Shooting at Va Tech

[bsnyder]

There was absolutely no reason to show the videos other than ratings. I am outraged at NBC, because they had the option not to share this with anyone other than law enforcement. By putting it on their stations they made it available to everyone else.

So Yes they,NBC, are responsible. It serves no purpose to show it, except to hurt those already hurting.

Of course it was done for ratings. They could have easily cited the ongoing criminal investigation as a reason not to show the stuff.

Disneylover5 - my heart goes out to you, your son and your community.

 

[mitushib]

Do you seriously think the news is trying to make him into some kind of hero?

I don't think there is a single person watching the news right now going "Wow, he's my hero".

Oh he is the hero of every insane guy out there for the attention he is getting. How he is on every channel. Studies has proved tha glorifying the killer or giving him undue attention will result in a lot of copycats and it is happening. Yesterday a texas college was evacuated, today north brunswick NJ school got a shooting threat and got evacuated same someplace in CA.

Every wacko prankter is now leading law enforcment to a merry dance at laughing at their expense.

Plus it is disturbing to parents of the victim, survivors and general public. I do not wanna see him in his vest pointing a gun at me.

 

[Scraper]

Wow if you are setting near someone watching this and they think this guy is a Hero you need to let some one in the health field know. I believe that it might be a good thing that they show this so that teachers and people in health care can maybe not let the next person like him on the streets. That maybe we can all learn that if you know someone like this try and do something about it.

 

[Msslaydbug]

What a moving picture

 

[Planogirl]

I have mixed feelings about the video being shown. It's creepy and disturbing yet I think it teaches people that anyone can go nuts and turn into this type of monster. Forewarned is forearmed?

I do think that they could have waited a bit though.

 

[Colson39]

First off, I meant normal people watching the news aren't sitting there going "Wow, this guy is my hero". Which was the point that was being made, which couldn't be farther from the truth. Of course psychos are going to find him as their hero, but that has nothing to do with the news.

And once again, WHY are people blaming NBC and saying they are outraged at NBC? Don't you realize that Foxnews, ABC News, CNN, MSNBC, all 4 of my local tv network stations, Drudge Report, liberal, conservative, middle of the roads news, they are ALL showing this video.

If Fox had gotten this they would have shown it. If CNN had gotten they would have shown it. If the BBC had gotten it they would have shown it. It's a newsworthy item, and it is the news. If you don't want to watch it, you can change the channel.

Every time something like this happens, people blame the news for glorifying the attacker. Everyone claims that they're giving the attacker exactly what they wanted, notoriety. Does no one realize that the attacker ALREADY got the notoriety just by committing the act? It's not like anyone hadn't heard about this story, or hadn't heard who had committed it, or hadn't seen his picture. They are reporting the news, because that is what they are, news agencies.

You're blaming them for doing their jobs. If they never showed the attacker, or his name, then people would complain "Why won't they tell us who did this?". You can't please everyone. Police agencies would have eventually released these tapes to the news, had they been sent them instead, since they contain nothing overly "graphic" (unlike the Columbine videos).

I know news agencies do it for ratings. NBC does it, CNN does it, Fox does it, everyone does it. But they also do things to report the news. This is THE story of this year so far, and it's going to be in the news for weeks, months, and years. We live in a day and age of 24 hour news channels, where you can get almost real time updates on both the television and the internet. No one forces you to watch the news, and there are thousands of outlets from where you can get your information. If you don't like one, choose another. Just don't blame them for actually reporting news.

 

[DaGrumpy]

Deleted post, sorry posted under my fiance's name...

 

[Forevryoung]

As an advocate for people with mental illness, I fear for their futures and the backlash against them. Fighting the stigma of having a mental illness is difficult enough and horrific events such as this, only increase the stigma and fear of the general public.

In your quest for information, support, peace, and hope, please read the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill's (NAMI) statement regarding the massacre. Included in their brief statement are two reports regarding mental illness and violence.

www.nami.org

May the "system" not turn against all those who have a mental illness out of fear. May this bring to light the weaknesses in the current mental health system and strengthen them, with the assistance of those who use or need the system.

