Artist's Comments We were supposed to do a project either showing ourselves perceptually or in response to the Virginia Tech shootings. Since I already have a self-portrait for pretty much every year of my life, I decided to do the latter. After watching the Cho footage and some other student-captured footage on YouTube, I tried to think of the different reactions people might have and sketched out a rough group of people. I ended up adding some more words later. I also added some newspaper clippings related to the shootings. The puzzle pieces represent a concept I was thinking about. Originally I had come up with "Nobody wants to have a view of the world with pieces that are missing, just like no one is satisfied with a puzzle that can't be completed" in regards to the importance of protecting endangered species, but it works here too... think about all the families and friends that lost someone close to them in the blink of an eye. Now there are empty spaces in their lives where those people should have been, but now aren't because of this... Yeah, cheesey, but I like my analogy. I threw in some silver you can't see for all the black. All the eyes are either orange or maroon (the school's colors) as well as a few of the puzzle pieces. I admit I rushed, but the teacher liked it, but then this one student who likes to give me (and only me, apparently) constructive criticism all the time said the two figures on the left were the same height and took away from the rest of the drawing, and that they should be cropped out. I've looked at it and I -guess- I see what he means, but I like the composition like it is, honestly, and the girl about to pray (who reminds me of Kraehe from Princess Tutu) is one of my favorites), so... O_o And then everyone got into a big discussion over whether it took away from it or not and I just sat there and muttered "wow, we're arguing". Seriously... I think maybe he thinks I think too highly of my own work because the teacher praises me all the time (I really haven't liked much of the work I did in class at all, and always try to criticise myself - which doesn't work cuz Richard's always like "WTC?"). I liked Lindsay's and Scott's pieces. I really liked Lindsay's, it was way neat. Anyway, sorry for the IRL rant. =P Time: ...er... maybe 3.5 hours? I dunno. Not long in all honesty Materials: black and silver sharpies, markers, pencil (for sketch), newspaper clippings, charcoal, conte crayon (I actually sprayed this to seal; go me) About license: You may use this for noncommercial uses if you want, like if you were doing a video montage tribute to Virginia Tech or something. Just please 1) credit me and 2) do not change this image. None of my work should be used for any purpose unless it is stated that you can. -- Original submitted to deviantart.com on April 30, 2007: http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/54344293/ Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License.
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5
We were supposed to do a project either showing ourselves perceptually or in response to the Virginia Tech shootings. Since I already have a self-portrait for pretty much every year of my life, I decided to do the latter. After watching the Cho footage and some other student-captured footage on YouTube, I tried to think of the different reactions people might have and sketched out a rough group of people. I ended up adding some more words later. I also added some newspaper clippings related to the shootings. The puzzle pieces represent a concept I was thinking about. Originally I had come up with "Nobody wants to have a view of the world with pieces that are missing, just like no one is satisfied with a puzzle that can't be completed" in regards to the importance of protecting endangered species, but it works here too... think about all the families and friends that lost someone close to them in the blink of an eye. Now there are empty spaces in their lives where those people should have been, but now aren't because of this... Yeah, cheesey, but I like my analogy. I threw in some silver you can't see for all the black. All the eyes are either orange or maroon (the school's colors) as well as a few of the puzzle pieces. I admit I rushed, but the teacher liked it, but then this one student who likes to give me (and only me, apparently) constructive criticism all the time said the two figures on the left were the same height and took away from the rest of the drawing, and that they should be cropped out. I've looked at it and I -guess- I see what he means, but I like the composition like it is, honestly, and the girl about to pray (who reminds me of Kraehe from Princess Tutu) is one of my favorites), so... O_o And then everyone got into a big discussion over whether it took away from it or not and I just sat there and muttered "wow, we're arguing". Seriously... I think maybe he thinks I think too highly of my own work because the teacher praises me all the time (I really haven't liked much of the work I did in class at all, and always try to criticise myself - which doesn't work cuz Richard's always like "WTC?"). I liked Lindsay's and Scott's pieces. I really liked Lindsay's, it was way neat. Anyway, sorry for the IRL rant. Time: ...er... maybe 3.5 hours? I dunno. Not long in all honesty Materials: black and silver sharpies, markers, pencil (for sketch), newspaper clippings, charcoal, conte crayon (I actually sprayed this to seal; go me) Licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Drawn by Ellana
Permission: Creative Commons ryoushirogane@yahoo.com
Creado por Ignacio Duelo 24 de Abril del 2007, 7:26 PM La reciente desgracia en el Virginia Tech, de los Estados Unidos, dejÃ³ mucho para analizar. Lo que cabe aquÃ­, como reflexiÃ³n, es el papel activo de los tres polos de la crisis -el estudiante psicÃ³pata, los estudiantes afectados y la casa de estudios- para comunicarse por sus propios medios con el pÃºblico. El estudiante coreano tuvo la sangre frÃ­a, antes de proseguir su matanza y suicidarse, para hacer una filmaciÃ³n casera donde advertÃ­a de sus propÃ³sitos y sus motivos para llevar a cabo la matanza, y demostrÃ³ un manejo espeluznante de la situaciÃ³n. Este video, despuÃ©s de que Ã©l mismo lo enviara a la NBC, fue visto en todo el mundo a travÃ©s de innumerables medios, entre ellos You Tube. Por el lado de la universidad, tuvo reflejos rÃ¡pidos ante la crisis. Su rector, Charles W. Steger, explicÃ³ que no habÃ­an cerrado las puertas del campus mientras la masacre tenÃ­a lugar, debido a que tienen 26.000 estudiantes y no sabÃ­an muy bien quÃ© estaba ocurriendo, por lo cual no querÃ­an sobreactuar. Durante los acontecimientos, los estudiantes encerrados en sus habitaciones se comunicaban entre ellos a travÃ©s de chats, blogs y otros recursos online. A la vez, la universidad les habÃ­a enviado un e-mail a todos alertÃ¡ndolos de la situaciÃ³n. Pero lo que se destaca en la actuaciÃ³n del Virginia Tech es el uso de los medios comunitarios en la comunicaciÃ³n de crisis. Su sitio en Internet fue virtualmente reemplazado por otro con informaciÃ³n al instante sobre las Ãºltimas novedades, que ahora ya tiene una secciÃ³n "in memoriam" con los nombres de las vÃ­ctimas. TambiÃ©n se encuentra allÃ­ una serie de podcasts de las autoridades. Actualmente, la parte del sitio dedicada a este tema tiene un dominio propio. La ventaja de la Universidad de Virginia es, como hemos dicho en otra columna, su situaciÃ³n de vÃ­ctima frente al gran villano, que resultÃ³ ser el estudiante coreano. Otros actores secundarios pueden ser afectados por este suceso impredecible: uno es el presidente George W. Bush, quien tuvo que ratificar su postura favorable a la libre tenencia de armas de fuego y debiÃ³ comunicar su pesar por la masacre al mismo tiempo. Otro es Corea del Sur, paÃ­s del que era oriundo el asesino. Si bien es obvio que no hay responsabilidad de esa naciÃ³n (y que el maniÃ¡tico podrÃ­a haber venido de cualquier otro lugar), de todas maneras la marca-paÃ­s queda ligada a este episodio en el inconciente de muchos Â¿QuÃ© habrÃ­a sucedido si este estudiante hubiera sido nacido en una naciÃ³n del Islam? AdemÃ¡s, el debate sobre las licencias para la portaciÃ³n de armas, que tiene a dos grandes sectores de opiniÃ³n enfrentados, tambiÃ©n se ve matizado por este suceso. No han faltado quienes culpan a los videojuegos, la mÃºsica moderna y las pelÃ­culas violentas de instigar a los jÃ³venes a la violencia, y de llevar a episodios extremos como Ã©ste. Y los medios masivos, dice, son grandes responsables en este sentido. Para un observador del campo de la comunicaciÃ³n, el episodio constituye un caso que demuestra hasta quÃ© punto hay crisis que son impredecibles. Si la Universidad de Virginia tenÃ­a escrito un manual de procedimientos para crisis, dudo bastante que hubiera contemplado una matanza de estudiantes a manos de un loco. En segundo lugar, este caso ratifica hasta quÃ© punto el tiempo de resoluciÃ³n de una crisis se ha acotado, y cÃ³mo el control del mensaje es cada vez mÃ¡s difÃ­cil de mantener. Los medios comunitarios de primera y segunda generaciÃ³n (e-mails y celulares, blogs y grupos virtuales) se superponen con las comunicaciones institucionales de los organismos que antes monopolizaban la producciÃ³n y la distribuciÃ³n del mensaje, y lo que es peor, compiten con ellos en credibilidad y cercanÃ­a emocional -- Fuente Original: Â¿PODEMOS HABLAR? Reflexiones y aconteceres de la comunicaciÃ³n -Sitio en linea. http://podemoshablar.blogspot.com/2007/04/la-masacre-de-virginia-tech.html Derechos Reservados: Creative Commons AtribuciÃ³n 2.5 Argentina.
