DISCLAIMER- this post is mostly for me so don’t feel the need to read. Also, excuse the poor grammar and misspellings. I was typing a lot slower than I was thinking!
Sorry that I am about to do this-not really- but I feel like the media has really done it this time. Now, I am sure some of you have heard me say something similar to this before but I am most positive in this instance that I am not making an overstatement when I say that the national media is DEAD WRONG in the way they have handled the shootings at Virginia Tech. Of course, like everyone who draws a breath (both natural and artificial) I was completely sucked in to the developing story coming out of Blacksburg. I am not really sure how to get all of my rant out so I will write it using a bulleted list (no pun intended) so that I can get everything out that I absolutely cannot hold in anymore.
- I would like to first and foremost say that Paula, Anderson, Geraldo, Shepherd, Nancy, Brian, Ann, Greta and all the rest of the Media Mess who we trust (I use that term loosely because I am not trusting them to tell me anything) to bring us THE FACTS are indeed true experts in not only the media field, but also in law enforcement, running educational institutions and criminal investigations. I have been appalled at the things I have heard these so called “professionals” say to and about the students, school officials, and law enforcement officials connected with this story. My favorite (of those in television, I will get to radio in a few more points) came from Paula Zahn who asked a student, “How are you and the other students DEALING WITH YOUR OUTRAGE AT THE LACK OF ACTION ON THE UNIVERSITY’S PART?” Well, Paula, that might have been a great question if he had mentioned that he was outraged prior to you asking, but since YOU PUT THE WORDS IN HIS MOUTH, he set you straight! The student responded that he nor his friends were outraged with the university but instead were MOURNING THE LOSS OF FRIENDS. Those friends, were DEAD, meaning they will never LIVE AGAIN on this earth. Way to forget your compassion but give the guy a double dose of your AGENDA, Paula! I wish I could say that she was the only one who was struggling with putting words into the mouths of students and the American public at large but she most certainly was not.
- I am so glad that all of a sudden everyone on the planet, or at least those with a big mouth who sit in front of a camera everyday, is an expert on residential life and the workings (or failings) of an educational institution such as a college. As most of you know, I am a resident coordinator on college campus. I live and work on the campus and it is my job to look out for the well-being of the students who have been placed in my care. I would like to say that even though this is my FULL TIME JOB, I would never assume that I am an expert on all things Residential Life. So I would love to know where the media gets off thinking they know exactly what SHOULD HAVE BEEN done.
- Ask any counselor or psychologist out there how something like this can be prevented and they will tell you that IT CANNOT BE PREVENTED most of the time. When people talk about being suicidal or talk about wanting to die and such, we should do everything possible to help them. However, if someone has made up their minds to kill themselves or premeditated such a crime as the one committed at Virgina Tech, there is no stopping it. That is a fact-not an opinion.
- I heard a man on the radio talking about the president at Virginia Tech. He was talking about how it took so long to get an announcement out to the students and such. He was making a big deal about the president meeting with some other university officials to discuss what course of action should be taken after the first shooting in the dormitory. This guy on the radio said that it is a known fact that most college presidents, vice presidents and provosts are not good in a crisis. According to him, “They tend to be more contemplative and need counsel in making any decision.” He then went on to try and compare the president at VT to Rudy Giuliani in the wake of September 11th. Are you really serious? Not only are these situations completely different and are not even in the same category to even be compared, but again, are you serious? He was remarking how, “You didn’t see Giuliani call city council meeting to decide what to do.” That is correct. You did not see that. But you also did not see him calling the Twin Towers to let them know they needed to evacuate instead of returning to offices AFTER PLANES HAD FLOWN INTO BOTH BUILDINGS! There are a million things you can always come up with after the fact. You can shoulda coulda woulda something to death. How many of us have ever experienced something traumatic and never asked, “what if”, or thought, “if only”. Hindsight will always trump what is seen in the midst of a crisis. There is a reason people say, “Hindsight is 20/20.” It would have been great if the events of yesterday had never happened but THEY DID!
- As someone who lives and works in a dormitory and whose job it is to be involved and know the lives of the students who surround me, this situation is especially alarming. I have put myself in the place of those who were on campus and came in contact with the shooter. Ultimately, you really don’t know what you will do in a situation like that. I could speculate for days about what I would do if I were ever placed in a situation like this. I would hope that I would have presence of mind to do the right thing and protect those around me as well as myself but I just don’t know that is always possible. That was certainly the case at VT. Not to sound cynical or like Debbie Downer but let’s get real. If someone wants to kill me and is standing in front of me with a weapon, there is a good chance that is going to happen. Not to take out the sovereignty of God in all this. Rest assured, this was not an accident. Death is assured. We don’t know the time, of course, but it is coming. It is sad that it has to be this way for some, especially for young people with so much potential.
- Personal responsibility…ever heard of it? Chances are, if you are age 40 or younger, you probably have not. It is so foreign in this day and time for anyone to take responsibility for their actions. From the moment this story broke, the media is trying to blame everyone except Cho Seung-Hui. It is the government’s fault because of lax gun control, it is the students’ fault for not accepting him or ____________________ you fill in the blank. If they keep it up, I will probably be arrested for being an accomplice! I mean, is there anyone who is man (or woman) enough to just take the heat for what you have done? I realize that Seung-Hui is dead and can no longer stand trial for what he has done but let the dead bury the dead. Why does there have to be the incessant finger pointing?
- I know that there are tons of factors involved in this. So many variables! But let’s look at the facts: 33 people are dead, 33 families are shattered, countless friends and students are mourning. These are the facts. I realize that some questions need to be raised and I also realize that as someone who works on a university campus, having a plan of action prior to a crisis is necessary. However, as we have seen in Virginia, a plan alone cannot and will not save you. Save the finger pointing for later (if ever) and deal with what is most important at the moment. Dr. Phil (of whom I am not a fan) was on Larry King Live talking about steps students need to take to begin to heal from this tragedy. He was describing post traumatic stress disorder. Symptoms of this disorder include someone asking questions like “What if” and making statements like ”If only” to the point to being debilitating. For all of those who will experience this in the coming days and weeks, I hold the media personally responsible for getting the ball rolling before the bodies had even been removed from Norris Hall.
I am really angry about this. I am really angry with the media. I know that my opinion is not the end all and that I am not any kind of expert on all of this, but I am entitled to my opinion, just like they are. Fortunate for them, I am not in any kind of public relations personnel or connected with the university or police so that I would have to hold a press conference. It would probably be my last.
