. Yesterday I made a point of watching a broadcast that told about the victims and I had not realized how many professors had been killed and I instantly thought of {my friend Cher}.

It worries me that there were several people who feared this young man and no one listened to them. Fellow students saw in his writing that there was something wrong. He had a tutor that feared him so much so that she had a code word for her assistant to seek emergency assistance. There were records of him stalking not one, but two different women. Obviously no one was 'listening' to him either. What has to happen before people start taking active roles to prevent this type of tragedy? Those victims could have been my daughter, or her friends and the professors could have been {my friend Cher}.

This morning, I watched clips from the video that Mr. Cho made between his shootings and obviously this guy was hurting and feeling insignificant and was obviously mentally unstable. There are records of him having spent time in a mental health care facility. Isn't that on part of the background check when people apply for a gun license and make purchase of a gun?

College years are very transitional for most people. Some people do not have the maturity, sense of responsibility, independence, ability to adapt, social skills, level of mental health, etc. required to be in that sort of environment. There needs to be a way for someone or a group to be prepared to figure out who these people are. There should be a person or group that staff and students could go to who would be willing to REALLY look into the warning signs exhibited and offer support to these people before they take things into their own hands and find a way to lash out at others and/or themselves.

The Cho family must be devastated. I know the victims families are, but image if you were the parents or family of Mr. Cho...guilt on top of grief. Layers and layers of pain. How sad for all of them. What a tragic loss for all of us. What potential leaders, doctors, entertainers, authors, teachers, mothers, fathers, and friends did we lose in those that were lost that day? So many people with so much potential to contribute to society, now gone.

Thursday, April 05, 2007

A shocking discovery!

So, I got on here today because I wanted to create a new post and add to my list. You see, in my drafts I am keeping a running tally of books that I have read this year...I don't know if I will ever publish the post, but I like having a list. So in doing that I notice that I actually have COMMENTS on my last post!!! Holy COW! I have COMMENTS!! People DO read this blog...maybe it wasn't crickets I was hearing when I would log on and post.

The one from "Baker" surprised me. I did not know she read my blog...so let me give a shout out to Kristin Baker!

The other comment was from Dell's corporate office. DUDE! They must have a team of people just searching the 'net for stuff like this. I am torn...do I respond? Right this moment, the me who is on vacation is thinking NO, but the customer service person in me is kicking my shin and telling me it is the right thing to do. So, Dell...I will get back to you. It may be in about 10 - 14 days. (I am on vacation and next week will be chock full of catching up and working on preparing for what will be an awesome wedding event)

So, anyway...after all of the "excitement" I can not remember what I was going to post about...shoot. I'm sure it will come back to me. Maybe tomorrow.