Tammy Bruce: Tragedy Archives

Tragedy Archives

Sweet God No! Bigfoot=Rubber Gorilla Suit

Bummer. Bigfoot. "Global Warming." John Edwards. How much more shocking heartbreak can we take?

Turns out Bigfoot was just a rubber suit.

Two researchers on a quest to prove the existence of Bigfoot say that the carcass encased in a block of ice - handed over to them for an undisclosed sum by two men who claimed to have found it - was slowly thawed out, and discovered to be a rubber gorilla outfit.

The revelation comes just days after a much ballyhooed news conference was held in California to proclaim that the remains of the creature found in the North Georgia mountains was the legendary man-ape...First, the hair sample was burned and "melted into a ball uncharacteristic of hair," Kulls said in the posting.

The thawing process was sped up and the exposed head was found to be "unusually hollow in one small section." An hour of thawing later and the feet were exposed - and they were found to be made of rubber.

Related Post:

Bigfoot Found?

Tony Snow Has Died

I met him once, briefly, at Fox News. You know how you can generally tell most about someone in the first few moments of meeting them? Well, Tony was a nice guy, genuine and a real pro. When someone dies so young (53!) of cancer, I just think, if we put as much energy and passion into eliminating that horrid disease as we do other crap not worthy of our time, like studies and commissions on "climate change," perhaps we could finally end this scourge. No one in the modern age should be dying of cancer. No one.

Tony Snow, Former White House Press Secretary and FOX News Anchor, Dies at 53

Tony Snow, the former White House press secretary and conservative pundit who bedeviled the press corps and charmed millions as a FOX News television and radio host, died Saturday after a long bout with cancer. He was 53.

A syndicated columnist, editor, TV anchor, radio show host and musician, Snow worked in nearly every medium in a career that spanned more than 30 years. "Laura and I are deeply saddened by the death of our dear friend Tony Snow," President Bush said in a written statement. "The Snow family has lost a beloved husband and father. And America has lost a devoted public servant and a man of character."

Snow died at 2 a.m. Saturday at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C...As a TV pundit and commentator for FOX News, Snow often was critical of Bush before he became the president's third press secretary, following Ari Fleischer and Scott McClellan. He was an instant study in the job, mastering the position — and the White House press corps — with apparent ease.

"One of the reasons I took this job is not only to work with the president, but, believe it or not, to work with all of you," Snow told reporters when he stepped into the post in 2006. "These are times that are going to be very challenging."

Indeed they are. More so when we lose a man like him. May he rest in peace.

Posted by Tammy · July 12, 2008 03:28 PM · Permalink · Comments (14)
Tragedy

Geraldo Airs Footage of Suicide Model's Corpse

Ruslana Korshunova

As you know I spent the last few days in New York. The first day I was there, Saturday, all the news was the young Russian model throwing herself out her 9th floor window in Manhattan. It was on the cover of the newspapers the next day, and I have to admit I didn't know who she was (I'm sure most of you didn't either) but here you had a 20-year old seemingly with everything and yet with nothing. I thought of the suicide in the context of a reminder that what most people think what matters, doesn't. Money, fame, beauty, whatever it is you think is missing in your life isn't the thing that makes life remarkable.

I wasn't going to blog on this as suicide and something this horrible isn't the sort of thing I like discussing. Look, the event should speak for itself, but I mention it now because Hot Air brings to our attention to the fact that Geraldo's weekend Fox show actually aired footage of this young woman's dead body on the street. Not footage of the gurney and a body covered, but of her body, and they lingered on it. There are words for what they did--disgusting and depraved.

I know Geraldo and I like him. He was supportive of me during the OJ Simpson trial when the feminist establishment had set me in their sights for annihilation. He was there when not many others were, yet that was along time ago. So I truly don't understand this decision to do something completely unnecessary and comprehensively ghoulish.

As you also know I work for Fox as a political contributor and there's a reason for that--I've always appreciated their commitment to being, truly, fair and balanced. But in this instance I have to wonder about the choices some producers make in a strange attempt at ratings. We turned to Fox and made it the ratings success it is because it stakes out the politically independent position by daring to give conservative viewpoints an airing. They were unafraid to contradict the status quo politically and culturally. We did not make them the leaders because we were jonesing to see the crumpled body of a desperate 20-year old. I think they know that, and I also think whichever producer made the decision to show that footage should be fired.

Oh, and as you can imagine there are a slew of internet postings about how this wasn't suicide but a murder by the Russian mafia. Here's a little bit of a newsflash for all the conspiracy theorists who just can't believe this was a suicide: people kill themselves all the time, including the young. No it doesn't make sense but it happens. Most of these direct or indirect suicides (Heath Ledger is an example of that) talk about their despair or openly discuss the desire to die. Her own internet postings make it clear she was deeply confused and depressed. Feelings of despair, combined with possible drug or alcohol use, can lead one to the inexplicable. Just as with Ledger, the people closest to her, like those "boyfriends" being interviewed, will have to live with their lack of action for the rest of their lives.

