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Clueless At Va. Tech
IBD ^ | August 30, 2007

Posted on 08/30/2007 5:12:48 PM PDT by Kaslin

Public Safety: A governor's report on the Virginia Tech shootings says earlier warnings might have helped reduce the carnage. It says nothing about VT's complicity in denying the murdered their right to self-defense.


After the release of Virginia Tech's internal review of the shooting spree in April that left 33 dead, it was hard to imagine a more clueless document on the tragedy being released. But the report released Wednesday by an eight-member panel headed by Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine takes the prize.

VT's review called on police, counselors and other university personnel to monitor students whose behavior might indicate they pose a threat. It also recommended internal locks on classroom doors and Internet-based message boards to transmit warnings.

Why it took four months to come up with a report that starts with a grasp of the obvious and concludes everyone did the best they could is beyond us. Fact is, everyone didn't do the best they could.

"Warning the students, faculty and staff might have made a difference," the governor's panel wrote. "So the earlier and clearer the warning, the more chance an individual had of surviving." That's the panel's advice: Tell people to run and hide earlier.

(Excerpt) Read more at ibdeditorials.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: cho; kaine; vatech; virginiatech
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1 posted on 08/30/2007 5:12:49 PM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin
Excellent analysis of the report.
2 posted on 08/30/2007 5:16:18 PM PDT by Uncle Hal
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To: Kaslin
Surely VT officials knew that in January 2002, when a professor and a student were killed on the nearby campus of the Appalachian School of Law, two of the three students who overpowered the gunman before he could kill more innocent victims were armed.

Worth repeating.

3 posted on 08/30/2007 5:29:52 PM PDT by TennesseeProfessor
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To: Kaslin

It is idiots like those represented by the panel that will be the death of us all.


4 posted on 08/30/2007 5:31:36 PM PDT by Texas_Jarhead
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To: Kaslin
We do not need "gun-free" zones that are gun-free for everyone except the predator.

But if some of the others students or faculty had been armed and had tried to shoot back, someone might have been hurt.

5 posted on 08/30/2007 5:44:24 PM PDT by Logophile
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To: Kaslin

These same idiots at VT are hosting the thug rapper, NAS, at a free campus concert. I just watched the segment on BOR, and this guy’s got a GUN CONVICTION.

Academics need to be held criminally responsible for the bad things that happen to students because of the PC mindset of the complete morons who run those places. Some of the 88 Duke professors should do jail time for incite to riot against the Duke LAX boys.


6 posted on 08/30/2007 5:44:36 PM PDT by ishabibble (ALL-AMERICAN INFIDEL)
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To: TennesseeProfessor
Surely VT officials knew that in January 2002, when a professor and a student were killed on the nearby campus of the Appalachian School of Law, two of the three students who overpowered the gunman before he could kill more innocent victims were armed.

Worth repeating.

Pathetic as it seems, they might not have known. News coverage of the law school shooting minimized the armed students' response. IIRC, some of the reporting left it out completely.

7 posted on 08/30/2007 5:54:04 PM PDT by Bob
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To: Bob

News has become cruel melodrama.

I seek to make the lives of newscasters boring.

When fools do petty cruel things, I ignore them.

If the same people step to far out of line, I get a lawyer.

If they do not comply with the law of the land ,God hammers them.


8 posted on 08/30/2007 6:13:24 PM PDT by perseid 67 (God is great!)
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To: Kaslin
The locking mechanisms on the doors on the main entrance to Norris Hall were 60 years behind international building code standards.

This is an Engineering school ~ that failure is what kept the cops out and allowed the killer to gun down another dozen students.

Starting with the Board of Visitors and working down through the President to the folks responsible for replacing old and dangerous doors and locks I would expect no less than a couple of dozen resignations (and whatever else would appropriately follow).

No doubt it can all be sorted out in a ruinous lawsuit. First student's family to file one will receive all the pertinent info on building codes, doors and locks ~ I guarantee it. As a Virginia taxpayer I can do no less.

9 posted on 08/30/2007 6:19:05 PM PDT by muawiyah
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To: TennesseeProfessor
Surely VT officials knew that in January 2002, when a professor and a student were killed on the nearby campus of the Appalachian School of Law, two of the three students who overpowered the gunman before he could kill more innocent victims were armed.