Creative Commons AtribuciÃ³n 2.5 Argentina
Virginia Tech: El profesor que se convirtiÃ³ en hÃ©roe
Publicado por Jose Kaulen C April 18, 2007, 10:03 PM La de a continuaciÃ³n, es una historia emocionante, llena de sentido y digna de admiraciÃ³n por parte de todos nosotros. In Memoriam Liviu Librescu. Liviu Librescu, un profesor de 76 aÃ±os y muy respetado ingeniero aeronÃ¡utico que enseÃ±Ã³ en Virginia Tech por 20 aÃ±os, salvÃ³ la vida de varios estudiantes bloqueando la puerta de su sala de clases antes de que fuera muerto a balazos en la masacre, de acuerdo a los e-mails enviados por los alumnos a su seÃ±ora. "Mi padre bloqueÃ³ la puerta con su cuerpo y les dijo a sus alumnos que escaparan" ha dicho su hijo, Joe Librescu, en una entrevista telefÃ³nica desde su casa en las afueras de Tel Aviv. AgregÃ³ ademÃ¡s que los "estudiantes comenzaron a abrir las ventanas y a saltar hacia afuera". En el campus, los estudiantes hablan sobre el arrojo de Librescu: "Ã‰l debiera ser reconocido como un hÃ©roe" dice el estudiante de Virginia Tech Philip Huffstetler ademÃ¡s de sentir "que estÃ¡n en una gran deuda con su familia por el resto de nuestras vidas". "Ã‰l es la razÃ³n de que el estudiante (Seung-Hui) no entrara y matara a mÃ¡s gente; obviamente es un hÃ©roe", dice Asal Arad, otro estudiante. Librescu supo de una vida difÃ­cil desde que era niÃ±o. Cuando Rumania se uniÃ³ a las fuerzas nazis en la Segunda Guerra Mundial, primero fue internado en un campo de trabajos forzados en Transnistria y luego deportado junto a su familia y miles de otros judÃ­os al ghetto central de Focsani. De acuerdo a un informe recopilado por el gobierno de Rumania en el 2004, entre 280 y 380 mil judÃ­os fueron asesinados por el rÃ©gimen rumano-nazi durante la guerra. Como un exitoso ingeniero durante el gobierno de postguerra comunista, Librescu encontrÃ³ trabajo en la agencia aeroespacial de Rumania, pero su carrera fue interrumpida en los 70's porque rechazÃ³ prestar juramento de obediencia al rÃ©gimen y finalmente fue despedido cuando pidiÃ³ autorizaciÃ³n para irse a Israel. De acuerdo con su hijo, despuÃ©s de aÃ±os de rechazo gubernamental, el primer ministro israelÃ­, Menachem Begin, intervino personalmente para que obtuviera el permiso de emigraciÃ³n para toda su familia. Se mudaron a Israel en 1978. Librescu deja Israel en 1985 para irse a Virginia en un aÃ±o sabÃ¡tico, pero terminarÃ­a quedÃ¡ndose. Joe Librescu estudiÃ³ en Virginia Tech entre 1989 y 1994. En Rumania, la comunidad acadÃ©mica lamenta profundamente la muerte de Librescu. "Es una gran pÃ©rdida" dijo Ecaterina Andronescu, rector de la Universidad PolitÃ©cnica de Bucarest, desde donde Librescu se graduÃ³ en 1953. "Tenemos una tremenda admiraciÃ³n por la forma en que reaccionÃ³ y defendiÃ³ a sus alumnos con su vida", agregÃ³. En la Universidad PolitÃ©cnica, donde Librescu recibiÃ³ un tÃ­tulo honorario en el 2000, su foto ha sido puesta sobre una mesa, junto a ella una vela encendida y las personas dejan flores alrededor. "Lo recordamos como un gran especialista en temas de aeronÃ¡utica. Deja cientos de importantes documentos", dice uno de los profesores, Nicolae Serban Tomescu. Librescu hizo muchas publicaciones y recibiÃ³ varios premios por sus trabajos. "Su trabajo fue en algÃºn sentido su vida", dijo Joe Librescu. Texto traducido desde Foxnews.com -- Fuente Original -- Realidades Varias a.k.a El Blog de Jose Kaulen http://josekaulen.wordpress.com/2007/04/18/virginia-tech-el-profesor-que-se-convirtio-en-heroe/ Derechos Reservados: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported.
