The horrific shooting on the campus of Virginia Tech this morning isn't all sorted out yet. Early reports put the death toll at 21, or 22 counting the gunman, though it's not clear whether he was shot by police or whether he killed himself. Then it was 26, then 27, then 32, not counting the shooter.
Coverage at this point in the media lifespan of a tragedy is a very strange thing. There's misinformation and speculation, along with attempts to mark the events as somehow unprecedented. In this case, early reports called it the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history, topping the famed University of Texas clock-tower murders in 1966, which claimed 16 victims before the gunman, Charles Whitman, was shot to death by police. The reports are also comparing today's Blacksburg massacre with the Columbine killings in 1999, in which 12 students and a teachers were shot to death, along with the two teenage gunmen. Then there was the 1991 Luby's Cafeteria massacre in Killeen, Texas, in which 23 people were killed and 20 others wounded. That wasn't on a campus, and so, for as long as the Blacksburg count was 21, that was still the worst mass shooting in American history. Now, it looks as though Blacksburg has topped Killeen.
This comparison business is a strange phenomenon. The Blacksburg shootings, obviously, are the worst shootings in American history for anyone even remotely involved: anyone who will end up with victims in their family, with friends who had victims in their family, faculty and staff at Virginia Tech, and even college-age students currently enrolled, who will feel a great deal of reflected terror and sorrow. But there's a need in media to comparatively weight things. Is this better or worse than the incident last September when a man killed himself and his two sons at a West Virginia college? Better or worse than Kent State? How are these things measured, anyway? By the stark casualty count? By the numbers of families affected? By the total amount of psychic pain? By the long-term effects on the communities? There is an entire industry -- Critical Incident Stress Management -- that handles assessment and treatment after these kinds of events. Is there any point in comparing them? And if not, why does the media do it? Is it just to bulk up ratings, or is it a professional version of the human phenomenon of not knowing exactly what to say?
Mo Rocca has appeared on a bunch of shows, including 'The Daily Show,' 'I Love the 80s,'...
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The Weight of Tragedy
Posted Apr 16th 2007 2:08PM by Ben Greenman
Filed under: Breaking News, Crime
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Reader Comments ( Page 12 of 13)
166. Year after year, the news reports horrendous acts of violence carried out by broken souls. However, these reports prove to be ineffective in changing the way people perceive violence. In such case, the reports seem to be too dramatic,with a twist of entertainment,fueling the minds of these broken people.Keep in mind that these people, who are internally crying out for help, are vulnerable to the point that they fall for anything, just to stand for something. In other words, they'll do anything, even if it will cost them their lives, to give their life meaning-any meaning at that. I am certain that the young man responsible for these killings, felt that if he did something very dramatic, people would pay attention to him. And sure enough, we are paying attention. We're looking at his picture, we're reading his plays, and we're listening to what everyone remembered about him. He just got 15 minutes of undeserving fame, because somebody failed to take 15 minutes or more of their time to get to know the man behind the name-his name. America, truly, may be the land of milk and honey, but the reputation that it holds, is that of stupidity and conspiracy. Most certainly, that will be the ultimate cause for the fall of this nation. When will look past the availability of weapons, and pay attention to the susceptibility of an underlying pain within these people that take hold of these weapons. We need to get our priorities in order, before the healing process can effectively take place.
Disturbed at 9:28AM on Apr 19th 2007
167. I LOOKED AT 2 PAGES OF HIS "1 ACT PLAY" ONLINE AND IT IS VERY APPARENT THAT HE LITERALLY SOAKED IN THE LUST, VIOLENCE, ANGER AND ANTI-CATHOLIC BIAS THE MEDIA PEDDLES ALL DAY LONG. IT IS HATEFUL AND I'M CONVINCED, MEANT TO PROVOKE. IT IS SHEER POISON AND OBVIOUSLY MANY HAVE BECOME COLD, ANGRY, VIOLENT AND CORRUPTED BY IT. IT'S AMAZING MORE PEOPLE AREN'T LOSING IT OVER THE SUPERFICIAL NOTHINGNESS THEY BATTER US WITH ALL DAY LONG.
