We don't know who the gun man was-what if it is a Middle Eastern Student?

[Pachamama]

I pose this question because we don't know anything yet and Bush just had his press conference. It occurred to me, what if this gun man was a student from the Middle East. Can you imagine what is coming next? The fear that will be ratcheted up all across the media and from this administration? Terror, Terror, Terror...If ofcourse it is some local lunatic, they will just attribute it to a nut job and the horror of it. (But will they call it domestic terrorism??)

But I don't know why, I just had so many thoughts that crossed my mind when I heard about this horrible tragedy. As a mother with children in school, this is a parents worst nightmare and my thoughts and prayers to all the parents today that have children who are at Virginia Tech. As I thought of this horrific event, I thought how people across America are shook up and yet imagine, this happens every day to parents in Iraq when 30 people die at the Marketplace or at school or at work.

Those thoughts then brought me full circle to the original question I posed above and then also this: Bush and this administration love to say how they are keeping us safe from terrorism, and yet nothing they have done could have prevented today's tragedy or even ones like it in the future. And while we all fear another 9/11 attack, an event like today can be carried out fairly easily and can everyone imagine if multiple attacks like this were launched across the country one day or if daily we were having these happen? And yet, why, why in the pit of my stomach, I have this feeling that if the gunman was either a student (or not) of Middle Eastern dissent or a Muslim, how this administration will use that.

This administration wants terror and imagine, the talk of this just also got prime attention instead of missing emails and Gonzo's testimony tommorrow.

[fooj]

1. He is reported to be a man of Asian ethnicity.

[Lex]

2. Really?

I hadn't heard that yet.

[MadBadger]

An Eye Witness who was shot had said

It looked like an Asian Male in his twenties wearing a black coat and maroon hat. I'm pretty sure of the last two, not positive.

This was reported probably over three hours ago.

[Lex]

10. Thanks.

I'm at work with limited ability to keep up with the news right now.

I appreciate the info.

[Pirate Smile]

29. I heard that witness say that also. It was on CNN I think.

It is weird but I was relieved that it wasn't someone from the ME. I was also glad it wasn't an african american or a hispanic. I think "some people" would start foaming at the mouth if it was anyone from any of those ethnic groups.

[MadBadger]

7. Delete

[babylonsister]

25. Yes, I've heard it numerous times and MSNBC just repeated that. nt

[johnnie]

9. There is a picture of an Asian male being handcuffed

I wonder if that is where the initial report came from?

[Lex]

11. But I thought the gunman killed himself?

Or so it is being reported.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

15. There was a picture of a white kid with a beard being handcuffed.

Apparently wasn't the shooter though.

[johnnie]

19. Man, how many people were they handcuffing?

I only saw the one pic online. I haven't seen any news reports yet.

[EVDebs]

22. According to this Aussie newsite, an Asian male

"Local television quoted witnesses as saying the gunman was a young Asian man, but little else was known about the shooter, including whether or not he was a student."

32 dead in shooting spree
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21570732-952,00.html

[Karenina]

30. As I've said SO many times before

as similar tragedies have unfolded, I'm just glad he wasn't black. :hide:

[stirlingsliver]

3. I Saw A Picture, and He Appeared to be Asian

The gunman appeared to be Asian.

East Asian.

[submerged99]

6. where did you see this?

Where did you see his picture? I'm looking for that info as well.

[stirlingsliver]

14. CNN or MSNBC

On of the cable news channels.

[gravity]

4. He was not labeled a "terrorists"

so he probably wasn't middle eastern

[blondeatlast]

5. What if he's a pink-striped Venusian? I don't fear another 9/11 attack, I go on about my business.

I refuse to live in fear and suspicion and try as they might, the Neocons have failed to inspire me to do so.

[Pachamama]

13. I think you were missing my point - I too refuse to live in fear and the reality is that what took

place at Virginia Tech could happen any day and easily. And yet ironically, this administration wants us to fear the big attacks and yet terror doesn't need to come in the form of something big like 9/11, it can be daily attacks like this at your children's school, your work, the supermarket etc.

My point is that the Neo-cons and this administration want fear, they want us to be terrorized. And while folks like you and I refuse to live in fear, most Americans do and I am suggesting that if they can, they will play this event up for their purposes, whether its to create more fear and even chisel away our civil liberties and move us even closer to a police state if they can.