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported
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è¯´ï¼Œ"æœ€è¿‘ï¼Œæˆ‘èº«è¾¹çš„æœ‹å‹éƒ½æ‹…å¿ƒï¼Œæˆ‘ä»¬ä¼šè¿›ä¸€æ­¥é­åˆ°å­¤ç«‹ã€‚" ã€€ã€€ä¸Ž1992å¹´æ´›æ‰çŸ¶ç§æ—éªšä¹±å‘ç”Ÿæ—¶ä¸€æ ·ï¼Œè¿™æ¬¡æ ¡å›­æžªå‡»æ¡ˆï¼Œä¸ä½†åœ¨éŸ©å›½äººå’Œç¾Žå›½ä¸»æµç¤¾ä¼šä¹‹é—´é€ æˆäº†æ–°çš„éš”é˜‚ï¼ŒåŒæ—¶ä¹Ÿåœ¨éŸ©å›½äººå’Œå…¶ä»–äºšè£”äººä¹‹é—´åˆ¶é€ å‡ºä¸å’Œè°çš„éŸ³ç¬¦ã€‚å‡¶æ‰‹èº«ä»½è¯å®žåŽï¼Œå¾ˆå¤šåœ¨ç¾Žäºšè£”ï¼Œçº·çº·è®¾æ³•å°†è‡ªå·±å’ŒéŸ©å›½äººåŒºåˆ†å¼€æ¥ã€‚é‡‘ç’è è¯´ï¼š"æˆ‘çœ‹åˆ°ï¼Œæœ‰äº›äºšè£”äººå°†ä¸€äº›å›¾æ ‡è´´åœ¨è¡£æœä¸Šï¼Œè¡¨æ˜Žè‡ªå·±ä¸æ˜¯éŸ©å›½äººã€‚""è¿™è®©æˆ‘æ„Ÿåˆ°å¾ˆç—›è‹¦ã€‚"é‡‘ç’è å¾ˆæ— å¥ˆåœ°è¯´ã€‚ -- Original Source:ã€ŠçŽ¯çƒäººç‰©ã€‹æ‚å¿— http://news.sina.com.cn/w/2007-04-28/184512890822.shtml
Creado por Carlos Albaladejo 18 de Abril del 2007 10:44 am Es la frase mÃ¡s repetida en las Ãºltimas horas en el sector educativo norteamericano. La triste noticia de la matanza provocada por un estudiante asiÃ¡tico en la universidad de Virginia Tech ha provocado reacciones a lo largo y ancho del paÃ­s: desde autoridades gubernamentales y universitarias hasta familiares y amigos pasando por las incontables respuestas aparecidas en tan poco tiempo en la Red. Hoy vamos a hablar de esto Ãºltimo, dado que la reacciÃ³n en la Red estÃ¡ siendo abrumadora, merece la pena decicarle un post al tema. Antes de ello, es inevitable descargar esa opiniÃ³n subjetiva que todos llevamos dentro, asÃ­ que tendrÃ¡n que perdonarme por el abuso del medio para expresar una opiniÃ³n personal. Entiendo que el derecho a tener un arma de fuego es un derecho fundamental recogido por la ConstituciÃ³n de los Estados Unidos, y que, por tanto, la conveniencia o no de ese derecho es un debate muy difÃ­cil. Nunca ha sido sencillo poner en tela de juicio parte de una ConstituciÃ³n, con todas las dudas, las polÃ©micas y las manifestaciones de uno y otro lado que se derivan de este tipo de discusones. Lo que no entiendo es por quÃ©, ante la dificultad de echar mano al motivo que se presenta como de mayor evidencia cada vez que algÃºn adolescente armado pierde la cabeza en EE.UU., se acaba arremetiendo siempre contra otros posibles motivos que a poco que se analicen caen por su propio peso. Me refiero a la continua acusaciÃ³n que se hace a los videojuegos violentos cada vez que ocurre una desgracia. En EspaÃ±a los adolescentes tambiÃ©n pasan muchas horas jugando a Grand Theft Auto, y ninguno de ellos se hace con un arma y dispara contra sus compaÃ±eros de clase. Sencillamente, porque en EspaÃ±a no es fÃ¡cil conseguir un arma. Recuerdo que cuando JosÃ© RabadÃ¡n asesinÃ³ a su familia con una katana en Murcia se hablÃ³ largo y tendido de la conveniencia de productos para adolescentes como Final Fantasy, pero el debate no durÃ³ demasiado tiempo, porque como era de esperar no se encontraron argumentos que justificaran el asesinato a travÃ©s de un videojuego. Finalmente, recuerdo tambiÃ©n las palabras de un buen amigo mÃ­o sobre los videojuegos violentos: "menos mal que existe Grand Theft Auto, si no pudiera liarme a puÃ±etazos en este videojuego cuando algo me enfada correrÃ­a el riesgo de querer intentarlo en la vida real". AhÃ­ queda eso, de nuevo disculpen por el abuso del espacio. Disertaciones morales aparte, es hora de volver al asunto principal de este post. Resulta conmovedor comprobar la ola de reacciones que la matanza ha provocado en la Red. A pesar de que no es la primera vez que una desgracia provoca un verdadero aluviÃ³n de movimientos en la Red (recuerden que en el caso de Katrina se encontraron vÃ­ctimas gracias al testimonio de algunos bloggers, o los vÃ­deos grabados con mÃ³viles durante los atentados en el metro de Londres en aquel 7J), sigue resultando conmovedor ver cÃ³mo una gran masa de usuarios se organiza a travÃ©s de la Red para expresar sus opiniones y condolencias. Por ejemplo, si entramos en Flickr y buscamos el tag "virginiatech", comprobaremos que hay una cantidad ingente de fotografÃ­as de muy diverso tiempo sobre la matanza. La mayorÃ­a de ellas ha sido publicada por alumnos de la universidad que han vivido de cerca la noticia. Collegiate Times, la publicaciÃ³n digital universitaria de Virginia Tech, estÃ¡ completamente volcado con la noticia estos dÃ­as. Resulta una buena fuente de informaciÃ³n, en la medida en que han dedicado todos sus esfuerzos en recoger reacciones a la tragedia. A travÃ©s de ella hemos podido saber que en Facebook (una comunidad virtual de universitarios, pronto les hablarÃ© de su equivalente espaÃ±ol) se ha registrado una cantidad ingente de reacciones. Hay mÃ¡s de 300 grupos sobre Virginia Tech. Uno de ellos, que pide un momento de silencio para las vÃ­ctimas, cuenta ya con mÃ¡s de 8.000 usuarios. Entre decenas de testimonios de estudiantes que estuvieron allÃ­, encontramos tambiÃ©n algÃºn grupo dedicado a lanzar un mensaje positivo: "estamos bien en VT". La rapidez con la que han aparecido blogs en memoria de las vÃ­ctimas es apabullante. Uno de ellos se ha llevado la palma mediÃ¡tica (OneDayBlogSilence), al tiempo que algÃºn que otro diario donde su autor recogÃ­a las impresiones vividas durante la matanza ha estado a punto de morir de Ã©xito (por culpa del conocido efecto slashdot). MenciÃ³n especial merece el profundo seguimiento de la dimensiÃ³n tecnolÃ³gica y social de la matanza que ha realizado la prestigiosa revista Wired: en su versiÃ³n digital no se les ha escapado ningÃºn detalle. Hablan de cÃ³mo el asesino habÃ­a anunciado la matanza en un sitio web de Virginia Tech, de cÃ³mo se han creado comunidades sobre VT en myspace, de cÃ³mo diferentes dominios relacionados con el nombre de Virginia Tech ya estÃ¡n en venta en eBay, etc. Finalmente, queda recordar el papel que los repositorios de vÃ­deo como Youtube han jugado en esta movilizaciÃ³n social. SegÃºn cuenta hoy el diario El Mundo, la bÃºsqueda "Virginia Tech Shooting" en Youtube arroja 777 resultados en este preciso instante. En la lista hay de todo: desde grabaciones caseras hasta cortes de televisiÃ³n pasando por reacciones en vÃ­deo a la matanza... Definitivamente Virginia Tech somos todos, pero tambiÃ©n es cierto que eso es lo que se dice siempre que hay un asesinato de determinada proyecciÃ³n social. Se lleva diciendo desde los peores tiempos de ETA, cuando Internet no tenÃ­a un papel relevante en las manifestaciones sociales. Ahora que la Red es el gran vehÃ­culo de nuestros mensajes, Virginia Tech somos todos. Potencial y realmente. -- Fuente Original: Educacion y Cultura - Sitio en Linea http://blogs.creamoselfuturo.com/educacion-y-cultura/2007/04/18/todos-somos-virginia-tech/ Derechos Reservados: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5.