Posted by Tammy · July 2, 2008 08:20 AM · Permalink · Comments (4)
Cultural Commentary | Death of Right and Wrong | Tragedy

NBC's Tim Russert Dead at 58

The host of "Meet the Press," and one of NBC's more fair and respected journalists has died of a heart attack. Send prayers to his family.

NBC's Tim Russert Dies at 58

Tim Russert, the Democratic operative turned NBC commentator who revolutionized Sunday morning television and infused journalism with his passion for politics, died this afternoon. Russert suffered a heart attack while working in his office on Washington's Nebraska Avenue. Details were not immediately available...

Former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw gave MSNBC viewers the news of Russert's death at 3:40 p.m.

"He worked to the point of exhaustion so many weeks," Brokaw said, adding: "This news division will not be the same without his strong, clear voice."

Brokaw said Russert had just returned from a family trip to Italy with his wife, writer Maureen Orth. Their son, Luke, graduated from Boston College this spring, Brokaw said.

A solemn reminder to enjoy your family, and every minute you have, as tomorrow is not promised.

Posted by Tammy · June 13, 2008 01:16 PM · Permalink · Comments (3)
Mainstream Media | Television | Tragedy

Hey McCain: Here's the Latest Open Borders News

What are the odds McCain will discuss this lovely piece of news when he speaks at the La Raza conference in San Diego in July?

10-year-old gives birth in Idaho; Suspected illegal immigrant charged with rape

A 37-year-old man is charged with raping a 10-year-old girl who gave birth last month in Idaho.

"St. Anthony Police said they were notified of the young girl's pregnancy by medical personnel after she went in for treatment at a doctor's office," KIFI-TV reports on its website.

One day later, the ABC affiliate says the young mother delivered a 6-pound girl at Madison Memorial Hospital in Rexburg, Idaho.

KIDK-TV says Guadalupe Gutierrez-Juarez, a suspected illegal immigrant, is being held at the Fremont County Jail. He's due in court next week to face rape charges.

Execute this beast now!

Oh, I also want to know what sort of parents force a 10- year-old (that's a fourth-grader folks, 9 when raped) to carry this pregnancy to term. They, too, should be arrested for child neglict and endangerment.

Never Forget: Remains of 9/11 Victims Identified

May God rest their souls.

Remains of More 9/11 Victims Identified

The city has identified the remains of four more victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, including one man whose DNA was found beneath a service road that was initially paved over, officials said Monday.

Ronald Keith Milstein's remains were found beneath the road that was built to carry cleanup and construction trucks in and out of the World Trade Center site after the 2001 terrorist attacks, the city medical examiner's office said. Milstein of Queens was 54 when he was killed.

More than 400 human bone pieces have been recovered from beneath the road, which has become known as "Haul Road" because of the hauling of debris.

Also identified was Alejandro Castano whose remains were found in the Liberty Street area, the medical examiner's office said.

The 35-year-old from Englewood, N.J., was in the area that day to deliver pens and paper to a brokerage firm on the 97th floor of the south tower, his family told The Record of Hackensack, N.J.

For now, authorities are not releasing the names of the two other victims whose remains were identified. Their families will decide whether to publicly announce the names of the 52-year-old woman identified from remains found in the former Deutsche Bank building and the 59-year-old man identified from remains discovered on Liberty Street.

Related Link:

September 11th Victims Website

Posted by Tammy · April 7, 2008 07:58 PM · Permalink · Comments (2)
September 11 | Tragedy

One Arrest, One Suspect Photo in Campus Murders

**Scroll down after the jump for updates**

Good news in the horrific, mindless campus murders of two remarkable young women.

Police have arrested a suspect in the murder of Auburn University Freshman Lauren Burke. The motive? Robbery. They had better not allow this depraved SOB plea bargain his way out of the death penalty.

Lauren Burke and the maniac who 'allegedly' murdered her in cold blood.

A man arrested after a car and foot chase by police who suspected him in a string of robberies was charged with capital murder in the abduction and shooting death of an Auburn University student, police said Saturday.

Courtney Lockhart was arrested Friday in Phenix City, about 30 miles from the campus where 18-year-old Lauren Burk was a freshman. She was found shot on the side of an off-campus road Tuesday night and her car was found burning in a campus parking lot...In a short pursuit, Lockhart's car broke down and he was captured by officers while trying to flee on foot, Dawson said.

Lockhart, 23, was charged with three capital counts accusing him of murder along with kidnapping, robbery and attempted rape, Dawson said.

In another stunning case, North Carolina police have released ATM security photos of a man attempting to use the ATM card of murdered North Carolina student body president Eve Carson.

Eve Carson and the "person of interest."

