something that matters...
written by a friend with a point:
So I am sure that we are all saddened to hear the news of the tragedy that took place at Virginia Tech a few days ago. For those of you that do not know a student named Cho Seung Hui, who was a senior at the university went on a shooting spree and killed 32 students. Some students were simply shot, others were made to line up against a wall before before being shot.
If you haven't heard about this I urge you to turn off your Explosions in The Sky cd or stop whatever your doing for a few minutes and look up some information on this.
If you do know something about what took place, maybe you are as confused as I am about why it took two hours for news of the first shooting to reach the other students. Why was the news sent in an e-mail? Why wasn't the campus closed down?
I am both horrified and saddened by the horrible acts humans are able to commit. What gets me more, is the seemingly sad truth that people mostly only come together during a tragedy. The invisible barrier that separates you and I, or the anonymous person you pass everyday and never say hello to for whatever reason has most likely vanquished somewhat. Wherever you go, on the El or in some place of business people will probably be talking about this. All with their own opinions. Some blaming the killer, some blaming Asians etc. I am very sad, both for the killer who felt he had nowhere to go, and for the senseless violence and lives lost. What does it say about us, not just Virginia Tech, but us as a community, when signs and symptoms of a seriously troubled person are ignored? Remember when 9/11 happened? Remember Columbine? Sometimes it seems people ignore tragedy, ignore unsightly things until they can't anymore, until it blows up in their own backyard.
Did you also know that while 32 precious lives have been lost, more than 150 Iraqi's have died from a string of car bombs? I'm not comparing numbers or nationalities of lives I'm just pointing out,things are happening everywhere.
While I'm worried about not having time to get coffee in the morning people are dying. I make myself sick with myself sometimes. Maybe you do too?
Even now as I'm writing this I have to fight to not start crying as I hear the people around me laugh and talk about what was on t.v. last night, or who fucked who.
How does one make a difference? How does one do their part to stop the violence?
Sorry for being so long winded. Anyway, below are a list of some of the victims that were shot at Virginia Tech. Please just read a few names from the list of the dead below. Do it as an act of community. It can make a change. Please forward this so others can read the list and honor the people lost, because even that, however small an act, is doing something.
-Patrick
Lives Lost
Ross Abdallah Alameddine, 20, of Saugus, Mass., according to his mother, Lynnette Alameddine.
Christopher James Bishop, 35, according to Darmstadt University of Technology in Germany, where he helped run an exchange program.
Brian Bluhm, 25, formerly of Detroit, according to friend Michael Marshall. His death was announced before a Detroit-Kansas City baseball game.
Ryan Clark, 22, of Martinez, Ga., biology and English major, according to Columbia County Coroner Vernon Collins.
Austin Cloyd, age unknown, an international studies major from Blacksburg, Va., according to Terry Harter, senior pastor at First United Methodist Church in Champaign, Ill., where Cloyd and her family lived before moving to Blacksburg.
Jocelyne Couture-Nowak, age unknown, a French instructor, according to her husband, Jerzy Nowak, the head of the horticulture department at Virginia Tech.
Daniel Perez Cueva, 21, killed in his French class, according to his mother, Betty Cueva, of Peru.
Kevin Granata, age unknown, engineering science and mechanics professor, according to Ishwar K. Puri, the head of the engineering science and mechanics department.
Matthew G. Gwaltney, 24, of Chester, Va., a graduate student in civil and environmental engineering, according to his father and stepmother, Greg and Linda Gwaltney.
Caitlin Hammaren, 19, of Westtown, N.Y., a sophomore majoring in international studies and French, according to Minisink Valley, N.Y., school officials who spoke with Hammaren's family.
Jeremy Herbstritt, 27, of Bellefonte, Pa., according to Penn State University, his alma mater and his father's employer.
Rachael Hill, 18, of Glen Allen, Va., according to her father, Guy Hill.
Emily Jane Hilscher, a 19-year-old freshman from Woodville, according to Rappahannock County Administrator John W. McCarthy, a family friend.
Jarrett L. Lane, according to Riffe's Funeral Service Inc. in Narrows, Va.
Matthew J. La Porte, 20, a freshman from Dumont, N.J., according to Dumont Police Chief Brian Venezio.
Liviu Librescu, 76, engineering science and mathematics lecturer, according to Puri.
G.V. Loganathan, 51, civil and environmental engineering professor, according to his brother G.V. Palanivel.
Partahi Lumbantoruan, 34, of Indonesia, civil engineering doctoral student, according to Kristiarto Legowo, a spokesman for the Indonesian foreign ministry.
Lauren McCain, 20, of Hampton, Va., international studies major, according to a statement from the family.
Daniel O'Neil, 22, of Rhode Island, according to close friend Steve Craveiro and according to Eric Cardenas of Connecticut College, where O'Neil's father, Bill, is director of major gifts.
Juan Ramon Ortiz, a 26-year-old graduate student in engineering from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, according to his wife, Liselle Vega Cortes.
Minal Panchal, 26, a first-year building science student from Mumbai, India, according to foreign ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna.
Michael Pohle, 23, of Flemington, N.J., according to officials at his high school, Hunterdon Central High.
Julia Pryde, age unknown, a graduate student from Middletown, N.J. according to Virginia Tech professor Saied Mostaghimi, chairman of the biological systems and engineering department.
Mary Karen Read, 19, of Annandale, Va. according to her aunt, Karen Kuppinger, of Rochester, N.Y.
Reema J. Samaha, 18, a freshman from Centreville, Va., according to her family.
