Tragedy at Virginia Tech

[MJZiggy]

I just got a recorded phone call from the school superintendent about this. I am curious as to how other school systems are handling it. Anyone hear anything?

[Kiwon]

This is just stunning in its absurdity

Blaming Charlton Heston

With a view to Monday's deadly shooting rampage at Virginia Tech, European newspapers are blaming the lack of gun control measures in the United States and implying that Charlton Heston is indirectly responsible for the scope of the killings.

Across the continent on Tuesday, European media rubber-neck at Monday's massacre in the United States. Most seem to agree about one thing: The shooting at Virginia Tech is the result of America's woeful lack of serious gun control laws. In the strongest editorialized image of the day, German cable news broadcaster NTV flashed an image of the former head of the National Rifle Association, the US gun lobby: In other words, blame rifle-wielding Charlton Heston for the 33 dead.
.................................................. ...............

This idiocy is only trumped by the Italian lawmaker (I think) that commented the day after Hurricane Katrina that the U.S. was getting what it deserved for not signing the Kyoto Protocal.

[Kiwon]

I think race is irrelevant. Every race has good and bad people. Some black people are bad and some are good, some white people are bad and some are good, etc. It's not fair to pen a whole race on the actions of a few.

All true. Yet at the same time you have to realize that Korean culture is group-oriented and they operate from that basis while Americans are off-the-scale individualistic.

Even though this guy has apparently been in the U.S. for 14-15 years, the average South Korean citizen and the government itself views this student to one degree or another as representing both the country and the South Korean people/culture.

Right now South Korean diplomats are on the same to West Virginia. They will apologize several times over the actions of this troubled person. I'm sure that they will make a direct, in-person apology to the families of the victims. Rightly or wrongly, they will assume part of the responsibility for the crimes that Cho, Seung-Hui committed. The racial aspect of this is the first thing in their minds.

It's just a very different worldview from America.

South Korean is national or even a political indentity, not racial.

It's not for non-Koreans to tell Koreans how they should feel or what worldview they should have.

The Korean culture is 5,000 years old and they view themselves as a distinct race first. In fact, racial purity is still of prime importance to them as a preservation of their culture and language.

They view themselves as one race of people whether they are located in South Korea, North Korea, China, Central Asia, America, Austrialia, New Zealand, Japan or anywhere else.

[BallHawk]

Unfortunately Merlin, none of that will ever happen. That is just the way the country works. Since the shooter is dead, someone has to find a posterboy to blame the whole thing on. The university is a sacrificial lamb at this point, waiting to be slaughtered. This is going to get ugly.

[pacfan]

Merlin: I agree with your last post. It is unfortunate that some people/corporations/political ideology will attempt to profit from this tragedy.

Kiwon: ?????, South Korea is still a national/political construct. There isn't race of South Koreans, right?

[Tyrone Bigguns]

This is just stunning in its absurdity

Blaming Charlton Heston

With a view to Monday's deadly shooting rampage at Virginia Tech, European newspapers are blaming the lack of gun control measures in the United States and implying that Charlton Heston is indirectly responsible for the scope of the killings.

Across the continent on Tuesday, European media rubber-neck at Monday's massacre in the United States. Most seem to agree about one thing: The shooting at Virginia Tech is the result of America's woeful lack of serious gun control laws. In the strongest editorialized image of the day, German cable news broadcaster NTV flashed an image of the former head of the National Rifle Association, the US gun lobby: In other words, blame rifle-wielding Charlton Heston for the 33 dead.
.................................................. ...............

This idiocy is only trumped by the Italian lawmaker (I think) that commented the day after Hurricane Katrina that the U.S. was getting what it deserved for not signing the Kyoto Protocal.

I love how you magnfy the importance of their criticism of heston.

Multiple paragraphs written, but only one..the first paragraph even mentions heston.