The current "system" often fails those who want help, how can it provide for those who don't seek it?

 

[2angelsinheaven]

So many questions left unaswered and whom knows if they ever will be. I am on the fence about the video, I do however believe it might have been too soon. But in the tech world we live in and most people's need for attention I bet you it would have leaked and gotten around even if NBC chose not to air it this evening.
For all of those affected by this my heart goes out to you.
And for all those whose families have been touched by this type of violence in the past we are thinking of you as well as I'm sure this must be hard to see.
Stay Strong!

 

[Green Tea]

disneylover5: May I ask you a question? You are in a group of people I have wondered about over the last few days. Will your son still accept his spot at Tech? With this tragedy occuring just before the May 1 commit date, I have thought about how this might affect the university's admissions yield. I have a junior in hs. My husband and I talked about this; we think it could happen anywhere and it wouldn't keep us from allowing our student to go to his intended college. But, I wonder how others, actually facing the decision right now feel.

Will parents be satisfied with how the administration handled the events of the day? Will students transfer or decide not to attend based on fears of safety?

 

[Green Tea]

I have no problem with NBC showing the information they received from the killer. IMO, it was news. It might not be something I personally wanted to watch, but I don't want to see the roadside bomb aftermath in Iraq either. Their job is to report the events of the day, and I think they did just that. If the public felt the media was withholding information, there would be outrage. They did warn ahead of what was going to be seen.

It was disturbing, but IMO, it was news.

 

[DISUNC]

Disgustingly enough--you can actually view his "manifesto" in his own words on the NBC website.
I don't know why I am in disbelief that they are actually sharing all of this.

They arent sharing all of it. They only have parts of the 'manifesto' online. I just watched the newscast online. Anchor Brian Williams did mention that they are not showing all, specifically since they dont want copycats, etc.

 

[DISUNC]

Does it look like the pictures/video were taken by Cho himself, or would there have to have been someone capturing the images? Any guesses based on the angle, etc?

NBC news said that is the first thing everyone there thought. To me it looks like someone helped him take the pics and video.

Here is a quote from the website....

'The remaining 27 video clips total 24 minutes, ranging in length from 16 seconds to six minutes, all of them apparently recorded with a basic digital camera, a Kodak EasyShare DX4530 Zoom, with a $399 manufacturer's suggested retail price. None was time-coded, but some things can be determined. "

I have the same camera, it does have a self timer. Many of the pics look like they were either on a tripod or if someone took the pic they were standing taller then him.

 

[DISUNC]

First off, I meant normal people watching the news aren't sitting there going "Wow, this guy is my hero". Which was the point that was being made, which couldn't be farther from the truth. Of course psychos are going to find him as their hero, but that has nothing to do with the news.

And once again, WHY are people blaming NBC and saying they are outraged at NBC? Don't you realize that Foxnews, ABC News, CNN, MSNBC, all 4 of my local tv network stations, Drudge Report, liberal, conservative, middle of the roads news, they are ALL showing this video.

If Fox had gotten this they would have shown it. If CNN had gotten they would have shown it. If the BBC had gotten it they would have shown it. It's a newsworthy item, and it is the news. If you don't want to watch it, you can change the channel.

Every time something like this happens, people blame the news for glorifying the attacker. Everyone claims that they're giving the attacker exactly what they wanted, notoriety. Does no one realize that the attacker ALREADY got the notoriety just by committing the act? It's not like anyone hadn't heard about this story, or hadn't heard who had committed it, or hadn't seen his picture. They are reporting the news, because that is what they are, news agencies.

You're blaming them for doing their jobs. If they never showed the attacker, or his name, then people would complain "Why won't they tell us who did this?". You can't please everyone. Police agencies would have eventually released these tapes to the news, had they been sent them instead, since they contain nothing overly "graphic" (unlike the Columbine videos).

