Another Day Another Shooting...

Lori Lancaster | October 10, 2007
[hidden by request]

Scott Hardie | February 15, 2008
I don't know if anybody has anything to say about today's shooting at NIU – what's to say about another sad, pointless waste of life? – but word through friends is that Derek Sutcliffe, an early user of this site, is among those shot and in the hospital. Derek wrote a slew of posts (link) during TC's first year, when it was a blog, and with Anna he defined a lot of what became TC's author etiquette. He also participted in Web Page Survivor against Anna, Kris, Kelly, and others, and he's a longtime friend of Dan Donovan from RB (which is how I know Dan, who brought us Eric Wallhagen, the Martin family, and others). I wish Derek a speedy recovery.

Amy Austin | February 15, 2008
Oh my God.

I don't know Derek and so don't have much of noteworthiness to say, except of course for the natural seconding of wishes for speedy recovery... how scary is that.

Seriously... how scary *is* that when you finally "know somebody who knows somebody" that this happens to?!! Says just too much about the epidemic of depressed idiots with guns -- and (not so) funnily, says something to me about the idea of returning to school to finish my degree... something I've been tossing around in my head for some time now. I think I might have to invest in some Kevlar first. ;-\

Kelly Lee | February 15, 2008
I think that it's the same Derek. My Brother asked on the phone if I had remembered Derek, and well, he's had a lot of friends I don't keep track of. That's how I heard about it.

Kelly Lee | February 15, 2008
Update: I confirmed with my Brother, it's Derek's little brother, he was there, and he wasn't shot.

Amy Austin | February 15, 2008
Oh! Well, that's a relief... now I only know somebody who knows somebody... who knows somebody... who saw somebody go crazy on a shooting spree.

Seriously, though... so sorry for the random folks who were/are affected -- but glad it's no one we know.

Lori Lancaster | February 16, 2008
[hidden by request]

Anna Gregoline | February 19, 2008
I'm sick of this crap. Why can't these people shoot themselves first?

Jackie Mason | February 20, 2008
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Kelly Lee | February 20, 2008
Heh. The news is about ratings, it's about sensationalism. You think if a news show wants to stay on air ISN'T going to show every little bit they can, and make this into a huge deal?

It would be nice to live in a world that had ethics like that. Sigh.

Jackie Mason | February 22, 2008
[hidden by request]

Scott Hardie | February 22, 2008
Well, the news is a business, but many people in journalism (if not their corporate bosses) take their public trust seriously. They believe that the need for the public to be informed about the details of the crime, including the shooter's identity, is more important than not fuflilling his wish to get on the news. When NBC decided to run what Seung-Hui Cho had sent them, they did so in an objective and restrained way, almost as if going about it out of grim duty. There are plenty of nightly newscasts that thrive solely on violence and sensationalism (ask Carol Marin), but they're not all like that.