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5
Cho Seung-Hui: lecciones para la educaciÃ³n
Creado por Luis Guerrero Ortiz Lima, 22 de Abril de 2007 3:00 PM Los hechos son por todos conocidos. Cho Seung-Hui, un estudiante sudcoreano de 23 aÃ±os, entrÃ³ el lunes 16 de abril en los dormitorios de la Universidad Virginia Tech, en Estados Unidos, y matÃ³ a 32 personas antes de suicidarse. En el PerÃº, los escolares y aÃºn los jÃ³venes que continÃºan estudios no tienen el fÃ¡cil acceso a armas de fuego que sÃ­ poseen sus pares en NorteamÃ©rica. Ese acceso libre y legalizado es considerado hoy como una de las causas principales de la masacre. Â¿Lo es en verdad? En una reciente encuesta, casi la mitad de los estadounidenses cree que las leyes sobre armas deberÃ­an ser mÃ¡s estrictas y el 87% afirma que la violencia asociada a su uso es un problema muy serio para su paÃ­s. Un tercio de ellos admite tener una en casa. TambiÃ©n se culpa a las autoridades por no haber hecho lo necesario para detectar y reprimir a tiempo a quien consideran un desquiciado, un anormal, un loco, mÃ¡s aÃºn cuando ha salido a luz su paso por un hospital psiquiÃ¡trico y su probable consumo de antidepresivos. Por eso las soluciones que hoy se promueven pasan por la restricciÃ³n legal a la venta de armas, el fortalecimiento de los servicios psicolÃ³gicos en los centros de estudios y, probablemente, por una mayor severidad en la selecciÃ³n de los postulantes, lo que podrÃ­a significar barreras especiales para el ingreso de inmigrantes, como Cho. Es posible que Cho Seung-Hui, en el extremo de sus perturbaciones, haya difuminado los lÃ­mites de la realidad, derribando las mÃ­nimas inhibiciones que suelen impedir a cualquier mortal pasar del odio o el rechazo -por muy justificado que fuese su origen- al acto criminal. Pero Cho era, ante todo, un inmigrante pobre. Se sabe que llegÃ³ con su familia de Corea del Sur en 1992, procedente de una zona muy pobre de SeÃºl, para habitar en los suburbios de Washington. Hasta entonces, no parece haber mostrado seÃ±ales de locura. Â«Nunca podrÃ­a haberme imaginado que Ã©l fuera capaz de tanta violencia -dijo uno de sus familiares. El fue alguien con quien crecÃ­ y a quien amÃ©. Ahora me siento como si no hubiera conocido a esta personaÂ». En otras palabras, si acaso habitaba un Mr. Hyde en el joven Cho, parece haberse despertado en NorteamÃ©rica. Cabe preguntarse entonces, de SeÃºl a Washington Â¿QuÃ© cambiÃ³ en la vida de este joven para haber oscurecido su mente de ese modo y haber llenado de tanto odio su corazÃ³n? Sus compaÃ±eros ponen el problema en Ã©l y lo definen como un sujeto extraÃ±o, callado, solitario y perturbado, que casi no hablaba con ellos ni los miraba a los ojos. Pero Cho, desde la otra orilla, ha dejado un testimonio distinto. Â«Me han acorralado en una esquina y me han dejado sÃ³lo una opciÃ³n, la decisiÃ³n fue de ustedesÂ» dijo en un video pÃ³stumo, para preguntarse despuÃ©s Â«Â¿Saben lo que se siente ser humillado y crucificado?Â». MÃ¡s allÃ¡ de cualquier hecho objetivo -la decisiÃ³n de apretar el gatillo fue solo suya en sentido estricto- este joven, que le gustaba firmar documentos e identificarse con un signo de interrogaciÃ³n, se percibÃ­a a sÃ­ mismo como un excluido. Â¿QuÃ© tiene que ocurrir para que un estudiante solitario, atrapado en su soledad, su angustia y su depresiÃ³n, pase a ser algo mÃ¡s que un alumno o, en el peor de los casos, un raro, en las impersonales rutinas acadÃ©micas de su centro de estudios? Si la pregunta fuese hecha en los Estados Unidos, la respuesta serÃ­a casi obvia: asesinar a sus profesores y a sus compaÃ±eros. Pero si nos lo preguntÃ¡ramos desde aquÃ­, donde el acceso a armas de fuego estÃ¡ mÃ¡s restringido y la banalizaciÃ³n de la muerte relativamente menos instalada en la cultura Â¿cuÃ¡les podrÃ­an ser sus opciones? Si Cho Seung-Hui hubiese sido alumno de una universidad peruana o de algÃºn Instituto Superior PedagÃ³gico o quizÃ¡s, con menor edad, de algÃºn colegio secundario, pudo haber abandonado los estudios a mitad de camino y perderse en la bruma de los desocupados sin instrucciÃ³n o a lo mejor terminarlos sin pena ni gloria. Pudiera ser que con calificaciones aceptables, pero con todo su dolor, su confusiÃ³n y su rabia a cuestas, para integrarse a la enorme masa de anÃ³nimos desempleados con certificaciÃ³n acadÃ©mica y dudosas cualidades para desempeÃ±arse con un mÃ­nimo de competencia y de salud mental en su vida de pareja, en la crianza de sus propios hijos o en su actividad laboral. Ocurre que los sistemas educativos estÃ¡n diseÃ±ados en principio para hacerse cargo del alumno, no de la persona. En el caso del nuestro y a juzgar por los resultados, lo primero lo hace muy mal, pero no lo puede eludir. Lo segundo, simplemente lo ignora o lo delega a algÃºn tutor, cuando Ã©ste existe. Hace siete aÃ±os, una joven y carismÃ¡tica maestra de primaria, en su primer aÃ±o de ejercicio profesional, abrumada por la confianza de sus pequeÃ±os alumnos, que no dejaban de buscarla en el recreo para compartir con ella un sinnÃºmero de problemas de orden familiar, decidiÃ³ prohibirles que le hablen de temas ajenos a la clase. Â«Yo me preparÃ© para ser maestra, no psicÃ³loga, no tengo por quÃ© hacerme cargo de sus asuntos personalesÂ», admitiÃ³ con escalofriante honestidad. Como ella, mÃ¡s allÃ¡ de las cualidades que exhiban en la enseÃ±anza, son muchos los docentes que no se sienten en condiciones de atender ni de entender la subjetividad de sus estudiantes ni, finalmente, en la obligaciÃ³n de hacerlo. De este modo, la idea de que educar es mÃ¡s que instruir y que supone principalmente la formaciÃ³n humana, como consta en el cÃ©lebre Informe de Jacques Delors, en los acuerdos internacionales sobre educaciÃ³n, en el currÃ­culo oficial y hasta en las propias leyes nacionales, termina siendo en los hechos una extravagancia, una penosa humorada. Pero hay algo mÃ¡s. El sistema tambiÃ©n estÃ¡ diseÃ±ado para que los aprendizajes constituyan un asunto estrictamente individual, basado en un contrato personal de la familia o del alumno con la instituciÃ³n educativa. Lo que significa, en la mejor tradiciÃ³n liberal, que el Ã©xito o el fracaso de cada estudiante son el problema o el mÃ©rito de cada uno, donde los demÃ¡s no tienen absolutamente nada que ver. De este modo y con mayor razÃ³n, los sÃ­ntomas del sufrimiento de un joven como Cho Seung-Hui, evidentes antes que se produjeran los hechos, eran estrictamente un asunto suyo, a lo mÃ¡s de su familia, pero no una convocaciÃ³n a la solidaridad de sus profesores ni de sus propios compaÃ±eros de clase. Todo indica que tales seÃ±ales no pasaron desapercibidas, pero todos eligieron continuar con sus vidas. Hasta que Ã©l, decidiÃ³ terminar con ellas. En nuestro medio, la exclusiÃ³n no tiene que ver sÃ³lo con el no acceso a un centro de estudios, sino con el prejuicio y la discriminaciÃ³n que se vive a su interior con insÃ³lita naturalidad. Excluidos son los estudiantes censurados y estigmatizados a diario, abierta o solapadamente, por ser pobres, por tener padres que no fueron al colegio, por pertenecer a una familia campesina, por ser los Ãºltimos de varios hermanos o hijos Ãºnicos de madres sin cÃ³nyuge, por ser ademÃ¡s tÃ­midos y callados o susceptibles y asertivos, por tomarse su tiempo para entender y para terminar la tarea, por haber repetido de grado, por tener su propio criterio de orden, por hablar de un modo distinto o en un idioma diferente, por haber nacido en una provincia alejada y Â«extraÃ±aÂ», por expresar su desagrado cada vez que se sienten agredidos por un adulto o, simplemente, por razonar con una lÃ³gica a veces opuesta a la de sus mayores y llegar a conclusiones distintas. La experiencia de la discriminaciÃ³n los convierte en objeto de sospechas, rechazos y atribuciones antojadizas, de vacÃ­os y murmuraciones, de aislamientos y desaires, de indiferencia y segregaciÃ³n, sea por sus compaÃ±eros o por sus propios maestros. Â¿QuÃ© hacen todos ellos con el dolor, la ira, la tristeza, el desconcierto o la impotencia que esta situaciÃ³n les provoca? Algunos constituyen pandillas y reaccionan con violencia, pero muchos