Not destined to be added to the pantheon of inspirational proclamations.
Initial reports seemed to indicate that the students and professors were simply cowering in fear or running for their lives and that the shooter faced no opposition at all. This article indicates that some did try to stop him by blocking access to classrooms at considerable personal risk and there was a line about one man who apparently died trying to attack the murderer.
One of the more disturbing aspects of this has been a perception that these young men and women were “passive” and simply allowed themselves to be butchered like so many cattle. This piece states rather clearly that in fact these people reacted like a group under such duress would pretty much be expected to react. Some ran, some hid and a few put up as much fight as they could.
It also indicates that the shooter had some skill with firearms. He didn’t just spray bullets but aimed deliberately while at the same time keeping on the move and keeping his back covered. Unarmed people would have little chance in the circumstances.
What happened to the spirit that said “that was the hill I chose to die defending”?
I’m no fan of the Post, but this is an excellent piece.
Good video from ABC
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/VATech/story?id=3056168&page=1
Powerful piece.... The experience must have been just terrifying. I wish someone else had had a gun.
I don’t want to be critical of people who were terrified for their lives, but I’m amazed that a couple of people didn’t rush this guy and disarm him. I saw a training tape excerpt for high schoolers that showed them throwing books and phones and everything on their desk at a “terrorist” that burst into their classroom. My prayers go out to all who lived through the VT massacre and their families and friends. I hope that people will demand greater freedoms for lawful gun owners and that institutions will train student volunteers to carry arms and be ready to respond to campus threats.
I read the whole thing....very good reporting. A horrifc day.
If a gunman came in through the front door of a classroom there are going to be desks between you and the shooter. And the people in front are going to be dropping to the floor. The guys will usually sit at the back of the classroom. The shooter was obviously a very good with a handgun too. For most of them, there would not have been much of an opportunity to fight back.
That is a VERY well-done piece. Possibly Pulitzer quality, IMO. (Not that a Pulitzer means jack anymore, considering that the AJC’s resident victim-pimp, Cynthia Tucker, just won one.)
}:-)4
More importantly Cho...so did you.
This is an EXCELLENT read.
Okay, this account has finally prompted me to ask why we have created a generation of sheep instead of men?
Surely, diving for cover, flipping desks if necessary, then, flinging books, laden backpacks and other heavy objects at Cho once one was under some kind of cover should have been the order of the day. The survivors accounts, including those of the magnificent heroism of Prof. Librescu, make it clear that ‘bar the door’ was the only though of defense, and there seems to have been no counterattack.
A French book to the head is no where near as lethal as a 9mm bullet, but it could have provided an opening for a desk to the head which would be.
You know with all the video the MSM showed, they should have also shown a picture of his blow up face. Kind of like adding the most important part. .... which is how you will finish when you do this.
No time given when the police entered the building.
Somebody really needed to get this dude drunk about 300 times. Then maybe get him a hooker.
They told this to the kids jumping out the windows?