North Carolina police on Saturday released two ATM surveillance pictures of a "person of interest" in the case of a slain university student and said it appeared to be a random killing.

Chapel Hill Police Chief Brian Curran, speaking at a news conference, described the pictures as "our biggest break so far" in the investigation into the death of Unversity of North Carolina student body president Eve Carson...Police have yet to identify the person in the photos, who apparently used an ATM card belonging to Carson, a senior who was shot to death early Wednesday on a city street not far from campus.

Curran said police have circulated the pictures with police departments in North Carolina, hoping their officers can help identify the suspect. The ATM photos show a young man in a baseball cap and hooded sweat shirt driving a sport utility vehicle that may be Carson's Toyota Highlander, Curran said.

In both of these utter tragedies, the victims were shot to death. As a feminist, I look at these horrors and it simply reinforces my deeply-held belief that all women, especially young campus women, should learn to use a firearm and be given concealed weapons permits. Send your prayers to the families and friends of these young, as we all suffer the loss of two extraordinary bright minds.

And let's hope the police get this other freak who thought murdering Eve Carson to get her wallet and car was a good idea.

UPDATES 3/9:

Posted by Tammy · March 8, 2008 03:17 PM · Permalink · Comments (11)
Crime | Death of Right and Wrong | Justice/Judiciary | Tragedy

Benazir Bhutto, 1953-2007

**This post will be updated regularly. Please scroll down past the jump for new information**

UPDATE: al-Qaida takes responsibility.

Benazir Bhutto was assassinated today in Pakistan. She was shot multiple time and then the assassin blew himself up killing 20 additional people.

Bhutto was a Muslim woman who was committed to democracy. She repeatedly stated that Islam was her religion, not her government. She believed completely it he separation of church (mosque) and state. And she had massive support in Pakistan. A woman who exemplified the fact that not all Muslims are fundamentalist maniacs. Islamist obsession with murdering her also reveals exactly how fragile the al-Qaida/Taliban death Cult really is. At the same time, this opens the door to a civil war in Pakistan. Another situation which makes us have to seriously think about who we want in the White House for the next 4 years. And whether or not President Bush has the cajones to aggressively deal with Islamists if they attempt to gain control of Paki nukes. Frankly, right this minute I'd be more comfortable with Giuliani in the White House instead of Bush.

At 3:30pm PT I will have Claudia Rossett on KABC Radio speaking about the assassination. Claudia has interviewed Bhutto and notes that while this murder is bad news for Pakistan, Bhutto was no saint. It'll be a good discussion. Hope you can join us.

Posted by Tammy · December 27, 2007 10:10 AM · Permalink · Comments (16)
Open Thread | Tragedy | War on Radical Islam

Now We Know What Caused the Diana Crash

A drunk and drug-crazed driver, and paparazzi snapping pictures in front of the car. I always presumed the photogs were on the side. Now, as revealed by these never before seen photos, those freaks were actually in front of the car snapping away. You know what it's like to have someone in front of you with their brights on, imagine the flashbulbs of cameras going off in your face right in front of the car. Awful.

The look on Henri Paul's face, the driver, makes it clear he's the drunk/drugged driver the blood tests indicated, and Diana, while reportedly looking back to see the photogs behind them, it seems quite obvious she's shielding herself from the photogs in front of them. Little did any of them know that seconds after these photos were taken, they would all be dead, with the exception of the "bodyguard" who looks more interested in protecting her from a camera lens instead of getting her seatbelt on her. That man, after all the people he was assigned to protect were dead, should have killed himself.

So, forget the conspiracy theories, and look at what it's like to have photographers blinding you right in front of the car. What you've got are Diana's final moments. Why these photogs are not in jail, I do not know.

Posted by Tammy · October 3, 2007 10:42 AM · Permalink · Comments (6)
Tragedy

Blog Dedication to Barbara Olson for 9/11

Barbara Olson, December 7, 1955-September 11, 2001

For the 6th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, my blog is dedicated to Barbara Olson, as representative of all those who fell that day and all of our troops who have fought the depraved enemy in the years that have passed. Through the next week visitors to Tammy Blog will see Barbara's pic in the left hand column with a link to her wikipedia page

On another note, I began to fly my flag yesterday in remembrance of 9/11. While many of you fly the flag 365, for those of you who don't, I encourage you not to wait for Tuesday; fly it now and through the week.

Posted by Tammy · September 9, 2007 12:38 PM · Permalink · Comments (8)
Patriotism | September 11 | Tragedy

Richard Jewell, Hero But Falsely Accused As Olympic Bomber, Dead

Richard Jewell

Richard Jewell has been found dead in his home at the age of 44. Jewell was in fact a hero by noticing the suspicious backpack left in Olympic Park, giving people enough warning and moving them out of the way, saving countless lives. Yet, even in today's headlines, the fact that the FBI let leak that he was a (convenient) suspect forever tragically overshadowed his heroism.