se limitan a callarse y a expresar la frustraciÃ³n de otra manera, convirtiÃ©ndose en saboteadores crÃ³nicos, en nihilistas irreductibles o en durÃ­simos jueces de sÃ­ mismos. No compran armas ni disparan contra nadie, pero sÃ­ les retiran la fe, a la gente, al sistema y hasta a la imagen que les devuelve el espejo. Como Cho, sin embargo, son vistos como anormales y tratados, por lo general, como amenazas. Los malos aprendizajes que exhiben nuestras escuelas nos han llevado a la necesidad de exigir mayor efectividad en la enseÃ±anza, mejor calidad en la docencia, controles mÃ¡s sistemÃ¡ticos de los resultados del servicio educativo y de las polÃ­ticas diseÃ±adas para mejorarlo. La pobreza de nuestras escuelas nos han llevado a exigir, ademÃ¡s, mayor inversiÃ³n educativa, una distribuciÃ³n mas justa del gasto y una compensaciÃ³n mÃ¡s efectiva y sostenida de las evidentes desigualdades. Todo eso estÃ¡ bien, pero... Â¿CuÃ¡nto pesa en los bajos rendimientos que exhibe nuestro sistema la escasÃ­sima confianza que deposita en las posibilidades de Ã©xito de sus estudiantes? Â¿CuÃ¡nto pesa el prejuicio, la subestimaciÃ³n, el menosprecio? Â¿CuÃ¡nto pesa la incapacidad de las instituciones educativas para hacer sentir incluidos a los que se van quedando atrÃ¡s y para comprometerse con seriedad a no dejar fracasar a ninguno? Â¿CuÃ¡nto pesa en la desmoralizaciÃ³n de muchos la impersonalidad del ambiente en que se estudia a diario, el anonimato implacable, la rigidez de las normas o la desvergonzada ley del embudo aplicada con impunidad cada vez que conviene? La tragedia de Virginia Tech nos recuerda que los usuarios de los sistemas educativos son seres humanos, susceptibles de hacer Â«corto circuitoÂ» cuando las condiciones en que estudian los colocan en situaciones lÃ­mite. Si las polÃ­ticas dirigidas a mejorar la educaciÃ³n no son pensadas como una oportunidad para humanizar la enseÃ±anza y no sÃ³lo para elevar los rendimientos, las sensibilidades se van a seguir desbordando y erosionÃ¡ndose la confianza en sÃ­ mismos de toda una generaciÃ³n. -- Fuente Original: El rÃ­o de ParmÃ©nides -Sitio en linea http://educhevere.blogspot.com/2007/04/cho-seung-hui-lecciones-para-la.html Derechos Reservados: Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 2.5 PerÃº.
Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 2.5 PerÃº
Many Americans have once again been plunged into terror since a gunman massacred 32 people at Virginia Tech in the deadliest shooting rampage in modern US history, and a string of endless media reports, the gunman's cruel, merciless confessions and blood shed by 32 victims have further increased the fear of Americans. First of all, it is the fear of guns. As some American resolutely defend or safeguard their rights to own or possess guns conferred by the US constitution, other Americans cannot but have to live in a gloomy shadow at gun points. At present, 35 percent of the American families own their guns, with the existence of some 260 million guns (of which perhaps 60 million are handguns) in the United States. For scores of years, political rifts, rivals and even struggles centered on gun control have never ceased with the repeated occurrence of homicides or murder cases. As the National Rifle Association, or NRA, and other related organizations are so powerful that it was hardly possible for US Congress to pass a bill for the rigid control of guns. Secondly, it is the fear of people and, to be specific, the fear of alien immigrants. Right after the massacre at Virginia Tech, someone immediately came out to direct accusations against a student from the Chinese mainland in press and there was also a reference to a Pakistani. And all sorts of such conjectures and suspicions of Asian immigrants inundated all of sudden overnight in US media and society. Police identified the shooter in the campus killings as Cho Seung-Hui, 23, a senior from South Korea who was in the English Department at Virginia Tech and lived on the campus. Then, the ambassador of the Republic of Korea (ROK) to the United States and ROK immigrant groups or societies openly and promptly made their apologies to the American people, and the ROK itself was, too, landed itself in a state of immense restlessness. Apparently, the South Korean immigrants in the U.S. and ROK residents have also felt terrified for the fear of being retaliated against or subjected to retributive punishment. The merging or integration of races in American society has all along a problem. There were repeated voices of "Go home, South Koreans" despite the fact that American media and general public have, in an overall way, retained a "politically correct" composure and quite a few people voiced sympathy for Cho Seung-Hui for the mental illness he had tormented with. In fact, ever since the 9/11 attacks of 2001 in the U.S., the Americans have always been living in terror imposed upon by terrorists. US strategist Zbigniew Brzenzinki censured or criticized the Bush administration for the erroneous policy it had implemented to generate fear in a recent article by capitalizing on a sense of terror among people wrought by 9/11 attacks in the U.S. The war on terror has created a culture of fear in America, he noted, adding that the Bush Administration's elevation of these three words into a national mantra since the horrific events of 9/11 has had a pernicious impact in American democracy, on America's psyche and on US standing in the world. "Using this phrase has actually undermined our ability to effectively confront the real challenges we face from fanatics who may use terrorism against the U.S.," warned Brzenzinski. In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke to Americans in a ringing phrase that "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself," which inspired American to cope with terror they endured correctly and thus brought a new style to the US presidency. To date, Americans seem to have been thrown into still greater terrors, though their country has been turned into the sole global superpower. -- Original Source:People's Daily Online, China http://english.people.com.cn/200705/08/eng20070508_372880.html
US reports on 'Chinese killer' criticized
The Foreign Ministry yesterday criticized some US media for "irresponsible reports" claiming that the killer in the Virginia Tech shootings was Chinese. Spokesman Liu Jianchao said it was a terrible mistake and a violation of professional ethics to publish reports before checking the facts. Before it was revealed that the gunman who killed 32 people on the Virginia campus on Monday was a student from South Korea, Michael Sneed, a columnist for Chicago Sun-Times, wrote that the shooter was a 24-year-old man from China. MSNBC, which cited Sneed's story on its website, said he went to the US last year on a student visa issued in Shanghai. Some reports even made public the blog of "Chinese shooter" Jiang Wei'en. But the US police later identified the killer as Cho Seung-hui; and university officials said he was a "troubled" young man on medication for depression. He is believed to have killed himself. Sneed's story was immediately picked up by other media in the United States and Jiang's blog had more than 37,000 visits in a few hours. For those checking the blog hoping to find out the motive behind the shooting spree, Jiang decided to speak up. "Everybody was talking about me as a criminal. I just want to prove my innocence," Jiang told ABC in an interview widely quoted by Chinese websites. "Yes, I am an Asian; I live in a school dorm; I am a student of Virginia Tech; I just broke up with my girlfriend and I love guns. But I am NOT the murderer," he said. Jiang said he received death threats till the time the South Korean student was identified as the killer. Many Chinese students at Virginia Tech are also angered by the US media reports and some said they would write a letter of protest to the Chicago Sun-Times. They pointed specifically to Sneed's story. "The reckless report put pressure on, and tarnished the image of, the Chinese community here in Blacksburg as well as in the US," said the Association of Chinese Students and Scholars at Virginia Tech (VT-ACSS) in an email to China Daily. VT-ACSS is the largest international organization on campus. There are over 900 Chinese studying in Virginia Tech or working in neighbouring towns. -- Original Source: Xinhua - China Daily http://english.people.com.cn/200704/19/eng20070419_367784.html