So I am sure that we are all saddened to hear the news of the tragedy that took place at Virginia Tech a few days ago. For those of you that do not know a student named Cho Seung Hui, who was a senior at the university went on a shooting spree and killed 32 students. Some students were simply shot, others were made to line up against a wall before before being shot.
If you haven't heard about this I urge you to turn off your Explosions in The Sky cd or stop whatever your doing for a few minutes and look up some information on this.
If you do know something about what took place, maybe you are as confused as I am about why it took two hours for news of the first shooting to reach the other students. Why was the news sent in an e-mail? Why wasn't the campus closed down?
I am both horrified and saddened by the horrible acts humans are able to commit. What gets me more, is the seemingly sad truth that people mostly only come together during a tragedy. The invisible barrier that separates you and I, or the anonymous person you pass everyday and never say hello to for whatever reason has most likely vanquished somewhat. Wherever you go, on the El or in some place of business people will probably be talking about this. All with their own opinions. Some blaming the killer, some blaming Asians etc. I am very sad, both for the killer who felt he had nowhere to go, and for the senseless violence and lives lost. What does it say about us, not just Virginia Tech, but us as a community, when signs and symptoms of a seriously troubled person are ignored? Remember when 9/11 happened? Remember Columbine? Sometimes it seems people ignore tragedy, ignore unsightly things until they can't anymore, until it blows up in their own backyard.
Did you also know that while 32 precious lives have been lost, more than 150 Iraqi's have died from a string of car bombs? I'm not comparing numbers or nationalities of lives I'm just pointing out,things are happening everywhere.
While I'm worried about not having time to get coffee in the morning people are dying. I make myself sick with myself sometimes. Maybe you do too?
Even now as I'm writing this I have to fight to not start crying as I hear the people around me laugh and talk about what was on t.v. last night, or who fucked who.
How does one make a difference? How does one do their part to stop the violence?
Sorry for being so long winded. Anyway, below are a list of some of the victims that were shot at Virginia Tech. Please just read a few names from the list of the dead below. Do it as an act of community. It can make a change. Please forward this so others can read the list and honor the people lost, because even that, however small an act, is doing something.
-Patrick
Lives Lost
Ross Abdallah Alameddine, 20, of Saugus, Mass., according to his mother, Lynnette Alameddine.
Christopher James Bishop, 35, according to Darmstadt University of Technology in Germany, where he helped run an exchange program.
Brian Bluhm, 25, formerly of Detroit, according to friend Michael Marshall. His death was announced before a Detroit-Kansas City baseball game.
Ryan Clark, 22, of Martinez, Ga., biology and English major, according to Columbia County Coroner Vernon Collins.
Austin Cloyd, age unknown, an international studies major from Blacksburg, Va., according to Terry Harter, senior pastor at First United Methodist Church in Champaign, Ill., where Cloyd and her family lived before moving to Blacksburg.
Jocelyne Couture-Nowak, age unknown, a French instructor, according to her husband, Jerzy Nowak, the head of the horticulture department at Virginia Tech.
Daniel Perez Cueva, 21, killed in his French class, according to his mother, Betty Cueva, of Peru.
Kevin Granata, age unknown, engineering science and mechanics professor, according to Ishwar K. Puri, the head of the engineering science and mechanics department.
Matthew G. Gwaltney, 24, of Chester, Va., a graduate student in civil and environmental engineering, according to his father and stepmother, Greg and Linda Gwaltney.
Caitlin Hammaren, 19, of Westtown, N.Y., a sophomore majoring in international studies and French, according to Minisink Valley, N.Y., school officials who spoke with Hammaren's family.
Jeremy Herbstritt, 27, of Bellefonte, Pa., according to Penn State University, his alma mater and his father's employer.
Rachael Hill, 18, of Glen Allen, Va., according to her father, Guy Hill.
Emily Jane Hilscher, a 19-year-old freshman from Woodville, according to Rappahannock County Administrator John W. McCarthy, a family friend.
Jarrett L. Lane, according to Riffe's Funeral Service Inc. in Narrows, Va.
Matthew J. La Porte, 20, a freshman from Dumont, N.J., according to Dumont Police Chief Brian Venezio.
Liviu Librescu, 76, engineering science and mathematics lecturer, according to Puri.
G.V. Loganathan, 51, civil and environmental engineering professor, according to his brother G.V. Palanivel.
Partahi Lumbantoruan, 34, of Indonesia, civil engineering doctoral student, according to Kristiarto Legowo, a spokesman for the Indonesian foreign ministry.
Lauren McCain, 20, of Hampton, Va., international studies major, according to a statement from the family.
Daniel O'Neil, 22, of Rhode Island, according to close friend Steve Craveiro and according to Eric Cardenas of Connecticut College, where O'Neil's father, Bill, is director of major gifts.
Juan Ramon Ortiz, a 26-year-old graduate student in engineering from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, according to his wife, Liselle Vega Cortes.
Minal Panchal, 26, a first-year building science student from Mumbai, India, according to foreign ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna.
Michael Pohle, 23, of Flemington, N.J., according to officials at his high school, Hunterdon Central High.
Julia Pryde, age unknown, a graduate student from Middletown, N.J. according to Virginia Tech professor Saied Mostaghimi, chairman of the biological systems and engineering department.
Mary Karen Read, 19, of Annandale, Va. according to her aunt, Karen Kuppinger, of Rochester, N.Y.
Reema J. Samaha, 18, a freshman from Centreville, Va., according to her family.