Richard Jewell, Wrongly Accused in Atlanta Olympics Bombing, Dead at 44

ATLANTA — Richard Jewell, the former security guard who was erroneously linked to the 1996 Olympic bombing, died Wednesday, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.

Jewell, 44, was found dead in his west Georgia home, GBI spokesman John Bankhead said. "There's no suspicion whatsoever of any type of foul play. He had been at home sick since the end of February with kidney problems," said Meriwether County Coroner Johnny Worley.

Last year, Jewell have the AP an interview which detailed the damage done to the man because , IMHO, the FBI gave the media a suspect in an attempt to quell the fears of the Olympics-attending public. Jewell was that sacrificial lamb and another travesty of the Clinton/Reno Department of Justice.

Posted by Tammy · August 29, 2007 02:07 PM · Permalink · Comments (3)
Hero | Tragedy

Tom and Katie Sleep in Separate Bedrooms...

Breathe Right or separate bedrooms? Apparently a tough call for Tom Cruise.

Because he snores. And Angelina Jolie and I sleep in separate bedrooms because she snores. Or maybe it's because we really don't know each other. Actually, I'd have trouble breathing with Katie in my bed, too, but only at first :)

Katie blames Tom Cruise's snoring for sleeping in separate bedrooms

It's an age old problem, and many a wife has suffered because of it - but not Katie Holmes.

Tom Cruise and wife Katie Holmes are reported to sleep in separate bedrooms, so she doesn't have to suffer his snoring.

A source told US magazine, Star: "It's a situation that works for both of them"...

"In fact, they even joke about having separate bedrooms to their friends – Katie says Tom snores, and this way she can get her beauty sleep!"

"Of course they spend time together alone at night like most married couples; after all, they conceived Suri!"

Hey, what's this doing here?!

Newark Massacre Update

A warrant issued for fourth beast, 24-year-old Rodolfo “Gomez” Godinez

The hunt continues as Newark finds out what happens to your town when you make it a 'Sanctuary City' for illegal aliens, establishing a haven for the criminal and the depraved.

They arrested a third suspect, a minor, yesterday, and today issued a warrant for a fourth suspect.

Arrest Warrant Issued For 4th Suspect In Newark Killings

In the midst of three funerals Saturday for the college students killed execution style in a Newark schoolyard last week, Newark Mayor Cory Booker hosted a brief press conference announcing an arrest warrant issued for a fourth suspect in the killings.

Rodolfo “Gomez” Godinez, approximately 24, is being sought in connection with the killings, Booker said.

A warrant was issued Friday night for Godinez' arrest on three counts of murder; four counts of robbery; one count of attempted murder; conspiracy to commit robbery; and weapons charges.

Posted by Tammy · August 11, 2007 11:14 AM · Permalink · Comments (1)
Crime | Death of Right and Wrong | Immigration | Tragedy

Popular Mechanics on the Bridge and Our Infrastructure

An opinion piece addresses our infrastructure, its age and use to the breaking point.

Minn. Bridge Collapse Reveals Brittle America

It will take time to determine why the Interstate 35 bridge collapsed, so tragically, during the height of a Minneapolis rush hour on Wednesday night. But investigators will likely find that two factors contributed to its failure: age and heavy use. Bridge 9340 was constructed in 1967, 11 years after the launch of the Eisenhower Interstate System. Until it plunged into the Mississippi River, it served as a transportation lifeline for the growing Twin Cities population, carrying across its 14 spans many of the SUVs, cars and trucks that accounted for the 42 percent rise in Minnesota’s vehicle traffic from 1990 to 2003.

Age and heavy use are by no means isolated conditions. According to a report card released in 2005 by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), 160,570 bridges, or just over one-quarter of the nation’s 590,750-bridge inventory, were rated structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. The nation’s bridges are being called upon to serve a population that has grown from 200 million to over 300 million since the time the first vehicles rolled across the I-35W bridge. Predictably that has translated into lots more cars. American commuters now spend 3.5 billion hours a year stuck in traffic, at a cost to the economy of $63.2 billion a year.

Minneapolis Bridge Tragedy

The bridge, right after collapse, swiped from LGF.

Many have asked why I have not blogged on this. First, this story is just heartbreaking and frankly, I have found it difficult to pontificate. Also, one of the things I struggle with is trying to not have the blog be an echo chamber. Many great blogs were covering this extremely well from the beginning. Charles at LGF had great threads in motion with details, commentary, links and hundreds of comments from his lizards.

But mostly, this event speaks for itself, really, It is horrific and inexplicable. My first reaction, probably like yours, was horror, and then the question, Why? Personally, I don't think my asking those questions, the natural place for a blogger to go, is appropriate right now. At the press conference going on right now we've been told there are still bodies, unrecovered, on the bridge and in the water. These are not missing people (of which there are some) but people who were partially pinned, crushed or seriously injured and found but then died at the scene. any of those people are apparently still unrecovered because it was simply impossible to remove them.