'Gun culture' again target of criticism after killings
UPDATED: 11:01, April 18, 2007 Foreign politicians and media once again attacked America's "gun culture" yesterday. Australian Prime Minister John Howard said tough legislation introduced after a mass shooting in Tasmania in 1996 had prevented the US gun culture emerging in his country. After the shooting Australia imposed laws banning almost all types of semi-automatic weapons. "We showed a national resolve that the gun culture that is such a negative in the United States would never become a negative in our country," said Howard, extending sympathies to the families of the victims at Virginia Tech University. British Prime Minister Tony Blair and German Chancellor Angela Merkel also expressed their sympathies. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II was "shocked" and "saddened," a spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said. Along with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, the queen is set to pay a two-day visit to Virginia early next month to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown Settlement, her first visit to the United States in 16 years. Iran, at loggerheads with the United States over its nuclear program, spoke out against the killings. "Iran condemns the killing of Virginia university students and expresses its condolences to the families of victims and the American nation," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said in a statement. European newspapers saw a grim inevitability about the shootings, given the right to bear arms which is enshrined in US constitution. In Italy, the Leftist Il Manifesto newspaper said the shooting was "as American as apple pie". More than 30,000 people die from gunshot wounds in the United States annually and there are more guns in private hands than in any other country. But a powerful gun lobby and support for gun ownership have thwarted attempts to tighten controls. "It would be vain to hope that even so destructive a crime as this will cool the American ardour for guns," the Independent newspaper said in a commentary. Gerard Baker, a columnist for The Times newspaper, feared worse was yet to come: "The truth is that only an optimist would imagine Virginia Tech will hold the new record for very long." France's Le Monde newspaper said such episodes frequently disfigure the "American dream". "The... slaughter forces American society to once again examine itself, its violence, the obsession with guns of part of its population, the troubles of its youth, subjected to the double tyranny of abundance and competition," it wrote. Campaigners in other countries where gun ownership is common expressed fears of a similar massacre. -- Original Source:: China Daily/agencies http://english.people.com.cn/200704/18/eng20070418_367507.html
Tributo para las victimas de la Tragedia de Virginia Tech
Placa donada por la organizaciÃ³n de estudiantes Mexicanos en Virginia Tech y el Consulado Mexicano en Washington, DC. Esta placa fue entregada el pasado 11 de mayo del 2007 en seÃ±al de respeto y cariÃ±o hacia las victimas que fallecieron en los trÃ¡gicos eventos del pasado 16 de Abril del 2007. Foto cortesÃ­a de Jorge Daniel Moncada de la Rosa A talabera plate donated as a tribute for the students and faculty injured at the April 16, shootings. This donation was sponsored by the Mexican student's organization at Virginia Tech and the Mexican Consulate at Washington, DC as a gesture of love and respect for the victims. Photo courtesy of Jorge Daniel Moncada de la Rosa
Organizacion de Estudiantes Mexicanos en Virginia Tech
Jorge Daniel Moncada de la Rosa Presidente de la Asociacion de Mexicanos moncada@vt.edu
Sepultan en Puerto Rico a vÃ­ctima de matanza en Virginia Tech
BAYAMÃ“N | AP Abril 24, 2007 Tras una ceremonia en la que nadie quiso hablar de la matanza que cobrÃ³ su vida, el estudiante puertorriqueÃ±o de la Universidad Virginia Tech Juan RamÃ³n Ortiz Ortiz fue sepultado este martes en un funeral privado. En lugar de hablar de su muerte, sus amigos y familiares prefirieron hablar de su vida. Fue lo mÃ¡s cercano a la perfecciÃ³n, expresÃ³ JesÃºs Ortega sobre su amigo desde la infancia. Ortiz Ortiz fue una de las 32 personas que matÃ³ Cho Seung-Hui, un estudiante de literatura inglesa de 23 aÃ±os de edad, antes de suicidarse con una pistola el lunes de la semana pasada. Juan fue un Ã¡rbol que dio fruto a temprana edad: benignidad, paciencia, justicia y amor. Celebremos hoy la vida que con tan sÃ³lo 26 aÃ±os Juan compartiÃ³ con nosotros, dijo el profesor Amado VÃ©lez, de la Universidad PolitÃ©cnica donde estudiÃ³ el joven. VÃ©lez destacÃ³ que la timidez del joven era opacada por sus acciones: Hablaban mÃ¡s de lo que la alocuciÃ³n podÃ­a decir. Durante los actos fÃºnebres, los padres del joven ingeniero acompaÃ±aron en todo momento a la viuda Liselle Vega CortÃ©s, quien tambiÃ©n se encontraba en Virginia Tech al momento de la masacre. El trÃ­o permaneciÃ³ silencioso y en aparente calma durante la triste jornada de despedida, en la que amigos como Ortega volvieron a sonreÃ­r al recordar el amor de Ortiz Ortiz por el ritmo de salsa, al que dedicÃ³ parte de su vida. Era tan fanÃ¡tico de la salsa que una vez... puso mÃºsica de salsa (en el automÃ³vil) y se llenÃ³ de tanta alegrÃ­a que se bajÃ³ del carro y bailÃ³ en el mismo medio de la acera, relatÃ³ Ortega. Para el pÃ¡rroco de la Iglesia San JosÃ©, JosÃ© MarÃ­a Almendariz, la muerte de Ortiz Ortiz fue inexplicable. No hay ninguna explicaciÃ³n humana para el dolor que no sea mirando a Cristo, expresÃ³ a los mÃ¡s de 200 amigos y familiares que abarrotaron la Iglesia San JosÃ© de BayamÃ³n, a las afueras de San Juan. La matanza de Virginia Tech ha sido considerada la peor masacre estudiantil en la historia contemporÃ¡nea de Estados Unidos. -- Fuente Original: El Universo.com - Guayaquil, Ecuador http://www.eluniverso.com/2007/04/24/0001/14/E53E61E6CC9C4BA6A5C38563C829AFA0.aspx
JosÃ© DarÃ­o Maldonado Jefe Unidad de Negocios Internet DIARIO EL UNIVERSO jmaldonado@eluniverso.com
By Keith Boykin, in politics Tuesday, April 17 2007, 10:24AM The news was gruesome and alarming. Reuters reported that at least 30 people were shot yesterday in a deadly gun rampage that rocked a city once known for its safety and scholarship. By now, you've heard about the story, and many of us have already stopped paying attention. But I'm not talking about the deadly school shooting in Virginia Monday morning. I'm talking about the deadly violence in Iraq that goes on everyday. While most of the world was understandably horrified by the campus shooting at Virginia Tech yesterday, almost no one paid attention to the 30 people who were shot and killed in Baghdad on the same day. The shock and horror of watching such dramatic violence in Virginia immediately resonated with Americans. But here's something else to ponder. What if it happened every day? What if we saw that kind of carnage in our communities every night on the evening news? It sounds far-fetched, but that's exactly the situation that faces many Iraqis almost every day of the year. If the shooting in Virginia tells us anything about human society, it should tell us that violence is far too common in the world. It's not just an American problem or an Iraqi problem, it is a global problem. What kind of world do we live in where young students have virtually unfettered access to sophisticated deadly weapons that can be used to kill their classmates and teachers? And how did we become desensitized to the tens of thousands of civilian casulaties in a war we're still fighting in Baghdad? I don't think it is possible to stop every murder or every killing that takes place in this country or abroad, but I do believe we have a responsibility to promote the conditions for