THESE PEOPLE AREN'T EVEN BEING ALLOWED TO GRIEVE PROPERLY BECAUSE OF THE LIBERAL DYSFUNCTION THAT HAS OVERTAKEN COLLEGE CAMPUSES.
TO THE US MEDIA and HOLLYWOOD; WHEN WILL YOU STOP POISONING MINDS WITH VIOLENCE, LUST AND HATE? IT'S TIME FOR YOU ALL TO CLEAN YOUR OWN HOUSE. THIS IS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS TERRORISTS HATE US SO - BECAUSE OF YOUR FILTHY POISONOUS EXPORTING OF THIS GARBAGE.
Teresa at 10:48AM on Apr 18th 2007
168. WHY do we always have to BLAME someone other than the person who pulled the trigger? Watching this evenings news, Dateline, I was quite pleased to hear how the students and others were trying to diffuse the media trying to place the blame on the college and 'could this have been prevented if they had locked down the campus earlier?' The media helps to stir things up and make it worse than it is. Bravo to those who said life happens, we're dealing with it the best we can, supporting each other.
Those of you that think the college is to blame and should be held accountable, are probably the same folks that would sue the automaker of your vehicle because YOU were speeding and your vehicle flipped over. Get a life and leave the blame with the gunman (and you, when you wreck whatever vehicle you drive). Looking for someone else to blame isn't going to make it better, or change what happened.
My prayers are for the families, students and faculty left behind, and for those of you looking to place blame elsewhere.
ew at 9:41PM on Apr 17th 2007
169. I am not a fan of the media sensationalizing the drama. There is no need for that ever. I was just wondering I have not heard any one call this guy a terrorist. What is the definition of a terrorist? Where is Homeland security? Can we put his family to death to set an example for other would be killers. If we had a right to carry handguns he would have been dead in the first 5 minutes. If everyone has a gun there would be less crime. Face it there is too much at risk to prevent us from arming ourselves. I know it sounds barbaric just think about it.
Brutis at 9:44PM on May 1st 2007
170. 11. Thanks for NOT posting my comment regarding the guilt of the college. Are you in favor of irresponsible thinking, even if it is the elite college administrators? Let the blame fall where it belongs, on the shooter, the police and the college.
JP at 5:27PM on Apr 16th 2007
Gee JP, thanks for summing it all up for us. Close the investigation,JP has all the skinny we need. You forgot to list the part the weather played in the tragedy.
Bill at 8:52PM on Apr 18th 2007
171. I am a little upset that you did not show my comment because I thought it was very cogent.
Emmamadrid at 9:18AM on Apr 18th 2007
172. my heart thoughts and prayers go out to the families, friends,and entire staff at VA Tech. this is not just a tradegy for VA Tech it is a tradegy for all of America or atleast it should be.
Shirley Bixler at 11:19PM on Apr 17th 2007
173. Really, the reason that we compare our tragedies is because we want to believe that our pain is 'more' than someone else's pain when someone in our family dies suddenly as a result of the actions of someone else or unexpectedly.
We want to believe that our pain is 'more' than the pain of a mother whose only daughter dies of cancer as a result of a long battle, or more than the son who is mourning his father who died after a long bout with cancer.
We really need to realize that ALL tragedies are shameful and one is not more important than another, and when one happens like this one, from the actions of someone who is mentally ill most likely, we have to learn from them and try to learn from these incidents.
Unfortunately, in the past 100 years we have NOT done that, we have fooled ourselves into thinking that just because these are rare events, that there is something wrong with the people who do them that is not the same as the rest of us.
We have looked, and unfortunately that is not the case usually. The people who do these mass killings were usually raised in families comparable to ours, had lives comparable to ours (no more or less strenuous events than anyone else, at least not in their past) and were pretty normal looking until something set them off.
We need to find those things that set these people off, and change those things. Most times, I have noticed that people who do things like this are the 'loners' of society like myself, who have no friends and very little family to rely on and spend time with.
Think about it people: you could stop one of these things from happening by simply befriending one of the loners and including them in your activities and lives.