Some are already laying blame. There is plenty of time for that. In this nation this sort of tragedy is unacceptable. Bridges here should not fall down. There is a bridge safety rating system we're learning about. 70,000 bridges in America have been labeled with the "functionally obsolete" category. I, like you, will be asking questions about this, and the general condition of our infrastructure, but right now, frankly, it's just not the time, at least for me.

I'll make this time commentary on Tammy Radio today, but for today, let's pray for the victims and their families. Every now and then on the radio program I remind you to take nothing for granted; that anything can happen in a moment which changes everything. I know being intensely conscious in every moment is difficult, but this is one more reminder that even going about your daily routine can bring something terribly unexpected. One man was alive but pinned, he survived long enough to tell rescue workers to give a message to his family. Thanks goodness. Many, though, did not have tat opportunity.

Take a moment today to make sure everyone in your life knows how you feel. It not only can't hurt, it's a always a good thing to do.

There are many moving survivor stories, and other updates. Here's a link to the Google lineup for just one example of the coverage.

For the best local coverage, read James Lileks' blog and coverage at the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Posted by Tammy · August 2, 2007 08:23 AM · Permalink · Comments (2)
Tragedy

One of Our Kidnapped Soldiers Believed Found

Joseph Anzack Jr., 20 of California, Byron Fouty, 19, of Michigan, and Alex Jimenez, 25, of Lawrence

UPDATE: CONFIRMED. Military officials have told the family of Pfc. Joseph Anzack Jr. of Torrance, California, that his body has been recovered. Keep the Anzack family, and all the families of our troops, in your prayers tonight and always.

***

The fact that this is happening in 2007 is due exclusively to the president's refusal to take on the enemy. The fact that there is still an al-Qaida, a Taliban in Afghanistan and a "Triangle of Death" in Iraq is continuing proof that the president has failed.

Now, the tortured body of an American soldier has been found in the Euphrates River. If this was the United States of Tammy, the al-Anbar province, where al-Qaida and Saddam's Baath Party remnants have established their base, would be given the Dresden treatment. It is past time for the Islamist enemy to experience what quelled the Japanese and German enemies of America and civilization went through.

Body Believed to Be Missing U.S. Soldier Found in Iraq

BAGHDAD — Iraqi police discovered a body floating in the Euphrates River south of Baghdad Wednesday that is believed to that that of a missing U.S. soldier.

Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, chief U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, told reporters that U.S. authorities took custody of the body but have not determined if it was that of one of three soldiers missing since May 12...The man had been shot in the head and chest, Babil police Capt. Muthana Khalid said.

Iraqi police using civilian boats searched for other bodies on the river in Musayyib, about 40 miles south of Baghdad, and U.S. troops intensified their presence on a nearby bridge as helicopters flew overhead, witnesses said.

Hassan al Jibouri, 32, said he saw the body clothed in a U.S. military uniform with head wounds and whip marks on its back floating on the river Wednesday morning. He and others then alerted police.

Desperately heartbreaking and completely unnecessary. How dare President Bush and this administration allow an environment to exist where the enemy is so arrogant and and empowered.

The news may be worse. Iraq Slogger is now reporting that three bodies, in two difference locations, have been found. Pray for all the families of those young men, and everyone who has a loved one serving.

Posted by Tammy · May 23, 2007 10:46 AM · Permalink · Comments (10)
Military | Tragedy

VA. Gov Kaine Gets Loopy About Gun Laws

I can understand how well meaning people will flail about in the immediate aftermath of an atrocity, saying stupid things about banning guns. After all, all of us would like very much to stop this sort of thing from ever happening again. And since you can't control people (no matter how much the left wants to) the next 'controllable' thing is an inanimate object, via which you can then, supposedly, control people. Not.

Once normal people sit down and have time to think about the issue, the argument that more gun control is the answer becomes absurd on its face. After all, Virginia Tech is a gun-free zone. Except, of course, the insane criminal who murdered 32 people didn't care about that, anymore than he cared about the fact that it's also illegal to murder people. Cho was also forbidden from owning a gun because of the court declaration that he was an 'imminent threat to others' and mentally unstable. But Kaine's state doesn't yet make that information available to gun shop owners.

Va. Gov. Ponders Tightening Gun Laws

The Virginia Tech massacre might boost efforts to require stringent background checks of buyers at gun shows, but state lawmakers probably do not have an appetite for any broad bans, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said Thursday.

At gun shows, collectors and other firearms aficionados can sell and trade weapons without checking the seller's history. Seung-Hui Cho, who killed 32 students and faculty members before committing suicide, bought his guns legally [that's not true. Cho's adjudicated mental state made that purchase illegal--ed.] through gun shops.