peace. For all the talk about our Christian values in America, we are an extraordinarily violent society. The FBI reported 1.4 million violent crimes in the U.S. in 2005 and more than 16,000 murders. That's a drop from the record high figures in the early 1990s but it shows that we are still far too violent. Through elective wars, capital punishment, gang violence, and media depictions of violence, we demonstrate our collective societal preference for violence as a solution to our problems. I don't know what motivated the young student in Virginia to shoot up his classmates, and I don't know what motivates the suicide bombers in Iraq to blow up their neighbors. But I do know that we have a duty to promote peace in this country and abroad. Imagine the impact that could be made if America lead an international campaign for peace instead of a war on terror. Imagine the goodwill we could generate if we diverted some of the $500 billion we've spent on war in recent years so that we could build hospitals, schools, and housing throughout the undeveloped world. Imagine the difference it might make if our leaders dropped some of the macho rhetoric and talked about service, duty and community responsibility? I know there will be much discussion in the next few days about gun control and mental health counseling and legislation, and I welcome that conversation. But we should also ask ourselves about the world we've created and what each of us can do to make it better and more peaceful. The Virginia shooting was shocking, in part, because it was so unusual. Unlike the Iraqis, we're not accustomed to seeing such large-scale violence on a regular basis. Or, more precisely, we're not accustomed to seeing it here in the United States, because clearly we know it's happening in Iraq. But what if it happened here everyday? That might be the tragic catalyst that would finally inspire us to do something positive and constructive about the violence in our country and the rest of the world. It would be tempting to point to the shooter in Blacksburg and isolate him as the problem. But the problem and the solution don't lie outside of us. They answers are within. -- Original Source: keithboykin.com http://www.keithboykin.com/arch/2007/04/17/what_if_it_happ Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 1.0.
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Wednesday, April 18, 2007 A nutcase shot 32 people and himself in Virginia tech. He was a loner, was obsessed with violence, and left some notes blaming "rich kids" and "debauchery" (that is, disapproved of other people having more money and getting laid more often than himself - which is a rather common human emotion, but most people don't go postal because of it). The university is being blamed for not acting fast enough on the day of the shooting. I don't know if they should be blamed for it - I am sure an investigation will find out, one way or another - but what I would like to know is how come the university did not do anything after the guy harassed a few women and set fire to the dorm. (Maybe there is some good answer to that, too.) The man has also written two plays that the readers found very violent and highly disturbing. Here they are. I have read them and have not found them particularly violent or disturbing: they are rather violent, but I and people I know have written worse without shooting anyone, and they are quite angry in a teenagery way, but nothing really out of ordinary. They would not have rung a warning bell with me. I wonder if that's just me being desensitized to violence, or the people did not really see anything scary about them earlier and are just having a flash of hindsight now, or do the creative writing teachers and students see warnings much more efficiently than ordinary people like myself. There was a lot of conversation of gun control after this. I have no strong opinion on gun control one way or the other, at least as long as it does not interfere with my pistol shooting hobby (and currently in Finland it doesn't), but after seeing several people in the US point out that the gunman could have been stopped earlier if any of the students or teachers had a gun on them, and several of my friends on IRC make fun of this argument, I must say that those people in the US really do have a point: I don't, generally speaking, believe that an armed society is a polite society. It's a tradeoff: on one hand, if you outlaw guns only outlaws will have them, on the other hand it might well be safer when only the serious outlaws have guns than when every teenage hooligan has them. However, if we already are in a state where people are allowed to buy and carry firearms freely, banning guns from a small area like a university campus really will lead to a situation where everyone who is up to no good can have a gun, and no law-abiding citizen will. The worst of both worlds. Posted by Vera at 4/18/2007 12:40:00 PM -- Original Source: Vera's log http://izrailit.blogspot.com/2007/04/virginia-tech-shooting.html This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License.
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License
Las caras inmigrantes de la masacre de Virginia Tech
Publicado por La bloguera en Mayo 2, 2007 04:24 PM La peor masacre escolar en la historia de Estados Unidos, que dejÃ³ un saldo de 33 muertos en la Universidad de Virginia Tech, ha generado mÃ¡s interrogantes que respuestas, y mientras la naciÃ³n estÃ¡ de luto muchos se preguntan cÃ³mo afectarÃ¡ Ã©sta tragedia la imagen del inmigrante en este paÃ­s. La prensa repite constantemente que el asesino, Cho Seung-Hui, emigrÃ³ de Corea a los 8 aÃ±os. Antes de sus escalofriantes actos, la historia del joven es similar a la de muchas familias inmigrantes. Sus padres que emigraron buscando un futuro mejor, durante aÃ±os trabajaron en una lavanderÃ­a, y seguramente estaban orgullosos que sus hijos fueran a la universidad. Inicialmente, Cho Seung-Hui, fue blanco de las burlas por no saber inglÃ©s, pero eventualmente aprendiÃ³ el idioma, y se podrÃ­a decir que incluso absorbiÃ³ los aspectos mÃ¡s violentos de esta sociedad, donde los tiroteos en las escuelas parecen repetirse sin sentido. Ahora sus padres viven "una horrible pesadilla" segÃºn un comunicado de la familia que agrega que nunca se imaginaron la capacidad de violencia de su hijo quien "ha puesto a llorar al mundo". Pero esta masacre tambiÃ©n tiene otra cara inmigrante que no ha recibido tanta atenciÃ³n de los medios. Las vÃ­ctimas, los hÃ©roes y los dolientes de esta tragedia, tambiÃ©n tienen rostro inmigrante y desde PerÃº, Puerto Rico, Indonesia, India, LÃ­bano, Polonia, Vietnam, CanadÃ¡ y los Emiratos Arabes Unidos, llegaron para cumplir su sueÃ±o americano estudiando o enseÃ±ando en Virginia Tech. El profesor Liviu Librescu, nacido en Polonia, se interpuso ante las balas tratando de salvar la vida de sus estudiantes. El maestro bloqueÃ³ la puerta del salÃ³n, mientras le urgÃ­a a sus estudiantes que se tiraran al piso. El estudiante peruano, Daniel PÃ©rez Cueva de 21 aÃ±os, tambiÃ©n muriÃ³ en el tiroteo. Su madre Betty Cueva lo recuerda como un joven alegre, que sin embargo asumiÃ³ grandes responsabilidades familiares tras la deportaciÃ³n de su padre a PerÃº y se pagaba sus estudios para no incomodar a su familia. Juan RamÃ³n Ortiz de Puerto Rico, tambiÃ©n fue vÃ­ctima de la masacre. Su padre, al ser entrevistado desde Puerto Rico, dio un ejemplo de compasiÃ³n al mundo, al decir entre lÃ¡grimas, que tambiÃ©n habÃ­a que orar por la familia del asesino. Al igual que ese fatÃ­dico 11 de septiembre, con la masacre en Virginia Tech, los inmigrantes sufren en carne propia las tragedias nacionales, pero a la vez son una parte integral y necesaria para cicatrizar estas heridas y luchar por un mejor paÃ­s. -- Fuente Original: Los Blogueros - Washington, DC. http://www.losblogueros.net/mt-weblog/2007/05/las_caras_inmigrantes_de_la_ma.html
Massacre of 32 at Virginia Tech shocks alumni in MetroWest
