Thursday, February 14, 2008
NIU's St Valentine's Day Massacre
I thought at this time of night, I would be finishing up an evening of dinner and romance with Luke. Instead late this afternoon we started hearing stories about a shooting at another Illinois state school, Northern Illinois University. I didn't believe until I saw it for myself on the television. I spent most of the rest the afternoon/evening watching the television. I know a lot of people that go to NIU and it was unreal to see the school on television. I've been there on more than a couple of occasions. There was a report around 5 that said there were no fatalities besides the gunman. I sighed a deep sigh of relief until I found out there were actually five people killed. I've talked to most of my friends that go there and everyone is ok. There's a few people that I haven't heard from but I'm sure on a day like this they have more important things to do than call me back. But it's all been so unreal. My heart is twisting and I've teared up several times. Seeing people my age on CNN, at a school that's somewhat similar to my school. We all want to say it can't happen here, that we're all invincible but then reality steps in. So unreal.
posted by Amy at 9:30 PM
5 Comments:
Strange. I've been "unplugged" for most of the day and just read this news on CNN.com. About an hour later I remembered this blog and that you were from the Chicago area and came here to see if you had posted anything about this.
Really fucked up - no other way to put it. Just plain awful.
I am real sorry about the terrible thing that has happened up there. You have all my support and good thoughts. If you need anything just let me know you can email me directly it is on my blog. I hope all your friends are safe.
The Muscle Bound Geek
David Shorb
In the late 80s, "death by cop" suicides, typically by angry or deranged men became popular. But ever since the Columbine massacre in Colorado (1999), death by mass murder has grown.
Why? In part, it is because the media saturates us with it. Remember how the videotape by the Virginia Tech massacre was aired by NBC with cynical glee? Some people just want to die "remembered" somehow in our celebrity saturated culture.
Another trend has been their tendency to attack so-called "gun-free zones like campuses. Or churches, like the one in Colorado Springs - which was presumed to be gun-free, but wasn't.
The only happy note I've found is that a long-term decline of murder on HS campuses remains intact, despite how events like this make one feel: certain that it must be otherwise.
-Orson
Oh Amy, all I know about your school is that its a few hours outside of Chicago and I totally thought of you when I heard this and literally raced on here to check.
I'm also a college student (like 3 hours away from NIU, incidentally, so this is alot more painful than Virgina Tech for me) and I hate this shit. It's so damn terrible for everybody it just isn't fair and I wish it didn't happen. I'm sorry that this happened and I'm sorry that it hit so close to home for you.
you're completely right anonymous. really fucked up is the only way I can still describe it.
muscle bound geek - thanks the support. It really did mean something when I saw your comment appear.
orson - I agree with you mostly and disagree on a point or two. LOL how's that for an answer. But this really isn't the right blog to debate it.
snowbunny - I had no idea you were in my neck of the woods. It still gives me goosebumps. I'm still thinking about it way too much. It's like if it could happen on that campus it could easily happy at any college.
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