Tragedy On Campus
Filed under: R.I.P.
A gunman opened fire at Northern Illinois University on Thursday, killing five people before taking his own life.
This shit makes us so angry!!!!
Why does it seem that kind of stuff happens so much in America but not other parts of the world????
That kind of violence just makes no sense.
Our thoughts with everyone affected by this tragedy.
Posted: February 15, 2008 at 7:24 am
You know this shit happens every day in Iraq and Afghanistan, but we Americans find it a little less human when it's over there.
Re: Patrick – Good point
I go to SIU and this shit is sad! It was so scary having to call everyone I knew who went there to make sure they were okay.
Make Cupcakes, Not War!
Re: gordgirl – "but I would rather live here than anywhere else in the world"
Where else have you lived to make this comparison?Have you travelled out of your own country?
I live in Omaha, the place where the Westroads Mall shooting happened this year…and the only logical answer is…Our country doesn't take care of the mentally ill!!! We suck because we put $$$ into fighting a war that should never have happened in Iraq!!! And we don't take care of our own citizens who are in need of help desperately! We will ALL suffer the consequences of the IDIOTS who put GW Bush back into office after the first 4 years! He does NOT represent the people. GW Bush is a DICTATOR in American clothing!
Re: Megan –
Re: josh – there's no help for you buddy… red neck till grave.
Wow josh, what a fantastic sense of geography you have. Whoever I'm afraid you're referring to as "sand nigs", they sure don't originate from Eastern Europe. If you're trying to make a point about the US being a great country with well-educated citizens, you're failing quite miserably here.
Re: Eva – I said there next to the sand nigs you dumb bitch….bulgaria then turkey and greece… then the sand nigs…shows what your dumbass knows…CUNT
This is my school. I can't believe this happen. You never think it will happen to you.
Thanks to all who support.
Lets start with the fucking schools They have the duty to provide a safe, harassment free environment. Why dont all of them do it?
Re: Megan – Spoken like a true ignorant American. If you think America is the "best country out there", you obviously have never been to other countries. In USA, the degree to which we suffer from poverty, demoralization, fear of authority, lack of proper health care and the other things (too many to list) that make people go completely nuts and kill each other are not found in the other industrialized nations of the world. And it's also way too easy for people to get guns, legally or illegally. Put all that together and there will be episodes like this again and again and again.
Re: Darina – "redneck" you stupid bitch till grave.
Unfortunately its people like Josh who give the states a bad name, it's the ignorance and narrow mindedness that you display that is painting decent people in your country (such as Mary in Nebraska and Amanda) with the same brush.
Re: josh – Hi Josh FYI when referring to a group of people it is their not there.
I agree what's been said about the guns. Millions of guns but why do people get shot? Right..
And it does happen in other parts of the world (just not so very often) but I don't think america gives enough about other countries to actually show it in the news.
This happens because our children don't know how to cope with anything. Working on a college campus, I see students who have never failed in their life (thanks to their helicopter parents), and when they do - they don't know how to deal, and so they go to extreme measures that lead to events such as this. So sad. Seriously, go see a therapist and work on yourself - don't pull in innocent victims because you don't know how to cope with the world!
Re: bj – "their" ah hell, you are so smart…their should have been a period after name not a comma.Smartass-Mr. Perfect.Give me another grammer lesson.
Re: josh – Oh Josh, I love it when you get angry like this when proven wrong. Like a 5 year-old who was denied a candybar. You're just too cute for words.
First off I just want to say that I am a recent graduate of NIU and I am shocked that this conversation is even going on. This only happened yesterday and so many are still trying to process what took place. Show respect for the victims, families and the NIU community. There are still people fighting for their lives. Saying that this tragedy is due to our gun laws (which I admit are lax) or that this is a problem that only occurs in the United States is ignorant. Gun violence occurs all over the world! Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and beliefs but please show some respect. Please stop this conversation and use your energy to pray for/keep in your thoughts the victims, families and NIU community.
i think its a cop-out excuse to blame gun control. Guns are legal here in Canada, they are just as accessible if not more. I think the main difference is the fact that your media publicizes these tragedies hoping to scare the younger generation but instead you are feeding them ideas. Your health care system sucks, if it was better i'm sure these troubled kids wouldn't be able to slip through the cracks. Teachers and parents need to spend more time with their kids, be concerned about the youth instead of chasing the "american dream". i understand that i am generalizing but it is a rational statement, blaming gun control because thats what the media says is just ignorant.
"Why does it seem that kind of stuff happens so much in America but not other parts of the world????