Christopher at 11:59PM on Apr 17th 2007
174. I recalled reading about the shooting at Lancaster, PA. That was sad and I felt bad for those innocent amish little kids who got killed. I wonder how they're feeling now about the VA college when Cho shot 21 students including himself. Not only that but the Columbine High School; Waco, Texas; Florida, and some other high school and college. Im starting to wonder what made these students, or adults do these kind of things. Why target them? This also remind me of the student from years ago when his mother passed away and he couldnt pleased his father no matter what because no matter how hard he tried his father showed no remorse for him so he decided to go up to the tower and started to shoot anyone that comes toward the tower then when he decided to shoot himself - he blamed all of this on his father and quote "Ask him, he knows why. Yet his old man denied knowing what hes talking about.
Im telling you - its a sick world out there. Im surprise Im still alive and my friends as well. Now Im starting to worry about my friends who go to store, or go movie, or go to the amusement park for fun and there's goes the rampage of shooting innocent people. It just plain sickening to hear this and they're too coward to come forward so they rather kill themselves than to be interrogate because they knew it would takes hours and end up in jail with the other murderers - like Jeff Dahmer, Sam I am, and some other insanity men & women who loves to shoot people for nothing. They need help but unfortunately its too late.
Paula at 1:14AM on Apr 18th 2007
175. If they really want to talk about school tradegies, they better do more research. One of the worst was when a large portion of the children in the small town of Bath were killed when a deranged person blew the school up way back in the 20's to 40's.
As to why people have to do a "recap" every time I guess some are just enamored with gory details and numbers. They can't seem to understand that each incident is unique to those involved and they deserve compassion and support not a rehash every time something happens.
Ardine at 1:47AM on Apr 18th 2007
176. I have always been irritated by the comparisons of tragedies as if it were some contest. I despair that we seem to be a violence worshipping culture and that the media in general plays the role of high priest. I have long been an advocate of laying off pornography [except violent pornography]and regulating the violence industry instead. We glorify the lone "kick-ass" Clint Eastwood types and sell gruesome and violent entertainment and then wonder why kids so easily turn to violence. Everyone is ultimately responsible for their own behavior but our society needs to rethink what we put in the forefront [and HUGE headlines] for everyone. Comparing tragedies does seem like a quantity counting as if we were trying to get to a higher level in a very, very sick game. And comparisons seem to me to add insult to terrible injury for the victims' families and friends.
Rachael at 1:21AM on Apr 18th 2007
177. My sympathy to the families. My contempt for writers who try to make this anti-gun, racial, family values or any of the other popular causes.
Ardine at 1:48AM on Apr 18th 2007
178. Think of the hundreds of thousands of Native Americans who were massacred by mostly Europeans. Recent massacres, while horrific, pale by comparison.
Keith Haugen at 2:51AM on Apr 18th 2007
179. My prayers go out to the families and friends and colleagues but just as importantly to the first responders - the police, fire and EMS personnel; and the University personnel that took up the mantle for the students. When the news has gone and moved on to another story, they will be left to pick up the pieces. The blood and tears can be washed away but the emotional impact will never leave them. They will be left to deal with the negative comments about their performance. It is not enough that they will always wonder if they did all that they could, the world will be always questioning their response - right or wrong. Let's show a little compassion, kindness, love and caring for these special neighbors that go into the worst situations for the benefit of all of us.
Harold at 6:32AM on Apr 18th 2007
180. Yes, this is a tragedy. But I hate it when they blame it on the gun laws. Guns do not kill people, people kill people. And if you outlaw guns, then no one can protect themselves. Only the lawless will have the guns. Just like stealing a car, if you want to do it, then you will find a way. This guy was showing strange behavior long b/4 the shooting. A teacher had a code word with another teacher in case of an incident. Some of his classmates would not go to class with him. It goes on & on. I hate it when the Hollywood group yells about gun control. They sure don't mind their body guards having guns. Are they better than the rest of us?? Why can't I protect myself??
A parent.
Mari at 9:01AM on Apr 18th 2007