:hi:

[blondeatlast]

23. Apologies. I posted similar (regarding my ersonal safety) just

a bit earlier; take a look, if you would:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x667843

It's good to know there is some rational thinking behind this tragedy; maybe we won't let the Neocons pervert the import from it this time.

[acmavm]

8. He looked Asian? When do we bomb North Korea? What will that be

called?

[azurnoir]

16. No it's because

we pulled out of Vietnam, you just knew something like this would happen.:sarcasm:

[John Q. Citizen]

12. I'm a single parent of three and my worst fear is an auto accident,

But I think that's just because so many more people die a year in auto accidents than in random shootings or in plane hijackings.

[Pachamama]

20. Absolutely, I agree with you - more people die in one year in SUV rollovers & accidents than there

were on 9/11, yet look at what people turn their fear and horror towards.

I was merely pointing out how this administration will happily play up things if it is shown to be a muslim or a person from the Middle East (or play on all the Xenophobia period!) I also wanted to point out that as horrible as today was, it happens every day in Iraq. I also wanted to point out that "terrorism" and being terrorized can come in smaller forms, be easier to execute and implement and have similar intended effects as big events....and are more likely to happen.

[etherealtruth]

24. So am I ...

Unfortunately, my oldest child was severely injured in a car accident.

Sometimes bad sh*t happens ...and there's not a thing we can do about it ... and that sucks

[John Q. Citizen]

28. Yep there are no guarantees.

[SoCalDem]

17. Having watched ZERO of this coverage, I will "predict" that

the shooter will turn out to be a "quiet loner", perhaps disgruntled over personal or school problems.

He probably was bullied as a young kid, and probably has very "busy" parents (perhaps a step parent or two)

in other words, he probably fits any stereotype out there.. Just as people can look at a newspaper horoscope, and fit it to suit their own occurrences, the journalistic post mortems of the shooters out there are always stunningly similar...and to try and figure out "why", is the vexing problem of our time.

How do we raise young people to succeed/fail?

What one precipitating event sends someone over the edge?

Why can some kids come from the most horrific of circumstances, rise to the top...while others raised in seeming privilege, pick up a gun and massacre people?


There's a callous nature to society these days, and i fear that even if we DID find out what "causes' these things, most would reject any "cure" because it might "cost too much", or might require actually looking people in the eyes and trying to understand them/.

[Oilwellian]

18. A press conference is due any time

The news here in Roanoke is saying the shooter is Asian.

[treestar]

21. A lack of political motive would still mean it isn't terrorism

Though that wouldn't stop the right wing from using the word.

[EVDebs]

26. Not to be outdone, Mosul Univ today had a similar incident...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2809254

but in Iraq, this happens on a daily basis. Too much evil in the world today; Satan doesn't give us much choice in deciding if he exists, his handiwork is undeniable.

[Journeyman]

27. I think Mark Twain addressed your fears best, Pachamama, when he said. . .

"I am an old man and have known many troubles, most of which never happened."

Let's wait until we have the facts. Then you can speculate and feed your fear.

[Pachamama]

31. Why do people assume from my post that I'm fearful? My feelings or concerns

"my thoughts" were merely a question and more related to what the Neo-cons and MSM would do with it.

The point is that we don't have all the facts yet, and I was posing a "what if" question and not that I'm fearful of it having been a Muslim or someone of ME origin, but rather what the Bush Administration would do to exploit that.

As I said earlier, this kind of thing could happen at any time, and I don't go around scared. I also pointed out that the poor people of Iraq do live with this kind of terror everyday. And I agree, no one should ever speculate. I didn't suggest or "speculate" that the gunman was a Muslim or Middle Eastern. I asked the question "what if" and in relation to what Bush Co. and the MSM would do with that if it were the case.

[Journeyman]

32. Maybe its because you posed a fearful question? . . .

"...what if it is a Middle Eastern Student?... Can you imagine what is coming next? The fear that will be ratcheted up all across the media and from this administration?"

And no, I did not see that you are fearful of a Middle Eastern student, or of terrorists. The fear I spoke of was the fear you voiced: the fear of what BushCo might do with a scenario you yourself admit may not come to pass. And yes, you did speculate -- you speculated on what BushCo would do in such an event. ("The fear that will be ratcheted up all across the media and from this administration? Terror, Terror, Terror...). Read in light of this understanding of your post, Mark Twain's admonition seem quite apropos.

[Pachamama]

33. Your right ....

:hi:

Perfect quote....