I know news agencies do it for ratings. NBC does it, CNN does it, Fox does it, everyone does it. But they also do things to report the news. This is THE story of this year so far, and it's going to be in the news for weeks, months, and years. We live in a day and age of 24 hour news channels, where you can get almost real time updates on both the television and the internet. No one forces you to watch the news, and there are thousands of outlets from where you can get your information. If you don't like one, choose another. Just don't blame them for actually reporting news.

Unfortunatly this is todays news. It is the reporters responsibility to present what they know for a fact. I applaud them for presenting whatever they do....Personally I think they hold back way too much.

Most people do want to know "What made this guy tick?" Why did anybody notice or do anything about him...etc. There are millions of questions being asked by everybody. Seeing the excerpts from video's explains this 1000 times better than reading about it.

 

[mirthmaiden]

Oh he is the hero of every insane guy out there for the attention he is getting. How he is on every channel. Studies has proved tha glorifying the killer or giving him undue attention will result in a lot of copycats and it is happening. Yesterday a texas college was evacuated, today north brunswick NJ school got a shooting threat and got evacuated same someplace in CA.

Every wacko prankter is now leading law enforcment to a merry dance at laughing at their expense.

Plus it is disturbing to parents of the victim, survivors and general public. I do not wanna see him in his vest pointing a gun at me.

I am a distance learning student so it didn't affect me as much, but somebody phoned in a threat to ODU's main campus last night saying there would be a shooting Either sick copycat or I be surprised if it was even a student who didn't want to take a test or something.

 

[mirthmaiden]

disneylover5: May I ask you a question? You are in a group of people I have wondered about over the last few days. Will your son still accept his spot at Tech? With this tragedy occuring just before the May 1 commit date, I have thought about how this might affect the university's admissions yield. I have a junior in hs. My husband and I talked about this; we think it could happen anywhere and it wouldn't keep us from allowing our student to go to his intended college. But, I wonder how others, actually facing the decision right now feel.

Will parents be satisfied with how the administration handled the events of the day? Will students transfer or decide not to attend based on fears of safety?

My DSD is a freshman at VT. She lives in W. AJ on the 6th floor. She has no fears of going back to class. And her younger sister just got accepted for the fall and is still planning to attend.

I agree that this type of event could occur anywhere. It is not specific to VT, or even college. A person like that will find a way to explode no matter what his/her circumstances are. I think it's good to take a hard look at security measures everywhere, but to change schools because of this would be overreacting a bit IMO.

 

[DISUNC]

My DSD is a freshman at VT. She lives in W. AJ on the 6th floor. She has no fears of going back to class. And her younger sister just got accepted for the fall and is still planning to attend.

I agree that this type of event could occur anywhere. It is not specific to VT, or even college. A person like that will find a way to explode no matter what his/her circumstances are. I think it's good to take a hard look at security measures everywhere, but to change schools because of this would be overreacting a bit IMO.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

i am sick to death of seeing this guys face all over the news. the news is making him into some kind of hero by plastering his face all over the place. it's obnoxious.

A hero? Really? What news are you watching to come to that conclusion?

 

[Geoff_M]

A hero? Really? What news are you watching to come to that conclusion?

No, the poster is correct (though I'm not blaming NBC for showing the clips). To the VT shooter the Columbine shooters were "heros" and I have no doub that in a few locations around the US there are people that are watching the VT killer videos and thinking to themselves, as sick as it sounds to the rest of us, "Yeah! Right on! Those rich kids had it coming! I can relate to what he was feeling!"

 

[Fitswimmer]

No, the poster is correct (though I'm not blaming NBC for showing the clips). To the VT shooter the Columbine shooters were "heros" and I have no doub that in a few locations around the US there are people that are watching the VT killer videos and thinking to themselves, as sick as it sounds to the rest of us, "Yeah! Right on! Those rich kids had it coming! I can relate to what he was feeling!"

There was a psychologist on one of the NBC shows I was watching yesterday that made exactly that point. (I don't recall if it was the local guys or the national one. ) Everytime the killer gets his views heard on TV, it sends a message to others with similar issues-"That's how to get people to listen to me!" It's a difficult line to walk because everyone wants to know WHY, but that perspective does make sense to me.