OT prayers to the VT community

[Len J]

CNN is now reporting 31 dead on the VT campus.

I can't comprehend the level of anger necessary to shoot 60+ people.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the members of the Virginia Tech Community.

Hug those you love.

Len

[Kevan]

What a world we've made for ourselves and them. I hope this will rattle the second amendment, but I know otherwise.

[Len J]

What a world we've made for ourselves and them. I hope this will rattle the second amendment, but I know otherwise.

now is the time or the place for anything other than empathy.

Let's hold the political comments for some other time.

Len

[Velociotis]

I took several classes in Norris Hall.

As an alumnus, I am stunned at the magnitude of tragedy that has happened on campus. My deepest sympathy to the families and friends of the victims.

[Kevan]

my apologies. It's frustration that grips me.

I have one in college and another soon to start. I want for my kids...and for that matter, every kid... to get their education and enjoy the start to their adult lives.

This is just so sad.

[Len J]

my apologies. It's frustration that grips me.

I have one in college and another soon to start. I want for my kids...and for that matter, every kid... to get their education and enjoy the start to their adult lives.

This is just so sad.

I have 2 still in school also..........

I can't imagine what the parents are going through.

Len

[AgilisMerlin]

whoa,

this hits close to home. My kids are just beginning school. At one of the elementary schools, last week they discovered two bombs at the entrance. It was two middle school kids............who put them theirk, and the previous week two bomb threats..............at the middle school.

this shyt hits very close to home. Could happen anywhere.

there are vt flags in a lot of my neighbors yards.............

sad

[rdparadise]

I feel for the families, friends, students and faculty and for those lost because of this senseless killing. I can only imagine what this individual was thinking. It had to be really frightening for everyone involved going through this situation. Reminds me a little of Columbine and there is still so much unknown about how this went down or who the killer was.

My sympathies...

Bob

[C5 Snowboarder]

Very Very Sad.. I wish we could figure out what make some people lose it before they take the anger or frustration out on others. There must have been something in his upbringing or environment that possibly programed this guy a long time ago. :confused:

[MarleyMon]

My condolences to the VT community. This is a horrible tragedy.

[R2D2]

I love VT and Blacksburg.
My heart is broken.

[Ray]

Just another horrible reminder that there are sick people in this world and, if they really want to do something like this, there's damn little anyone can do to stop them. I too have one in college and will have two in the fall and it scares the crap out of me. But its not just colleges or schools - it can happen anywhere, anytime. That's why its so shocking - it just seems so random. So just remember to hug the people you love everyday and remember how prescious this life is.

All of that said, I can't even begin to imagine what those directly involved, the wounded, family and friends of the dead, etc, are going through. My heart goes out to them. And the soldiers, and citizens of Iraq, and daily victims of violent crimes all over the place, etc, etc, etc.

Damn.

-Ray

[roman meal]

May the students, their families, the faculty and staff someday find some solace.

[Bill Bove]

I'm watching the news conference right now. This tragedy will be anylized over and over again in and by the media, what the autherities did and did not do. VT is a small town, how can anyone prepare for this.

This is just so sad.

[Tony Edwards]

What a terrible tragedy.

R.I.P. to the fallen, and my prayers to their families.

[Bruce H.]

I pray for the families and friends of those involved. It hits very close to home. My daughter is graduating from Duquesne Univ. this May. She lived through a shooting this past fall in which 5 members of the basketball team were senselessly shot. A cousin of Matumbo was seriously injured and probably will never play again. The students that witnessed the shooting will never be the same. Duquesne is on the Bluff and set apart from anywhere else. The entrances to the campus are manned by police.
The big question I always wonder is how does this happen. How do they get the arms and ammo on campus?
The questions go on and on and may never be fully answered
Bruce H

[labratmatt]

It's a tragedy. Plain and simple.

I've attended class many times in Norris Hall. I spent two and a half years doing my graduate work two buildings down from Norris Hall. My wife is still doing here graduate work (three buildings down from Norris Hall) on campus and was evacuated this afternoon. What a sad state.

I live here in Blacksburg. It's a beautiful, tight-knit town. We're a big university, but we're in the middle of nowhere, so the sense of community is large.

I just drove by campus about an hour ago and saw police cars blocking all the entrances with the lights swirling on the top of the cars' roofs. It's unsettling to see that the campus, the core of the town, the core of a lot of Blacksburg residents' lives, is shutdown.

[Hokiemon]

Like R2D2 I love VT and this area. I graduated from there as well as my brother and sister. My oldest son received his masters from Tech. My youngest son is a student there and was on campus while this was happening. Luckily he was nowhere near the incidents and we were able contact him quickly.

I can't begin to tell you how devastating this tragedy has been to us all. Please pray for those whose loved ones were killed or injured.

[jeffg]

for those who have lost their lives, loved ones, or their innocence today.

College students, for all their sophistication in many respects, are kids and no child should have to go through this.

Sometimes I question the ethics of my bringing children into this world and not fighting hard enough to make it a place I can feel good about them inhabiting.

Back from a business trip in the service of "democratic capitalism",

Jeff

[mikki]

Words cannot adaquately express my sorrow to the families of those who lost loved ones at today's rampage at Virginia Tech.

It's true that there are no safe havens anymore. It seems as though the world gets harder and harder. Time to hug our families and those we hold dear as none know what the next day will bring.

My heart is heavy; I pray that the Good Lord will bring some comfort to those in grief tonight.

And that the media doesn't capitalize on the tragedy; though I know they will...

[Ray]

And that the media doesn't capitalize on the tragedy; though I know they will...
They were within moments. It makes me sick. I realize they need to ask questions to find out what happened, but they were trying to stir up controversy yesterday almost immediately, accusing the admin of not doing enough, trying to get students riled up about what wasn't done to protect their safety in interviews. There's plenty of time to figure out what went wrong and what went right - these first couple of days should only be about helping the kids and the rest of the community through the shock and sadness of what happened. The administration did the best they could with the information they had in a quickly changing situation. Maybe it will turn out they should have done some things differently, but we're not going to know that yet and its the wrong time to rush to judgement. The media has a really important job to do in this society and I think they usually do it pretty well, but days like yesterday make me wonder.

-Ray

[Keith A]

I agree with you Ray! It really makes me sad to see how quick everyone has jumped onto the blame wagon instead focusing on what a horrible tragedy this has been and trying to reach out and comfort those who have lost their loved ones. It started almost as soon as the story broke, they had students on TV talking about how VT screwed up. Don't get me wrong, there is certainly a time and place for evaluating what was done right and wrong, but can we not let people grieve first and assess what happened later.

My thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost their sons, daughters, brothers, sisters and friends; and with those that try and help them through this time of loss and morning.