That kind of violence just makes no sense. "
what makes no sense is the millions of people that have died so Americans can protect their oil.
what makes no sense is 9 year old children being forced into the army in several parts of Africa. shotguns being manufactured to fit their tiny bodies.
There are a lot of things going on in the world that doesn't make sense, this tragic event is no where close to the top 10. Its time America stops pitying themselves, stop pointing fingers and just fix it. SUCK IT UP.
doesn't happen in other parts of the world? are you a fucking idiot? does: Iraq, Darfur, Bosnia, Somalia, etc. mean anything to you? fucking thousands die each day and you're bitching about 5 kids that got smoked at some school? it's all relative buddy. wake up. damn fools…
Re: Eva – Thanks, I'll pray for you.
Re: marisa – You and Patrick are totally right, the way our kids are brought up is very unhealthy and has devastating consequences.
WHY IS IT ALWays the crazy white boys ?
The issue is a combination of liberal gun laws and problems with mental health care. It is now known that the gunman had mental health issues and failed to take medication that controlled his psychosis. Hard to say what can be done. However, in previous decades there have certainly been just as many people with mental health issues, but perhaps they did not have ready access to guns. God be with the kids who were killed and peace to all their families. I live in northern Illinois and all the kids have come home. It will be hard for them to go back, but they must. We CANNOT let this type of fear keep our children from learning and living an important part of their youth. If they cannot make ownership of guns illegal, why can't they at least limit gun ownership to one gun and limited ammunition? Don't tell me people can go underground. Both the NIU and VT shooters bought their guns legally with licensed gun dealers!!
To #1031 You are so right. Many of us posting here are parents, we don't want our kids to grow up in a such toxic environment. I say let's start with the schools , make them a better environment .
ahhh, because you have guns!?! duh!
get rid of the guns and you'll have less people dying unnecessarily!
Re: josh – Hahaha! Man, you crack me up. Pray for me?? You just called me a CUNT when I pointed out that Bulgaria and whatever Middle East country you were talking about were not neighbors. Are you for real?? Do us all a favor, pick up an encyclopedia, and go to some anger management course or something. You're on a slippery slope towards becoming one of those midwest christian extremist bombers.
Pegging describes a sexual practice in which a woman penetrates a man's anus with a strap-on dildo.
The origin of the neologism was a winning entry in a June 21, 2001, contest in Dan Savage's Savage Love sex advice column. In the column, it was a specifically heterosexual term; the competition was held after an observation was made that there was no common name for the practice of females penetrating heterosexual men with a dildo. Because the term is quite new, many people use different terms for "pegging", such as "bend over boyfriend" (commonly shortened to BoB) from the popular video series of the same title.
#1027 Rachael
We comment because we care. You can pray as long as you want but this will not bring back the dead. Lets start by making a better place for the living ones, don't you agree?
Re: Eva – It will be alright Eva, just take your pill.
not to down play the atrocities that happen in the Us when somebody decides to go on a shotting rampage but many many horrible things happen allover the world perez….not just in the US, are you forgetting about Rwanda, Uganda, darfur and countless places that children are being murdered everyday
Pics of the Collage shooter with G.W. Bush
http://bane.freefronthost.com/agatebomb7.jpg
Re: START WITH SCHOOLS – I agree but I'd say it isn't just the school's responsibility but also the parents' and our society as a whole. We need to stop seeing people as losers vs winners. Our society has no mercy for failure, this needs to change.
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My thoughts are with the families.
ummmm because you don't have gun laws!
did you really say why does it seem that this stuff only happens in America?
YOU HAVE TO FRIK'N JOKING RIGHT?
let's just count how many car bombings happen in this country and then revisit your statement.
this is a tragedy and maybe it happens so much in america because the market for guns is still so unprotected it is ridiculous
FUCK NRA
Population of the USA - 300 MILLION. Obviously you're gonna find some violent nuts in any country that large.
There is no violence in other countries? Ever hear of a car bomb? this is an example of bad parenting. Todays kids are babied and coddled then can't function in society because the real world is "mean".
This kind of stuff DOES happen in other countries!
Beslan, Russia- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beslan_school_hostage_crisis
September 1, 2004
Jokela, Finland- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jokela_school_shooting
November 7, 2007
Raumanmeri school shooting in Rauma, Finland on January 24, 1989
Dunblane primary school massacre in Dunblane, Scotland, United Kingdom on March 13, 1996
Sanaa school massacre in Sanaa, Yemen on March 30, 1997
Erfurt school massacre in Erfurt, Germany on April 26, 2002
Monash University shooting in Melbourne, Australia on October 21, 2002
School shooting in Carmen de Patagones, Argentina on September 28, 2004
Geschwister School attack in Emsdetten, Germany on November 20, 2006
Beirut Arab University shooting in Beirut, Lebanon on January 25, 2007
Jokela school shooting in Tuusula, Finland on November 7, 2007
Euro International school shooting in Gurgaon, India on December 11, 2007
The right to bear guns- a flipping hard topic. To own guns we need more mental tests, more research into the person. BUT if the VICTIMS would have had guns, maybe somebody's life would have been saved. SEVEN souls LOST.
