Unless you've been living under a rock, you have probably heard about the Virginia Tech shooting that occurred yesterday.  I followed the story all day yesterday from the time they confirmed one person was dead, all the way up until this morning when they confirmed 33 dead and 27 more injured.  Among the 33 dead is the gunman who committed suicide.  It's the worst shooting massacre in US history.  It's an especially stark reality check for those of us who work, attend class, and live on a college campus because you think about how these kids were just starting their Monday morning just like we did.  And with about 43,000 people on my campus, it's not a stretch to think that there's one person in there who will one day just snap and cause a similar tragedy.

I think the part of this story that has shocked and startled me the most, however, is the reaction, both local and global, to what happened.  Almost immediately, students and family at Virginia Tech began attacking the college officials, claiming that not enough was done to protect and inform them.  They have suggested a lock down should have been intiated.  A lock down where?  How?  There are many buildings on campus to be checked and locked.  Many people were already out walking around on campus, how do you quickly round them all up?  Many students were still sleeping and faculty driving in to work.  How do you inform and protect everyone?  And there was a two hour break between the time when the gunman shot 2 people in the dorm and when he starting shooting in a classroom in a different building. How were officials supposed to predict and prevent that?

And while, yes, America does have its problems, the global cold shoulder and scoldings we are receiving are deplorable.  At a time when so people are grieving, is it really necessary that other countries shrug and say, "Told you so."  In the London Times it basically said that we don't have the right to be upset that this happened here because of America's gun culture and how these things never happen in London because they got tough on guns.  Well, I'm so glad to hear that Britain is so safe, perhaps we should all move there where no one ever dies in sensless, violent attacks, like say, oh, I don't know, in bus or subway bombings.

Anyway, just needed to get that out.