Efforts to tighten the gun-show law die perennially in Virginia's Republican-run, pro-gun General Assembly.

"I've always supported closing the gun-show loophole. It's just the enforcement of existing law: Felons shouldn't have a gun," the Democrat told The Associated Press.

Newsflash for Governor Kaine: Cho was not a felon nor did he get his gun at a gun show. If guns are going to be the thing we respond to because of this (as opposed to allowing the mentally deranged to wander around our campuses), the real issue, the real lesson, is the fact that wherever guns are banned (like Washington, DC, London, and Virginia Tech), murder becomes an epidemic and violent crime in general rises exponentially. Only the armed law-abiding can stop felons determined to do harm (again) or the never-arrested strangely quiet men who stalk women, and finally act on their murder fantasies.

The state of Tennessee, as an example, understands this and took action.

Ann Coulter also has a column out today about the ongoing debate about the cause of the VTech massacre, and takes issue with the 'mental health' exception for buying a gun. I like that rule. If you're certifiably nuts, then you shouldn't have a gun.

Posted by Tammy · April 26, 2007 05:00 PM · Permalink · Comments (4)
Leftists | Politics | Second Amendment | Tragedy

Vtech Students Return to Class Today

One week after the tragedy. Their return to some semblance of normality is a testament to their courage and resilience. Send them your good wishes and prayers, support their Memorial Fund if you can, and pay your respects all at their main/memorial site.

The students have asked the media to leave campus. Let's hope that request is honored. It's the least they can do after every network's ghoulish airing of the Cho videos, effectively allowing that savage to reach from the grave to terrorize everyone again.

Posted by Tammy · April 23, 2007 08:12 AM · Permalink · Comments (1)
Mainstream Media | Tragedy

Gun Rights Strengthened After VTech Tragedy?

Only if the point is made well and regularly. This is an argument that will be won or lost not on the truth of the matter (the efforts to ban guns still inexplicably continues), but on a persistent and persuasive public discussion. And you know the Establishment Media will resist that with all their might. As an example, note the nature of the headline of the following story out of France. Instead of couching the core of the article in the truth such as the importance of the individual right to defend oneself, it offers a non-human monolith 'gun lobby' as being strengthened by the tragedy. Sheesh.

Pro-gun lobby strengthened following US campus shooting

The powerful US gun lobby, far from being weakened by last week's tragic college campus shooting, actually has emerged stronger, gun advocates said, stepping up calls Sunday for a better-armed US citizenry to prevent future attacks.

Gun rights advocates said that following last week's massacre, in which 23-year-old Cho Seung-Hui fatally shot 32 victims at Virginia Tech University, gun control forces will be hard pressed to make the case for tighter restrictions...

"They had gun control on campus and it got all those people killed, because nobody could defend themselves," he told AFP. "You want people to be able to defend themselves -- always," he said. an Cleave said the tragedy could give a boost to a years-long effort in Virginia to pass legislation allowing students to carry weapons on campus -- especially since existing laws failed to prevent Cho's murderous rampage.

Posted by Tammy · April 22, 2007 11:08 PM · Permalink · Comments (0)
Second Amendment | Tragedy

Cho Family Issues Heartfelt Apology

I had been looking at the Cho family a little sideways since the VTech atrocity. My feeling is, while Cho himself is exclusively responsible, doesn't a family have some duty to recognize one of their own has become so dangerous? I must say, however, the statement they have now released seems heartfelt and genuine and makes me view them a bit more sympathetically. I'm curious to know what you have been thinking about his family, and whether or not you think a family should bear some burden/responsibility to keep society safe from dangerous adult family members.

AP: Va. gunman's family feels hopeless

BLACKSBURG, Va. - The family of Virginia Tech gunman Seung-Hui Cho told The Associated Press on Friday that they feel "hopeless, helpless and lost," and "never could have envisioned that he was capable of so much violence."

"He has made the world weep. We are living a nightmare," said a statement issued by Cho's sister, Sun-Kyung Cho, on the family's behalf.

It was the Chos' first public comment since the 23-year-old student killed 32 people and committed suicide Monday in the deadliest shooting rampage in modern U.S. history. Raleigh, N.C., lawyer Wade Smith provided the statement to the AP after the Cho family reached out to him. Smith said the family would not answer any questions, and neither would he.

"Our family is so very sorry for my brother's unspeakable actions. It is a terrible tragedy for all of us," said Sun-Kyung Cho, a 2004 Princeton University graduate who works as a contractor for a State Department office that oversees American aid for
Iraq.