When you fuckwit redneck Americans realise that guns actually kill people (which is bad, by the way) then you may understand why this shit happens.
A similar thing happened last fall in Montreal, a student went around his college shooting women only.
Hey Perez and all. I am from DeKalb, and this shit is crazy. I went to work today and it seemed so different. The town just seems quite. All I could hear were the choppers flying around all day. Please think of us. Thanks Perez!!
I know why this happens in America and not in other parts of the world. EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE FAMOUS. And if they can't be, then at least they'll be famous on the news for 2 weeks or more. Think about it. America is fucked up.
Hate saying this as don't want to disrespect those innocent people killed but you americans seriously need to get a grip with your gun laws! Columbine,West Virginia tech…etc what next! Here in the uk we have very strict gun laws! It seems too easy in the usa for a bullied disenchanted youth to simply take a gun into school/college/University and shoot those they bare a grudge with! And to think Britain is in the middle of a massive moral panic about knife crime at least our children in th uk aren't easily able to access automatic shot guns and other fire arms the only thing we worry about are kids with their parents bread knife and wannabe extremists on the underground!!
The right question to ask would be why does this happen in schools of all places? You don't hear about shootings in malls, hospitals, gyms, offices, movie theater or concert halls as often. What is it that makes these lunatics want to shoot students?? Is it our obsession with success and failure that make them want to revenge on what they see as their competitors? Is it the lack of security on campuses? Is it a question of emulation? But then how school shootings happen everywhere in the world? I wonder if there is some research done about it? What makes the school their favorite target as institution?
because americas are fucking dumb as hell!!!
Perez.
Montreal, Last year.
There was a school shooting, at the University.
Get your shit straight.
Shit like this happends all over the world.
I love getting the last word. Peace out, God be with victims families.
why does media react so easily when the killer is not a muslim.??
(
if this guy was a muslim they wouldnt shut their mouths abusing Islam and muslims
America is screwed up beyond help. You have the poorest health and education systems and the craziest gun laws around. After every attack you all sit back and ask 'why/how does this keep happening?' but your too blind to see and accept that your country is fucked up.
IM ALLWAYS DEEPLY AFFECTED BY THESE HAPPENINGS,BUT LATELY ITS NOT THAT I DONT CARE ITS JUST THAT I HAVE GROWN NUMB BY IT, ITS TERRIBLE THAT THIS KEEPS HAPPENING, BUT UNTIL WE CHANGE THE LAW REGARDING THE RIGHT TO OWN A WEAPON IT WONT CHANGE EVER,IF PEOPLE WANT TO OWN A GUN ITS O.K WITH ME, BUT I THINK THERE SHOULD REALLY BE A BACKRAOUND CHECK ON A PERSON TO OWN ONE,IF YOU HAVE A HISTORY OF MENTAL ILLNES,A CASE OF DEPRESSION, A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE (OF ANY CASE ASSAULT OR BATTERY OR ANY CASE OF VIOLENCE) SHOULD NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO OWN A GUN OF ANY KIND ,THEY SHOULD MAKE A BACKROUND CHECK ON EVERY PERSON THAT WANTS TO OWN A WEAPON AND MAYBE JUST MAYBE THIS WILL LOW THESE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TRAGEDYS,TOO MANY PEOPLE HAVE DIED ALLREADY FOR A LAW THAT WAS WRITTEN ALONG TIME AGO TO BE ABLE TO DEFEND OURSELFS FROM THE FOREING ENEMY AT THAT TIME WEN THERE WAS A "WAR" TAKING PLACE ,AND NATIONAL DEFENSE WAS EVERYBODYS RESPONSOBILITY,TIME TO UPDATE AND MAKE SOME CHANGES ON SOME LAWS THAT ARE OUT OF THE REALITY WE LIVE NOW………
it does happen everywhere else. read the news. not trying to be mean, just saying.
Why does it happen in America??, a few people mention here the reason, a complete shallow society, that judge people for not being perfect. Please, dont be ridiculous by saying because its easy to get guns.., as someone said guns doesnt kill people, people kill people. Americas problem is its society. Killing an other human being is a response to a serious mental problem, and unfortunatelly more of your young ones have it…
God bless those families and lets pray for this
I think the shootings happen with such frequency because of a cultural problem. Americans are so competitive, selfish, and insecure that they torment others in order to feel better. People are isolated and their parents are overgrown children, who act as such. They worry more about their bodies and dating than their kids. That's why I moved out of there. I'm not proud to be an American.