Since that information was not widely reported in the MSM, the officials may not have known.

From http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1024078861416 :

John Lott of the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank in the District, says that there were more than 280 stories on the Grundy shootings during the week after the incident, but only four carried details about the law students being armed.

Reports that the students were armed were posted almost immediately after the shootings here on FR. I recall reading the FR accounts, and thinking "The MSM will not report this story accurately, it sounds too pro-gun." That's what happened.

10 posted on 08/30/2007 6:19:32 PM PDT by TChad
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To: TChad; TennesseeProfessor

FWIW, I believe the student at Appalachian School of Law was not carrying on campus. He was an off duty law officer and ran to get the weapon from his vehicle.


11 posted on 08/30/2007 6:58:31 PM PDT by Corin Stormhands (I drink coffee for your protection.)
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To: muawiyah

Since the liberal morons that run the school probably will not have to pay anything out of pocket when the huge lawsuits occur, they will not change their moronic thinking on this issue. Maybe a campaign to remind them that a crazed student might go after the top executives at the university because they denied him admission, student financing or even a class that he needed just might remind the top officials at VT that they could be next..............


12 posted on 08/30/2007 8:10:07 PM PDT by Stayfree (*************************Get your copy of The Fred Factor by David Gill at Capitol Hill Comedy.com)
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To: Kaslin

Dial 357 in case of danger. When the danger is gone, dial 911.


13 posted on 08/30/2007 8:50:01 PM PDT by wastedyears (Alright, hold tight, I'm a highway staaaaaaaaaaaaarrr)
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To: Kaslin

I believe it is Nightline that is doing a special right now?

This is the first I’ve learned that when Cho was in highschool, he was referred to counseling by the school because of his obsession with Columbine and his anti-social problems.

I’ve got an idea...how about colleges get notified about this sort of thing so they don’t wind up admitting mass murderers onto campus?


14 posted on 08/30/2007 8:58:20 PM PDT by Scotswife
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To: Bob

>>>IIRC, some of the reporting left it out completely.

even recently that’s been true


15 posted on 08/30/2007 10:39:15 PM PDT by angkor
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To: Scotswife

If I had kids going to college, I’d make sure they went with some training in Krav Maga as well as a defensive toolkit including several pepper sprays (Sabre Red .5 oz to 3 oz), a 65 to 90 lumen tactical flashlight (Surefire Executive Defender), some blunt hitting instruments (kubatons), and a very sharp but legal folding pocketknife (Spyderco Endura). Also a length of chain with a heavy Masterlock to keep attached to the backpack, “for your bike”, and some other very discreet but nasty items, all legal.

Finally the instruction “never leave home without three specific ways to defend yourself.”

Every time I think of VT, I keep going back to the very small amount of resistance against Cho, and almost no offensive resistance (aside from the one ROTC student who was killed). He did have the advantage of surprise, but if just a handful of these 50+ kids and teachers had some defensive training the outcome may have been a bit different.

Maybe.


16 posted on 08/31/2007 3:31:42 AM PDT by angkor
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To: Kaslin

‘Why it took four months to come up with a report that starts with a grasp of the obvious and concludes everyone did the best they could is beyond us.’

It shouldn’t be surprising, it takes that long to vett a report via political correctness.

As usual, you get ‘mush’ afterwards.


17 posted on 08/31/2007 5:54:10 AM PDT by Badeye (You know its a kook site when they ban the word 'kook')
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To: angkor

He never should have been on campus in the first place.
Mentally ill high schoolers who openly fantasize about mass murder should never be admitted to any campus anywhere.


18 posted on 08/31/2007 7:05:02 AM PDT by Scotswife
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To: Scotswife

If you turn down a student because you think he might shoot someone, you will end up in court.


19 posted on 08/31/2007 7:07:52 AM PDT by AppyPappy (If you aren't part of the solution, there is good money to be made prolonging the problem.)
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To: angkor

One problem is that he used two guns. He always kept one loaded. There were several people who tried to attack him They are dead.


20 posted on 08/31/2007 7:10:11 AM PDT by AppyPappy (If you aren't part of the solution, there is good money to be made prolonging the problem.)
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