"We pray for their families and loved ones who are experiencing so much excruciating grief. And we pray for those who were injured and for those whose lives are changed forever because of what they witnessed and experienced," she said. "Each of these people had so much love, talent and gifts to offer, and their lives were cut short by a horrible and senseless act."..."We are humbled by this darkness. We feel hopeless, helpless and lost. This is someone that I grew up with and loved. Now I feel like I didn't know this person," Cho's sister said. "We have always been a close, peaceful and loving family. My brother was quiet and reserved, yet struggled to fit in. We never could have envisioned that he was capable of so much violence."

She said her family will cooperate fully and "do whatever we can to help authorities understand why these senseless acts happened. We have many unanswered questions as well."

Posted by Tammy · April 20, 2007 02:50 PM · Permalink · Comments (25)
Tragedy

The Faces of Heroes

Professor Liviu Librescu and his wife Marlena

Ryan Clark

Two very different men, but they shared at least one remarkable thing in common--they assisted those in need, at the expense of their own lives--Professor Liviu Librescu and student Ryan Clark.

Israeli professor and Holocaust survivor Liviu Librescu saved the lives of students as he stood in front of his classroom door to keep the roaming murderer from shooting his students. The extra time allowed many young people to escape by jumping out the windows.

Ryan Clark was a young man just a month or so away from graduating. His nature made him perfect to be a Resident Assistant, he was always helping people, and went out of his way to make newcomers feel welcomed. On Monday, Ryan went to help his neighbor Emily Jane Hilscher when a fight broke out between her and the murderer Cho. That natural act of compassion and protection cost him his life. Astounding men both. Here are their stories.

Holocaust Survivor, Professor Killed Helping Students Escape

JERUSALEM — A 76-year-old professor who survived the Holocaust was shot to death while saving his students from the Virginia Tech assailant, students said.

Liviu Librescu, an internationally respected aeronautics engineer who taught at Virginia Tech for 20 years, saved the lives of several students by barricading his classroom door before he was gunned down in the massacre, according to e-mail accounts sent by students to his wife.

"He should be recognized as a hero," Virginia Tech graduate student Philip Huffstetler said. "We should be in such great debt to his family for the rest of our lives." "He is the reason that the student could not get inside and shoot more people," said Asal Arad, a Virginia Tech student. "Obviously, he is a hero."

This astounding sacrifice from a man who has known mostly hardship his entire life. Interned in a concentration camp when Romania collaborated with the Nazis during WWII. Having survived that, his career was shortened when he refused to pledge allegiance to the communist Romanian government. And only when Menachem Begin intervened, was his family eventually allowed to emigrate to Israel.

So the next time someone tries to make excuses for a murderer or a terrorist, or some other evil soul, by excusing their behavior because of a tough childhood, or abuse in life, remember Mr. Librescu who showed us that no matter what happens to you, you are in charge of who you become.

God bless Mr. Librescu, his family, and Israel for saving them. And God bless the Jewish people everywhere, for having to withstand so much, and yet serving as examples for humanity in all of man's pursuits, including the effort to be our best selves, no matter what.

'Above and beyond helping people'

Virginia Tech senior Ryan Clark, one of the first victims in Monday’s shooting, exemplified Virginia Tech’s motto "That I May Serve," according to his family, friends and co-workers...Clark, 22, a senior from Martinez, Ga., and a member of Virginia Tech’s marching band, was a triple major in psychology, biology and English with a 4.0 grade point average, his family said. He planned to pursue a doctoral degree in psychology with a focus in cognitive neuroscience.

Ryan Clark, whose nickname was "Stack," played baritone and was a fifth-year member, the personnel officer and a former co-librarian of the Marching Virginians. He also was a member of Circle K, the student service organization.

Clark’s friends posted online tributes remembering him as honest, caring and energetic. "He was a loved friend, mentor, and role model who will always hold a special place in the hearts of all the MVs [Marching Virginians] as a true example of The Spirit Of Tech," one commemoration said.

Illustrating what an astounding family Ryan comes from, his twin brother, Bryan, even in the midst of his brother's heroism, remains humble about his selfless act.

He was a few short weeks away from graduating with top honors at Virginia Tech with not one, not two, but three different majors. Quickly dubbed the over achiever in the family, they always expected Ryan to make headlines one day. But never could they have imagined it would be like this.

“It’s not the wrong place at the wrong time. It's the right place at the wrong time. He was doing what he knew was right,” said his brother Bryan Clark.

Ryan Clark’s twin-brother, Bryan, says Ryan was only doing his job as a 2nd year resident advisor at the Ambler Johnston coed dorm when he was caught in the line of fire.

“There was a commotion and he went to help. That's how he's always been.”

Wow.

UPDATE:

sean+mcquade.jpg

Gateway Pundit has a moving post on Sean McQuade, one of the VTech victims who remains in a coma.

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Posted by Tammy · April 17, 2007 05:12 PM · Permalink · Comments (7)
Hero | Tragedy

Ban Guns? How About Banning Foreign Men on Student Visas

There's a lot of talk about how banning guns would have prevented the VTech tragedy. When you think about it the truth of the matter is the two largest massacres on American soil in the last 80 years were not committed by Americans, but by foreign men here on student visas.