Re: LoveYouPerezzers! –
I live in champaign; i guess the guy was an under-grad at the u of i? it's so weird something like this could happen so close to home. i heard on the news today that the guy actually lived here in champaign, when they said where it freaked me out because it's less than a mile from where i live; also i have a friend who lives in the same apartment building.
-lindsey
We just had a school shooting here in Louisiana at a college. Its so sad people do this. Tragic.
as an american i think everyone needs to shut the fuckk up about all of our gun laws. guns dont kill people, people kill people. anybody could do the same thing with any other weapon, like a knife. you wanna have laws on knife control too?? && dont comment about america as a whole, its not like we wanted him to kill people.
Re: heyy – Great point!!
everyone just needs to stop dissing america. this isnt about americas poor gun control, its about taking peoples lives. terrorist attacks happen EVERYWHERE so deal with it. stop writing shitty comments about america because not all americans are going around shooting people. its very unfortunate that this happened and everyone just needs to focus on the victims who were killed instead of the country it occured. i pray for every person who dies in that shooting and i pray to their families.
oh fuck perez dont generalize. its just you fkn americans that have to make everything huge. these things happen every single fucking day in the whole world, shut up. and yeah, maybe its because of the gun laws you idiot.
fucktards.
Norway and Canada have close to the same percentage of households with guns and they don't have nearly the same amount of gun violence.
It's the criminal justice system destroyed by the liberals who have made it very difficult to severely punish criminals and the conservatives who have filled our jails with minor drug offenders.
It's a worn out cliche but outlawing guns won't take the guns away from the outlaws.
Use the net for more than porn and getting the gossip from the fat pig that runs this site and see for yourself that cities with open gun carry laws have virtually ZERO gun violence.
This was shocking to me. NIU is 45 minutes from my house, one of the victims went to my brothers high school, I know about 20 people who go there and probably some more that I can't think of, and the gunman attended my college and lived mere minutes from me. My deepest sympathy goes out to the families, and I am glad to see recognition on this site for a tragedy that hit so close to home.
because u americans are way too stupid. and you elect people like the bush's into power. why do you all even need guns? most other countries work fine without them. the whole world laughs at you every single day.
yeah, we should have more guns over here so one of the other students could have capped that cocksucker off in the temple.
canada sucks….
Re: grace – If we saw a picture of you, us Americans would surely laugh!!hahaha
Re: james –
see what i mean! that's all you can come up with because you know what i said is true..
NRA.
because australia has gun laws. it is illegal to possess a gun.
Re: grace – I guess its true…..the truth hurts!
Re: Retardedjoe – Ignorant post. The crime rate in the United States is similar to other highly developed countries. The violent crime rate percentages in the United States is actually half of what Candada's is. Although the United States has a much higher homicide rate compared to other developed nations, but with that you have to also factor in the size of the country and the perpetrators(sp?) which are mostly repeat offenders. But this type of selfless murdering of innocent lives is utterly unacceptable.
Re: grace – Basic American history education and perhaps some English lessons would really help with your commentary.
Constitutional Rights are the laws that Americans hold very dear and which very few if any other peoples in the world even have. So if you do not have rights like the right to bear arms or freedom of the press, you would not be missing much where you live any way.
If only the world did laugh at the USA every day then Americans could completely withdraw any and all foreign aid to the world but alas that is just not true.
PS Really wierd to be on an American web site hating on American culture and society but each to his own.
Because most people don't have the attitude you yanks have. Plus we don't have guns. Until you have the balls to change your constitution forget getting rid of this terror.
I was in Dekalb today to pick up a friend and the unity of the people on the campus is amazing. It's disgusting that people care about the gun laws more then the families friends and fellow students of the victims of the awful events. My heart goes out to these people and my prayers are with them.
Re: grace – It's so ironic how people from other countires say that America is ignorant, yet people over generalize and make stupid comments not supported by facts. Yes, George Bush has not been the best president ever, but a majority of the people from the U.S. complaining about him, didn't even vote on the election or voted for him. Also do you people forget about the whole system of checks and balances, where as the senate approved him going to war and a majority of the funding for the war? Also the United States is a young country compared to european and african nations which have proven to have F*ed up and have a history much more bloody and immoral then the u.s.
because americans r stupid and sell guns to everyone. der
This is so sad and heartbreaking! These kids had the world by the tail.I feel so sorry for their families. The uncertainty of life. One minute they are sitting in a lecture hall and the next a man comes in armed to the nines and just starts shooting at ramdom. What possesses someone to just take a gun and kill innocent lives?
