HISTORIC KILLINGS AT VA. TECH

SOURCES/ NUMEROUS

One is supposed to be shocked at a truly tragic event. This is not the usual celebrity news that fills cable. Today is an historic day, some 50 students and related were killed or injured by one man who knew how to kill. The story starts with a  possible lover's quarrel. Girl friend and supportive College Dorm Resident Assistant who probably heard the commotion and intervened were shot and later died at a local hospital. It is a little after 7 AM.

Administrators hurriedly discuss options at 7 or 7:30 in the morning. They finally decide to let

the student body of 25,000 NOT know about it until the killer is off campus and the police can get him. They think that closing down a small city of a university is not really possible without causing major traffic jams, accidents, chaos and every else that goes with a really bad day.They are wrong.

Killer is a 20 something 6 foot Asian man with 2 guns and loads of magazines or bullet clips in his numerous jacket pockets. He is a fellow student and probably does not stand out. For reasons that may be known only to him, he decides to kill others. And, he does! He shoots human beings like pop cans  The guy makes history. However, the school is so large and over 10,0000 commute to the campus that life goes on.

Now what's new? Students take pictures and send them to CNN. One fellow from India becomes the next Zapruder (of the Kennedy assassination) and takes a movie with cell phone. Many learn of the event from cable or computer  when the killings are just one floor below. They start social networking on FACEBOOK and other Web 2.0 hubs and the police and medical teams clean up after the killer.

The news fills the day. Numerous experts are called upon to render opinions. Politics is mixed in. Commentators and reporters are shocked! No they 're not. The above scenario has in the past other names, faces, and locations. The rest has a pattern. You have seen it before and you will see it again.

Finally, small town police chief along with president and  public relations guy answer questions from locals and national news people. Why wait 2 hours to notify all the campus? The president and police chief get clobbered. As the Q & A go on, it gets worse. They did their best. It is all very

something filled with not a lot of anything.

Now comes the sermon. I don't have one. The news folks are higher than a kite. They are reporting real news. It is so real that the difference between conservative FOX and progressive CNN is not that much different.

Perhaps, colleges and universities will have police on the beat just like every other small town. This will be part of those wonderful brochures that are sent by the admissions office to prospective students. OUR CAMPUS IS SAFE! You know what? Over 95% to 99% will not be harmed during college. However, this kind of tragedy could be thwarted in the  future then again, maybe not.

This was a good day for news junkies and a very bad day for friends, relatives of the dead, a small town police chief and  a university president. Good night, good luck.