This Virginia school shooting is being billed as the worst episode of gun violence in our nation's history. That's only because the people writing the headlines can't read, can't think, and can't remember anything that occurred before the last five years.
Take, for example, the Mountain Meadows massacre. Somehow 100 to 140 deaths sounds a little more serious than 33. I could also mention Indian wars, rebellions, and who knows how many other incidents.
I'm with pudge: it was a terrible tragedy, but to be honest, it doesn't affect me near as much as the media says it should. Pretending it has more historical significance than it does doesn't help that.
Re:School shooting
sigzero on 2007-04-19T14:57:56
I would agree with brian here. However, I am already tired of the media reporting on it. A lot more could be said...but not here and not now.Re:School shooting
sigzero on 2007-04-19T15:06:13
I can't comment on the pudge posting because it is a "no foes" whatever that means.
The big "political" problem I see is that the court system ruled him "crazy" but that never went anywhere. The system the gun shop owner doesn't get updated with that information (so he sells a gun to the guy after all the correct procedures are followed). The school isn't notified either, so they have a crazy man living on campus waiting to explode.
It is kind of like the wall between police powers and the CIA/FBI pre-9/11. The left hand doesn't know what the right hand knows.
It is sad. Evil and sad.Re:School shooting
jdavidb on 2007-04-19T19:48:33
I have seen "worst act of gun violence" and "worst mass killing," both today, neither of which are accurate. (Worst is subjective anyway. I don't care how many people were killed in your shooting; if another shooting involved somebody who is dear to me, then that one's the worst.) In particular, this article earlier today said "worst act of gun violence," and now says "worst mass shooting." Author seems to have changed it after I emailed him. I still tend to think the mass shootings of Indians in the 1800s were "worse," if you go by numbers.
Re:School shooting
jdavidb on 2007-04-19T19:53:09
"worst act of gun violence" presently returns two articles calling it that using those exact words. I've heard others, but am having a hard time figuring out exactly how they were worded. "worst mass killing" also returns some results, but right now the top one links to an article which seems to have been changed. Now it calls it "America's worst-ever massacre." Right.
:(