I went to NIU a couple of years ago….this really shocked me
Are you a moron? This shit happens all over the world. Dumb ass.
Why does it happen in America?
Everybody is armed to the tits for no reason
Re: kate – r u frickin kidding me kate….hello, do you even know what happened ? Screw the right to bare arms….we all bare arms and more people are going to die because of kids like that
Because America is so far behind the rest of the world….what 12th amendment, who cares, times change. Kids are insane in America, this is a serious problem. Follow countries like Australia and buy back all the guns that are out there, it can only help. America is so unsafe and claims to be #1 in everything. Sorry but your government sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Grow up and stop killing your own youth……
Re: jaimee – True Jamie, and they can buy them on the internet like a pair of jeans!!! Seriously America what is wrong with you people!!!!!!!! You are so far behind the rest of the world, these things do not happen anywhere else……guns + out of control kids = death it's not a hard equation to follow. Learn and stop waiting for yet another school killing spree……what the hell is wrong with Americans!!!!!!!!!!!!
Because American gun laws are ridiculous….. Why won't the government do anything???
Okay all you gun haters need to shut the fuck up. I want my guns when one of our cracked out presidents decide they want to do what's "good" for us. I've had family in this country since the 1500's. I'll be damned if anybody tries to take away a RIGHT that my relatives fought for and thought it was necessary to have. Canada seriously get off your fucking high horse, you're America's hat. So stay up and there and Goddess help you if you dare come down here and breathe my sweet freedom air. It's not "very poor gun laws". It's called criminals will do whatever it takes to get the tools they need in order to do their evil. We have the proper laws, we need to enforce them. It's assholes like these shooters that are giving law abiding gun owners a bad name. How many people are members of the NRA and how many of them have gone on shooting rampages? Yeah, so the only time you hear about guns is when something terrible happens. The only time you really care about jumbo jets is when they crash. Take away our guns and I guarantee you that the criminals will still find a way to get them. That's what makes them criminals, not guns.
I'll get off my soap box. But I think people should be a little more educated about guns before making the assumption they kill people, they don't. People do.
A similar shooting happened in Canada once. In a college Quebec. It was really sad. :'( I think the whole world really needs stricter gun laws because violence is so unnecessary.
Just around the corner from NIU. God Bless them and keep them all safe and pray for the lost. Tears are shed to all that fell.
As an alumni of NIU, and one who lives 25 mins from campus, it really puts life in perspective. Perez, love ya, but today the lives of celebrities and all their shanagons is just BULLSHIT! WTF! If only they knew how lucky they are to not live a REAL life.
My thoughts and prayers to all the families and students.
Easy access to guns is just part of the problem. There are deeper problems at work here. Most Americans are so insulated that they are not aware or the severe problems facing the rest of the world. Maybe if they knew how many poor, hungry, diseased, victimized people there are around the world, who despite hopeless situations are trying their best to live, their own problems would seem trivial in comparison. Americans need to give lesser importance to wealth, power, surface beauty, materialistic possessions and need to concentrate on building stronger societal, family and support structures for individuals to fall back on in times of crisis.
WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY SUPPORTS NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNVERSITY!
TODAY, WE ARE ALL HUSKIES!
Please show some compassion to the people you come into contact with everyday. YOU could be the ONE to change the outcome any event that may take place. Someone could be having a bad day or week, haven't you? We are all human and deserve some respect even though we may not be giving it to each other at the time.
THINK before you ACT. Sometimes we just need to show compassion.
Re: Haley – Dear Haley, first when insulting someones intelligence: A.) Learn to spell. B.) Do not Generalize a country- you sound ignorant… But in response to what you said, guns dont kill people- people kill people.
Re: james – It's grammAr, dumbass.
cause america is the only fucked up country. you won't ever see that in canada.
Re: TLV – Can you explain to me how our health care system sucks, when thousands of people from YOUR GREAT HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, come down to our country to recieve medical treatment, such as your prime minister? I am not saying our health care system is fair and just, but to say that your healthcare system is overall better than ours is a bold statement .
You people are so wrong!
I just looked up the FACTS from 1998. (all I have in book form) Countries with the highest murder rates: Switzerland 88 per 100,000 people. Columbia 41 per 100,000. Philippines 30 per 100,000. USA 9 per 100,000.
Our weapon of choice just happens to be a gun.
I'd rather be shot than stabbed or strangled! The USA is the BEST. Don't hate us because we're beautiful!