The weapons of choice were different: airplanes versus firearms. Interesting, after September 11th, even as airplanes and box cutters were used to murder 3,000 people, no one called for the banning of those items, both of which had now been proven to be weapons of mass destruction.

Yet, when it comes to the VTech massacre, the rhetoric revolves not around the common factor of these events of mass murder--foreign men on student visas--but how 'lax gun laws' allowed this to happen.

One Roanoke editorialist has actually called for the repeal of the Second Amendment as a response to the tragedy. Of course, if we are to react to the facts of these mass murders, we would be repealing student visas. But we certainly can't let facts get in the way here. Nope. For the left, the only thing that matters is finding a way to manipulate this horrible event to further their own agenda.

The Second Amendment is what it is, alas

No matter how much mayhem and tragedy may be caused by gun violence in the United States, such costs are more than an acceptable trade-off for many people who are determined to preserve "the right to keep and bear arms."

I do advocate a strengthening of restrictions on the proliferation primarily of handguns, through requiring a state-approved purchase permit, periodic relicensing to demonstrate proficiency and safety awareness, and registration through a law-enforcement agency. These seem reasonable conditions for a civilized society to impose in the interest of public safety.

Fascinating. This man thinks 'safety awareness' classes would have somehow stopped this from happening. That permits and proficiency demos are what's missing here. Newsflash editorial writers: the law-abiding would follow those rules. The criminally insane do not. This man's genius conclusion?

The Founders wrote what they wrote, but they wrote for a century and a nation for which the Second Amendment no longer is appropriate. Yet we should adhere faithfully to the letter and spirit of the Constitution: Quixotic as it may be right now, I propose that we begin thinking about invoking the Constitution's Article V and repeal the Second Amendment.

I'm still stunned that so many people think that a man who was capable of breaking the law against murdering innocent people somehow would have been stopped by a law making guns illegal. The other explanation could be, of course, that gun control advocates fully understand gun laws won't stop criminals. But that's okay, because the real target is to make sure the average person (i.e. you and me) is unarmed. We are the target of the left, which has only been able to come to power historically when a citizenry is unable to defend itself.

On this issue, The Conservative Voice looks at the difference between the NRA's initial reaction and the hyper-opportunism of the Brady Campaign.

The Confederate Yankee expertly calls out ABC's The Blotter and Brian Ross for that infamous lack of integrity the Establishment Media still seem to nurse. (HT Hot Air)

The most chilling news is the fact that back in Januaru of 2006, the gun ban on all of Virginia's campuses was reinforced, a move that VTech administrators hailed as something that would make people on campus "feel" safer. But feeling safer and actually being safer are two very different things. (HT Pat).

Gun bill gets shot down by panel

A bill that would have given college students and employees the right to carry handguns on campus died with nary a shot being fired in the General Assembly...The bill was proposed by Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah County, on behalf of the Virginia Citizens Defense League. Gilbert was unavailable Monday and spokesman Gary Frink would not comment on the bill's defeat other than to say the issue was dead for this General Assembly session.

Virginia Tech spokesman Larry Hincker was happy to hear the bill was defeated. "I'm sure the university community is appreciative of the General Assembly's actions because this will help parents, students, faculty and visitors feel safe on our campus."

Many of us have written extensively more laws "controlling" or banning firearms will never keep them out of the hands of those who want them. Bryan at Hot Air has a terrific find exposing the fact that the VTech mass murderer, because of his status, was already forbidden by law to have a gun. That, of course, didn't seem to concern him.

As far as the Foreign Males on Student Visas--the actual human beings who have now killed over 3,000 Americans right here at home--no one seems to think that's an issue worth addressing. I have a feeling, however, that everyone who did not survive 9/11/01 and 7/16/07 might feel differently.

UPDATE:

The Chicago Trib reports that as a 'permanent legal resident' Cho was eligible to buy a handgun. It was still illegal, however, to bring any gun onto VTech's campus. Yeah.

UPDATE:

In Comments, WhatYouSay? made an excellent point about my not including the Oklahoma City bombing in this post. My apologies to everyone, especially those in Oklahoma City.

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Posted by Tammy · April 17, 2007 02:17 PM · Permalink · Comments (4)
Leftists | Mainstream Media | Malignant Narcissism | Second Amendment | Tragedy

VTech Tragedy Open Thread

As you know, I'm on the air right now but am composing a number of posts about yesterday's tragedy. In the meantime, I wanted to at least get a thread going for those of you who would like to comment/post on the situation.

Plus:

Despite the EM and lefty hype, Volokh reports on how uncommon mass shootings at schools really are.

Posted by Tammy · April 17, 2007 10:31 AM · Permalink ·

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