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A day of mourning

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Also by Badger Herald Editorial Board:

A security fee-for-all (December 11, 2007)
Farewell, Chancellor (December 10, 2007)
$$FC (December 6, 2007)
In a bind (December 5, 2007)
Entitlement Town (December 4, 2007)

by Badger Herald Editorial Board

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

We are deeply saddened by the events that transpired on Virginia Tech's campus yesterday, and offer our condolences to the victims, their friends and families who have been touched by the tragedy.

At approximately 7:15 a.m. yesterday morning, a gunman opened fire in a dormitory, where he reportedly shot and killed two people. Almost two hours later, gunshots rang through yet another university building, this time killing 30. As of press time, 33 people were dead — including the gunman — and another 29 are suffering from injuries. While the details of the incident are still unfolding, the shooting is being coined as the deadliest in U.S. history and serves as a sobering reminder of a fellow human's capacity to do evil.

In light of this attack, it seems appropriate to remember that safety should never be presumed. It is becoming increasingly clear how important the role of a contingency plan played in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shootings, and we urge our own administration to evaluate our own methods of response, should a similar situation ever occur at the University of Wisconsin.

Students must also be kept informed about emergency response plans; the administration should make every effort to ensure that students feel safe on campus and confident in the ability of the local officials to protect them in a crisis.

Dean of Students Lori Berquam told a Badger Herald reporter that UW students who feel particularly affected by the Virginia shootings should not hesitate to contact her office or the university's 24-hour crisis line at 265-6565.

The mourning process following the Virginia Tech shootings has only just begun, and we offer our deepest sympathies to the campus community and anyone linked to this tragedy.

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Anonymous (April 17, 2007 @ 10:40am):

Here's an unbelievable response to the shooting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDsFAqAcH7o

Anonymous (April 17, 2007 @ 1:24pm):

"Students must also be kept informed about emergency response plans; the administration should make every effort to ensure that students feel safe on campus and confident in the ability of the local officials to protect them in a crisis."

Why all this talk about 'feelings'? Is it the university's responsibility to be a fear-mongering, gossip outlet? "So and so is pissed off at his ex-girlfriend. You'd better stay clear of him." Or "somebody threw a rock at Picnic Point, so we'd better close down the campus and institute a police state."

Somethings you just don't need to know about. When the media makes such a big hoopla, it courages others to seek attention through violence. You can't micro-manage everything in life, and it's impossible to be completely 'safe.' If we all acted so fearfully, we'd all still be hiding under our beds.

Of course, you need to watch out for yourself and your surroundings. And it's sad when bad things seem to happen to innocent people. But, do you really want to be paranoid, always wondering if the guy next to you on the bus has a bomb?

Anonymous (April 17, 2007 @ 8:13pm):

I hate to say this, but to what has all the money for "homeland security" gone? Couldn't a terrorist, in the traditional sense, have bought a gun and done a similar massacre any where at any time? The "War on Terror" is a farce, because we've changed very little since 9/11. Secure airplanes, but not weapons...

Anonymous (April 17, 2007 @ 9:56pm):

1:24, the tone is a bit more cynical than I would go with, but I generally agree with you. It's not much of a life if you always go around living in fear.

Anonymous (April 17, 2007 @ 10:17pm):

"The "War on Terror" is a farce, because we've changed very little since 9/11. Secure airplanes, but not weapons..."

Actually, not all airplanes are secure. We still haven't closed all the loopholes for civil aviation. And what about our ports? We still only search about one out of every twenty shipping containers that come through our ports.

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