Doesn't it seem like the Virginia Tech story has died down quickly?

Question

I was looking for new information on the Killer and could not find anything today. I hadn't really read or seen anything since the video was released. Do you think the video should have been kept confidential?

I do agree that the media seemed to bring everything to light about this story quickly. I do not agree that he was being glorified. I do not think he was just a derranged psycho. I am a little disturbed that he referenced the Columbine killers. I wish the evidence in that case was not sealed so maybe all this violence could be explained. I think there is a huge piece in each of these being held back.

Answer 1

For news updates:
http://news.yahoo.com/fc/US/Virginia_Tech_Shootings

There may not be much in the news but, President Bush directed three cabinet secretaries, Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and Education Secretary Margaret Spellings to confer with educators, mental health experts and government officials across the nation. They will recommend guidelines to avoid a repeat of Monday's shooting rampage at Virginia Tech and guidelines to deal with early warning signs that a student may be dangerous to himself and others.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/20/AR2007042001107.html

Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine created an eight-member independent panel, including former U.S. homeland security secretary Tom Ridge, to review all aspects of the Virginia Tech massacre, from shooter Cho Seung Hui's medical history to the school's widely criticized delay in warning students of danger. The other panelists are Gordon Davies, former director of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; Roger L. Depue, former administrator of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime; Aradhana A. "Bela" Sood, an expert in child psychiatry at the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center; and Marcus L. Martin, assistant dean of the University of Virginia School of Medicine.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/19/AR2007041900830_2.html

The Virginia Tech massacre was a horrible, horrible tragedy but like all such stories, it quickly fades from public view. Only those who have suffered a personal loss will be faced with the struggle to overcome their grief and restructure their life. The survivors will suffer the tremendous loss very intently for a period of time and as they struggle to cope with their grief they will resolve it in many different ways but it will never go away, there will be triggers that bring it all back again in vivid detail.

After the reports have been filed, the investigations have been completed and the recommendations made, people will calm down and feel secure, then complacent.

Most of the people in the self-help group Parents of Murdered Children have strong feelings about this issue as well as Citizens against Homicide. (Members of both national groups have suffered the loss of a loved one to homicide) Compassionate Friends is also a self-help group however it is for parents who have lost a child to any cause homicide, accidental death or disease.
http://www.pomc.com
http://www.pomc.org
http://www.murdervictims.com/CAH.html
http://www.compassionatefriends.org

Answer 2

First let me say that their are 15,000 students at that particular university, 4,000 in the dorm, and 11,000 who reside off campus. Virginia Tech yesterday had a Press conference on Fox News, and one of the Authorities (there were 3), and I don't know his title said that they do have a security system, through email, and other technical means. However the time that the incidents occurred, was in the A.M. when the students were commuting. When they did arrive they felt that it was best to lock down when they did arrive. Truthfully at the time of the news conference they were still doing the investigation of the witnesses, and they did not have all the answers yet. That said, I believe they should have metal detectors as they do at the airports, and I.D. cards (ones that can not be counterfeited), as they are planning to do with Passports in the United States. Secondly when an incident does occur they should have a loud siren like they do in Israel, and other countries during war time alerting people to go into their shelters. That wll alert the ones who are commuting. For the ones that dorm they should have a PA system installed. These are the only measures that I can think of, aside from strickter gun control laws. Truth to tell, it is unfortunate but whatever measures are installed it seems that when a deranged person, or a terrotist is determined to harm people unfortunately they always find a way to work around any security system that is installed. It is like a no win situation, but we have to do what we have to do no matter what. G-d should help those families, to be able to overcome the tragedy of losing a chlld.

Answer 3

I feel there is little left to tell. When something new is determined from all the evidence they collected, then it will be released.

I think the public, as a whole, was curious what was in the manifesto sent to NBC and from a journaling standpoint had a duty to release it. I'm just thankful they didn't release all of it and I wish they had not released some of the pictures of the shooter. They were bothersome to me and I didn't lose a friend or family member. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for those that were in those classrooms and saw him in person pointing a gun at everyone and shooting and then to have to see those pictures splashed all over the place. He got toooooo much attention and that's what he wanted. I'm glad they're not showing anymore.

My heart and prayers go out to everyone who had to go thru this ordeal.

Answer 4

When the media attacks a story the way it did in this case, information is usually heavily extracted those first few days and then none is left.

CNN was showing no other stories other than Viginia Tech. Therefore, they had to gather a lot of information in order to fill that time. Therefore 95% of the information had been recieved on that Monday and Tuesday. Thus the story dies.

And no, the video should not have been kept confidential. The victims and the students had a right to know their attacker and why he did it. Not knowing this info is mentally and emotionally harmful and encapsulates a great amount of bitterness.

Answer 5

I think it is appropriate that the story is no longer front page. It is over. The people who survived need to get on with their lives.
This was a national tragedy, but not a crisis requiring a national action.
Seung was a paranoid schizophrenic; these events may provoke some thought about how we deal with violent mentally ill persons. But again, it doesn't require urgent action.
I think the Seung video was hyped in a shameful manner on TV. I am glad to have been able to see it, but I think that people who want to see it should have to take the initiative to look it up. This kind of event provokes copycats under any circumstances; there is no need to hype the killer the way they did.

Answer 6

It has died down, but i think that the killer has gotten too much air-time than he deserves. We are caring too much about him right now and this is exactly what he wanted, in my opnion he should not be worth any of our precious air-time, if anything; they should be focusing on giving information on where to send condolences, and what people can do for the families, like sending flowers or money to the memorial. As a friend of one of the family members that have passed on, this is just how i see things.

Answer 7

It has died down quickly. The news about Anna Nicole was on for like 2 weeks and this has stopped after about one.

Also, I think they were right in releasing the video. Some people want to know about it. If you don't want to see it, then you should just change the channel.

Answer 8

obviously the story died down!!! the media only needed this incident to promote the fear that thye want everyone to have. fear that america is declining and the world is unsafe.

the media doesnt give a care about the people who died or teh lives that were lost ... or why the killer chose to do that.

they care about hte money and how much funding they get.... theyre all broadcasting the same story over and over again... once everyone sees it all and millions have been exchanged, its time to enjoy the profits and wait for another incident.

guys... this is America... what do you expect?!?!?!!!

Answer 9

The American public is fickle and scatter-minded. They get tired of the same thing and broadcasting companies & news outlets know this.
Do you realize soldiers are still dying in the war?
Do you know about the most recent Amber alerts?
Have you heard anything about Genocide?
No and you want to know why because it's not entertaining, it doesn't get ratings, so real news is unimportant.

Answer 10

I don't care about the virginia tech killer. I hope he will be forgotten because he was worthless and I hope we never forget the great and bright people that lost their lives on that day. Lets not forget the great lives that they lived. All of these folks seemed to be truely bright and gifted people.
http://www.vtforever.com