More importantly

"Papers reserve their sharpest criticism for the 2004 expiration of a 10-year ban on 19 types of semiautomatic assault weapons under the then Republican-controlled Congress. Others comment on the pro-gun lobbying activities of Heston's NRA. Some papers also draw analogies between school shootings and Muslim fundamentalist suicide bombers."

[Partial]

oh my god I actually agree with Merlin on something

[Kiwon]

This is just stunning in its absurdity

Blaming Charlton Heston

With a view to Monday's deadly shooting rampage at Virginia Tech, European newspapers are blaming the lack of gun control measures in the United States and implying that Charlton Heston is indirectly responsible for the scope of the killings.

Across the continent on Tuesday, European media rubber-neck at Monday's massacre in the United States. Most seem to agree about one thing: The shooting at Virginia Tech is the result of America's woeful lack of serious gun control laws. In the strongest editorialized image of the day, German cable news broadcaster NTV flashed an image of the former head of the National Rifle Association, the US gun lobby: In other words, blame rifle-wielding Charlton Heston for the 33 dead.
.................................................. ...............

This idiocy is only trumped by the Italian lawmaker (I think) that commented the day after Hurricane Katrina that the U.S. was getting what it deserved for not signing the Kyoto Protocal.

I love how you magnfy the importance of their criticism of heston.

Multiple paragraphs written, but only one..the first paragraph even mentions heston.

More importantly

"Papers reserve their sharpest criticism for the 2004 expiration of a 10-year ban on 19 types of semiautomatic assault weapons under the then Republican-controlled Congress. Others comment on the pro-gun lobbying activities of Heston's NRA. Some papers also draw analogies between school shootings and Muslim fundamentalist suicide bombers."

I quoted the headline, the first and second paragraphs, and then you added the third. THAT'S the whole introduction section of the article!

http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,477686,00.html

[hurleyfan]

Rest in Peace thou innocent souls

[esoxx]

[quote="Kiwon"]This is just stunning in its absurdity

Blaming Charlton Heston

With a view to Monday's deadly shooting rampage at Virginia Tech, European newspapers are blaming the lack of gun control measures in the United States and implying that Charlton Heston is indirectly responsible for the scope of the killings.

Across the continent on Tuesday, European media rubber-neck at Monday's massacre in the United States. Most seem to agree about one thing: The shooting at Virginia Tech is the result of America's woeful lack of serious gun control laws. In the strongest editorialized image of the day, German cable news broadcaster NTV flashed an image of the former head of the National Rifle Association, the US gun lobby: In other words, blame rifle-wielding Charlton Heston for the 33 dead.
.................................................. ...............

Absured yes. But entirely predictable...and pathetic.

[the_idle_threat]

From that same link a few posts earlier:

German daily Bild writes:

"Now we will probably begin discussing the overly lax gun laws in the United States. There, buying a machine gun is often easier than getting a driver's license. And a new ban on violent games and killer videos will also be put back on the agenda. But in the end, nothing is likely to happen. And the next killer already lives somewhere among us. But we have little reason to point an accusing finger at the Americans. Despite strict gun legislation, we (in Germany) have experienced the school shootings in Erfurt and Emsdetten. We have to consider the problems in our society. And we have to take care of our fellow humans."

Starts with a ridiculous bit of exaggeration---how many of you have a driver's license ... now how many of you have a machine gun?---and then ends with a surprising bit of perspective. School shootings happen even in Europe, where there are "strict" gun control laws.

Don't tell the gun-ban people!

[Jimx29]

My main concern is this news knocked the Sharpton/Jackson/Imus circus right the hell off front page. How will they survive?

[rdanomly]

It looks like his mind was the dangerous weapon waiting to go off:

"College gunman disturbed teachers, classmates"

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18148802/

[HarveyWallbangers]

Crazy!

[LL2]

It looks like his mind was the dangerous weapon waiting to go off:

"College gunman disturbed teachers, classmates"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18148802/

To bad he didn't slip off a curb and get hit by a car going 50 mph yesterday morning on his way to the dorm.