By Danielle Williamson/Daily News staff GHS Tue Apr 17, 2007, 12:07 AM EDT NO DATA - For Bill Saam, the slaughter yesterday at his alma mater resurrected the shock, sadness and anger he felt when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center. "On a personal level, the feeling I had today was very much the way I felt on 9/11," said Saam, a Northborough resident and 1992 Virginia Tech graduate. An active member of the college's alumni association, Saam was in touch yesterday with other classmates who struggled to comprehend the news. "It's very much a tight-knit community," he said. "I hope no one from New England is directly affected by this." Saam described Blacksburg as a "small, rural area." "You don't hear about crime down there, never mind shootings," he said. For Milford native Jim Pyne, a 1993 Virginia Tech graduate, yesterday's murders are a sad reflection on the state of society. "We have people who fly planes into buildings ... and screwballs who have guns and shouldn't have them," said Pyne, a former professional football player. "It's the society we live in, and it's just despicable." Pyne, who was an All-American at Virginia Tech and played nine seasons in the NFL, said he watched much of the news yesterday but "couldn't keep watching it. It doesn't seem real." "I've been in all those buildings. I took classes there," Pyne said. "I feel for the parents of the 33 kids and I'm horrified about what happened and what it's like for them." Peter Darby of Charlestown, who leads the New England chapter of Virginia Tech's alumni association, said the Boston area has 1,300 alumni, many of whom were in contact with each other yesterday. "We're stunned just numb," Darby said. For Waltham native Marcus Ly, the shootings were particularly difficult to comprehend. "I called a lot of my friends in Blacksburg. They're all OK," said Ly, a Virginia Tech grad student speaking by phone yesterday from Minneapolis. "But it's just a lot of confusion, they don't really know anything more than we do reading the headlines." A 1995 Waltham High School graduate, Ly finished a graduate school program in industrial and systems engineering at Virginia Tech last winter. "It's really the equivalent of something like this happening in Weston," said Ly, trying to describe the town of Blacksburg, home to the 2,600-acre Virginia Tech campus. "It's one of the safest cities I've ever lived in and I've lived in a lot of cities." Natick's Chris Mitchell, a junior at Virginia Tech, never imagined such horror could occur on the campus. "It's a small town and a university where everybody knows everybody," Mitchell, an economics major, told WCVB-TV. "It's the last place where you'd think something like this would happen." Newton resident Theodore Fritz recognized the buildings photographers captured throughout the day. "I'm certainly transfixed here," said Fritz, a 1961 Virginia Tech graduate who watched television reports throughout the day. A Boston University professor, the killings affected Fritz both as a college educator and a Virginia Tech alumnus. "I think this probably could have happened anywhere," he said. Danielle Williamson can be reached at 508-490-7475 or dwilliam@cnc.com. Daily News staff writers Albert Breer and Nicole Haley contributed to this story. -- Original Source:Framingham,MA - The MetroWest Daily News http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/local_news/x1298126656 Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0.
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Virginia Tech shootings shake the country
By Nicole Haley/Daily News staff GHS Tue Apr 17, 2007, 01:04 AM EDT NO DATA - The news seemed surreal for anyone who turned on the television yesterday. Even anchors on the major news networks reported asking law enforcement officials to repeat themselves, unable to believe what they were being told. But for Waltham native Marcus Ly, the shootings on Virginia Tech's campus were particularly difficult to comprehend. "I called a lot of my friends in Blacksburg. They're all OK," said Ly, a Virginia Tech grad student. "But it's just a lot of confusion, they don't really know anything more than we do reading the headlines." Speaking by phone yesterday from Minneapolis, Ly said he was in shock. A gunman killed 32 people on the campus and then took his own life, the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. A 1995 Waltham High School graduate, Ly finished a graduate school program in industrial and systems engineering at Virginia Tech last winter. He was a representative on the university's Board of Visitors and worked closely with the president and higher levels of administration. "It's really the equivalent of something like this happening in Weston," said Ly, trying to describe the town of Blacksburg, home to the 2,600-acre Virginia Tech campus. Ly said Blacksburg was on of the safest communities he has ever lived in. Around 7:15 a.m. yesterday, the first shot rang out in West Ambler Johnston Hall, a co-ed dormitory. The gunfire resumed two hours later at Norris Hall, the engineering science and mechanics building, where most of the fatalities occurred, according to Associated Press reports. "It's more shocking than Columbine," Ly said, referring to the 1999 Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colo. Two teenagers killed 12 students and one teacher and wounded 24 more before the shooters committed suicide. Like many others watching the events unfold from home, Ly saw the video streamed on cnn.com and shown repeatedly on television, recorded by a Virginia Tech student on his cell phone. The shaky camera work shows police approaching one building as gunshot after gunshot rings out in the background. "I watched it and I knew exactly where it was," said Ly, who had walked that area on any given morning less than a year ago. Newton resident Theodore Fritz also recognized the buildings photographers captured throughout the day. "I'm certainly transfixed here," said Fritz, a 1961 Virginia Tech graduate who watched television reports throughout the day. A Boston University professor, the killings affected Fritz both as a college educator and as a Virginia Tech alumnus. "I think this probably could have happened anywhere," he said. Former Boston College baseball coach Pete Hughes, who now coaches at Virginia Tech, returned home with his team from a game at Florida State University about 3 a.m. yesterday. Hughes was rousted from bed by the news and immediately began scrambling to track down his players. One was "bunkered down" in the basement of Norris Hall and managed to escape, while three others fled the dorm, he said. Senior Beth Goldberg of Newton said students in lockdown on campus were able to communicate with the outside world by computer. "They seemed pretty calm," Goldberg said. "We didn't realize how bad it was at the time." Ly, who today runs an IT consulting company in Minnesota, said Virginia Tech was really the last place he would expect to see such a slaughter. Ly, who has lived in Chicago and Washington, D.C., repeatedly referred to Blacksburg as a "middle of nowhere" location - a quiet, small town where nothing much happens. "To all the Hokies out there, we're all very touched," Ly said, invoking the school's nickname. Yesterday was not the first time some of Virginia Tech's 25,000 students evacuated classrooms amidst chaos. On Friday, the school canceled classes in three buildings because of a bomb threat, and students fled Torgersen Hall on April 2 after police received a written bomb threat, according to reports from WDBJ in Roanoke, Va., and The Roanoke Times. Last August, the first day of classes was cut short as police searched out William Morva, a 24-year-old escaped convict who killed a security guard and sheriff's deputy at a hospital just two miles from the campus. Ly said he recognized Morva in news reports after the incident. "He was sitting next to me every day in the local coffee shop," Ly recalled. "He would always mumble to himself." "This is really bad news for the university," Ly said. "People are going to start transferring." -- Original Source: The Daily News Tribune - Waltham, Ma. http://www.dailynewstribune.com/local_news/x1650172714 Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported.