I have watched them, Doug. As much as I can stand to see. It's chilling, to say the least. It actually made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Tell u the truth, call me selfish whatever, but I have deliberately stayed away from watching anything about it. I can't deal with it. I will save it for when I'm stronger. Took me about 6 months to watch stuff about 9/11 cuz I was very pregnant with my daughter and knew better than to make myself more depressed than I already am. I do have a friend here on DS that has a granddaughter who went to high school with two of the victims one is dead and the other was shot and I think in pretty bad shape. It's so friggin sad how some human beings can be such friggin monsters!!

I haven't seen them yet. Saw some still photos I think taken from the videos, and those were scary enough.

How can I not watch? They are showing it on every single channel! It is chilling to watch, knowing what was about to happen. He was a twisted soul, tormented by what we will never know....I just wish people could have done more, took the signs more seriously...maybe then the outcome could have been different. Who knows...it is just sad.

Very, very chilling. I know this was an isolated incident, but perhaps with the awareness and exposure in the media about the warning signs of a disturbed person could be addressed before something like that happens again. The media informed us that there were signs, but it's obvious the "help" this killer received wasn't enough.

I've suggested to my son's high school last year that mental health awareness and suicide prevention programs need to be addressed to the students and the teachers because education is lacking in that area. I didn't get a warm response from the principal to my request for programs. I did manage to get a speaker,however, to address the students and the parents, but it took the principal 6 months before he contacted the speaker. The principal dragged his feet making it obvious he did not support it. Very frustating and confusing.

My experience of resistance is not isolated. I know there are a number of reasons and excuses the school districts have about why, but this issue can't be ignored.

Okay.....I got up on my soap box...sorry....had to put my two cents in! Thanks Doug for bringing this up.

Doug, it's indeed terrifying. The videos blew me away on the news tonight. Our focus in our home is to hear this news, find out the facts and then turn it off. We won't give the gunman any more of our time looking at his pictures on TV.

It's sooo sad.

What if, in response to these types of violent acts, we tended the injured and grieved the dead, but didn't publicize the tragedy with news reports? What if we chose to respect the pain of the relatives and survivors by not commercializing pictures of their grief? The people who perpetrate these incidents are acting out of their own thoughts of hatred, hoping that others will respond in kind and hatred will continue unabated. We can contribute to the demise of hatred by refusing to be hateful in any of our thoughts.

Goblue hit it right on the head. Unfortunately, it's all about TV ratings. Let's face it, we all were engrossed in watching the videos he made. For me, it was just trying to see where this person was mentally and what was in his mind and so miserable in his life that he had to committ such a horrific crime. If any of you have ever read "Conversations with God", these kind of events are explained as to why they happen. You must have an open mind to understand and accept the explanation as to why such horrific things like this occur. I would surmise that most people would not accept the explanation because of some people are too close-minded to be open to these explanations..but that's human nature. It's horrible. It's tragic. I graduated from VA Tech. I have many fond memories of VA Tech. I am deeply saddened and hurt. I can only focus on today and keeping myself and others on the right track to getting healthy. It hurts, but my faith in God comforts me.

I agree with Barb5...we have had to draw the lines in our minds from journalisim and sensationalism...
I would like to try and focus more attention on how to help those left behind. Our local Sparrow Club is having a bake sale...I think I'm gonna go buy a cookie...:}

Events such as these are from the anger of man, not the anger of any God. It is this anger that always results in self-destruction.

I have been following this story since it was announced. What a terrible thing. I can't imagine how the parents and family feel knowing that this kid was actually classified mentally insane and still allowed to walk the streets.

I also think it's easy for all of us to explain frustration with the fact that someone this disturbed slipped thru the cracks. However, let's remember that we are putting all of what we have learned about this person all at once. When in reality, his erratic and odd behavior was spread out of many months and years and thus, he was able to stay under the radar except in a couple of instances. For some reason, the request by the mental health facility where he was diagnosed to be restrained went unheaded. Maybe they had no choice. There are so many damn loopholes these days whereby these things will happen. Sometimes the system sucks. I just hope whatever sucks gets fixed, and quickly.

I agree with simply sad.

.I just wish people could have done more, took the signs more seriously...maybe then the outcome could have been different. Who knows...it is just sad.

If someone could have been more aware because there were
people around that guy. They must have been observing
behavior.

I agree. I hate the fact that the media is making a buck on this. It sickens me - that's why I haven't watched anything on it. I've heard about it - but I refuse to let the media use me for their benefit. Who's going to get the scoop first, who's going to portray it in the most callous way. It really bothers me that they do that. I think the one person who is actually "thankful" that this has happened is Imus. He is now out of the spotlight. Yet the people like the soldiers in Iraq are being let down.

Yes, it is a tragedy, no question of that. I feel for those pour families out there struggling with such a heinous act. Asking why me? Why my loved one? And all of us asking those same questions.

Yet, the media feels that it needs to create a "tabloid" out of this for the best ratings to get the best sponsors, etc. It's a numbers game - and how sad is that - when putting everything else aside - innocent lives were taken - bottom line.