BARF!
That's kinda how I felt:
http://goldbricker.blogspot.com/...ch-
masacre.html
First, some links for your (and other readers') perusal:
Madness on Campus by Paul, a VT student
Bryce's Journal, also a VT student
Planet Blacksburg - student run news site (not the offical newspaper of VT)
I too am dismayed at the press for trying to put stories out there before they even have the facts to back them up. One of the all "news" channels is touting an "inside look -- what you don't know about the Virginia Tech shooter" special for later tonight. Now considering THE POLICE have not even identified the shooter (or if they have, they are not revealing his identity), how can the media possibly have "inside information" to tell us about this person?
On the "lockdown" issue -- I do have to say that I agree with the students' (and others) who have voiced frustration that no notice was given of a shooter until two hours after the first incident occured. What I have read/seen on TV is that there was a "domestic dispute" involving the shooter and a girl believed to be his ex-girlfriend, in her dorm. The girl and an RA were both shot around 7:15 AM. The shootings at the Norris Building started around 9:30, according to what has been reported. At about the same time, campus officials issued an email informing students of the first shooting and warning them to stay indoors.
What I see here is a two hour gap -- a gap that could have saved the lives of 30 people. At 7:15 AM, there were probably no classes going on, and the university could have made the decision to cancel classes for the day at that time. Given the fact that they had experienced bomb threats as recently as last week, I am a bit surprised that they were not more proactive with their stance on this situation. Had an announcement gone out cancelling classes by 8 or 8:30 AM, most of the students who were in the Norris building probably would have been back in their dorms and (possibly) out of harms way.
I also don't think a lockdown has to mean guards stationed all over campus. At Gettysburg, I remember that dorms were locked after a certain hour at night, but were open for access during the day. I am guessing that this is the case on most college campuses, that dorms are locked at night. Had the VT administration cancelled classes and warned all students to go back to their dorms, they could have secured the buildings by locking them, and prevented the shooter from gaining easy access (assuming he did not have a key to any of the dorms). Granted, this does not ensure 100% safety, but it seems that these students would have been a lot safer if they had been in the dorms, and the dorms locked, while authorities tried to capture the shooter.
Of course, in hindsight (and also not being involved in the situation) it is easier to criticize the response to a certain event. I have a feeling we will be hearing a LOT of criticism of how VT handled this incident in the coming days and weeks.
Carrie--
Perhaps, after reflecting more on this, I can see why the media and parents are critical of the delay in notifying students. At the time I wrote this blog, I was frustrated that the media were just attacking in the press conference, when I wanted information. I am sure we will hear a lot more about this over the coming weeks.
In the defense of the white house (something I rarely do) - that little sound bite (BARF!) is WAY out of context, and shame on the every media outlet for just dropping it into the story as if that's all the White House had to say. I too saw that and was pretty offended as well - but I later discovered that there was a context to that quote that was left out.
I'm no fan of this administration but bad press is bad press no matter what. That was part of a briefing and was a response to a specific question:
Dana, going back to Virginia Tech, what more does this White House think needs to be done as it relates to gun issues? The President says current laws need to be strengthened, anything beyond that - you had a conference on school violence with guns - what more needs to be done?
MS. PERINO: I would point you back to the fact that President, along with Secretary Spellings, hosted last October - October 10, 2006 - a conference on school gun violence after the Amish school shooting and the other shootings that had happened, because the tragedies are the ones that just collectively break America's heart and are ones that we deeply feel, because all of us can imagine what it would be like to have been at your own school, your own college, and to have something happen. And those of us who are parents, or brothers or sisters of people at the schools have to take that into consideration.
As far as policy, the President believes that there is a right for people to bear arms, but that all laws must be followed. And certainly bringing a gun into a school dormitory and shooting - I don't want to say numbers because I know that they're still trying to figure out many people were wounded and possibly killed, but obviously that would be against the law and something that someone should be held accountable for.
Jamie, could you post a link to this so I can post it on a blog post of mine?
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/r...20070416-
1.html
Thank you! 
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