April 16, 2007
It is with great sadness that we learned about the shooting at Virginia Tech today. Our hearts and thoughts go to all of the families of the victims and to those wounded and affected by this great tragedy emotionally.
It is a great tragedy when any life is cut short, deprived at their one chance to live upon this earth. This tragedy has struck hard for the community of Blacksburg, Virginia, the state of Virginia, and the United States as a whole. The number of people killed in once event will take its toll emotionally on those directly and indirectly involved in this incident.
We all have one life to live and we should all go out of our way to enjoy our lives as best as we can. When psychopaths like the one today rob people of their lives prematurely, it is a crime on many levels.
As an atheist I urge people to help in a positive and effective way, by contributing to any trust funds established for the victims or by contributing to the American Red Cross, who help when communities are struck by tragedy, both natural and man-made.
In sadness,
Blair Scott
Alabama State Director, American Atheists
Blog, North Alabama Rant
MySpace, Alabama Atheist
Email: bscott@atheists.org
Phone: (256) 513-5877
Postal: PO BOX 41, Ryland, AL 35767-2000
American Atheists is a nationwide movement which defends the civil rights of nonbelievers, works for the separation of church and state, and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy. American Atheists, Inc. PO Box 5733 Parsippany, NJ 07054-6733, Tel: (908) 276-7300 Fax: (908) 276-7402
unbeliever said,
April 17, 2007 at 9:53 am
I think this has affected people not just in the U.S. but in countries across the world. It is being aired on t.v. stations in Europe too. I still remember when there was that awful school shooting in Germany a couple years ago. I also remember the even worse school hostage situation in Russia a few years back. How anyone can possibly cause harm to such young children is beyond me. To kill a person at all is a terrible thing, but to kill so many and all so young? What’s so bad is that school was almost done too, perhaps some of those people were about to graduate and start their lives. I keep thinking what if it was my college? What would I do in that situation? Would I be brave enough to save lives if possible? Or would I be a selfish coward? I hope I never have to find out. I almost wish that screenings for psychosis were mandatory so that those people could be treated properly before everyone’s lives are ruined, but that is such a totalitarian idea. Maybe if people were just given the help they needed whenever they started showing signs of trouble.
nalrant said,
April 17, 2007 at 10:48 am
This will certainly liven up the gun debate. I believe in both gun availability to the citizens of this country, and to gun registration, which puts me at odds with the NRA and the bleeding-heart anti-gun liberals. LOL I know one thing is for sure, if I had been there with a gun, it would not have ended the way it did. If any of those students had a permit to carry, it would not have ended the way it did. I also think this will reignite the debate on immigration policy and the screening process. It may actually hurt Bush’s push to increase the migrant worker and student program… Such a sad day for humanity.
unbeliever said,
April 17, 2007 at 2:20 pm
I fail to see how it affects current immigration policy since the shooter and his family came here in 1992 from South Korea. I do think there should be some policy not to let people with any past signs of mental disorders purchase guns though.
nalrant said,
April 18, 2007 at 8:16 pm
The news was originally reporting that Cho was not a citizen but was here on a student visa. Apparently that was incorrect and they have now changed that information. My post was based on the incorrect information given initially by the news.