Why does no one ask the more important question about the Va Tech tragedy?

Question

Suppose someone burst into your family reunion and started shooting. Would you run or would run toward the threat and attack despite being "outgunned." The more important question is why do people not have anymore connection to others? The boy was a psychopath. We can do little at this point to eliminate that condition. I cannot imagine living with the doubt that I might have been able to save at least a few more if I had charged the threat instead of fled to save my own life. I am not calling anyone a coward, but I am saying that a paradigm shift is needed. Why don't more people believe that it is better to die trying than to live with the outcome of not doing anything? 9/11 should have taught us that without a doubt it is better to try. A 9mm pistol and a 22 cal should not have produced this bodycount.
Better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.

I have been there. If I hadn't I might question myself as well. I have had to work the crime scenes where these things have happened and two where unarmed people subdued a gunman and prevented tragedy. Don't question what you don't understand. I am merely trying to get people to question their own reaction and think before something like this occurrs, what would I do? Charge the threat is a solution. And I am sure the guy was an expert shot with a weapon he bought in march.

Yes bobemac, I have been shot at many times. Mental rehersal prior to action is crucial in getting your mind right. Being on the other end of the muzzle is not a plesant experience to be sure. But being able to quickly analyze and take accurate stock of your situation is absolutely crucial in developing a response. Clearly the options of the students were limited and as I said before I am not trying to criticize anyone, but to get people to think a little bit so they don't become lambs to the slaughter.

Answer 1

I'm assuming your older than a college student and can understand what your saying.I personally ,being the age that I'm at,would of probably preferred to have died putting up a fight with the knowledge that i was going to die anyway,people tend to get fearless with age.These victims however were kids and i can only imagine were scared stiff.

Answer 2

A whole book could be written to answer your question. It depends on so many factors--past life experiences, up bringing, religions, ect. Why did so many people not take action to save themselves during Katrina? Why did they wait for the government to come save them and not take charge of thier own fate? It is easy to have hind sight after an incident and critize those who were present. The people who had a chance to do something and didn't will have to live with that decision and I feel as sorry for them as I do for the victom's familys and friends. THere is going to be lots of blaming going on for a long time and very little progress will be made in actually doing something productive to prevent this from happening again. It is all so sad.

Answer 3

i think of that's extra disgusting how the anti-gun paranoid freaks are politicizing the reality that thirty-3 harmless human beings died with a view to push their anti-freedom schedule. as a results of fact the VA Tech shootings, i've got been listening to no longer something yet "whilst are we going to prohibit weapons?" people who actually help gun rights have been positioned on the protective to describe why weapons can actually be solid. So, please, do no longer pull this crap on me. If something, that's any opposite direction around. Why could the pro-2nd substitute persons difficulty to assert we choose extra weapons after a terrible tragedy? That'd in simple terms be sort of random and nonsensical, except, of course, somebody such as you have been asking them if we ought to constantly ban weapons as a reactionary reaction to this crime.

Answer 4

What you suggest here makes a great deal of sense. If people act as a group against such hostility, then the tragedy would be less. If attackers knew the common reaction would be to be pounced upon, maybe they would be less likely to attack in the first place.

It's everyone's natural instinct to save themselves first. I do agree with your concept here. You use a family reunion in your example. Maybe we should all try to remember we are part of the human family and take action for the benefit of each other.

-BD

Answer 5

I've wondered the same thing BUT having lived through life-or-death situations myself, I can assure you that the decisions made at those times are not something you decide on then and there. Most of it is instinctive.

Based on my own past experiences I will never judge how another person acts when faced with this type of scenario.

Answer 6

ditto

Better were the students trained to begin throwing their books and anything else they can reach at the shooter(s) until others can tackle and disarm them ... but, then that would require a leadership in our country that feels more about the welfare of others than they do about their own.

Gotten any emails or letters from any government agency lately informing you how to deal with terrorists?! Neither have I.

Answer 7

I agree, but you have to take in consideration that most of the victims were probably young and who knows how we would really react if we were in the same situation.

Answer 8

While you bring up a valid point, I wouldn't doubt that you would be one of the first ones running. It's easy to say that now, but with bullets whizzing over your head your "fight or flight" response takes over and more likely than not it's going to be flight.

Answer 9

You probably have never been shot at, believe me it's a whole different thing, you really don't have the time to think, just react.

Answer 10

You are super late... I already answered a question about the VA tragedy... I'll answer once again, It was very upsetting and horrific... the man who did this is obviously heartless...