I'm a VA Tech mom and I'm heartsick

[lanlady]

My daughter is safe and sound, thank goodness, but a number of her friends & profs are not so lucky. Three of her friends are confirmed dead, a fourth is presumed dead. The German and French classes that were underway in Norris Hall took a lot of casualties. Because my daughter's in international studies, she knew a number of these kids. Her German professor is also confirmed dead, and the French professor, whom she describes as a very sweet lady from Poland, has not been seen or heard from since the shootings.

The name of the RA who was killed in the dorm (one of two to be killed at West AJ) was Ryan Clark. He was a wonderful young man from Atlanta who played in the Tech marching band. My daughter got to know him well when the band members spent a week in New Orleans to help in the Katrina cleanup. So far he's the only casualty to be identified on TV. His picture's been on CNN. He was 3 weeks from graduation. This is so devastating.

There's a rumor that Bush is going down to Blackburg today. I wonder how many Iraqi university students are dead because of that war criminal.

[pearl]

1. Just want to say I'll be thinking of you,

your daughter and her friends. Peace.

[shaniqua6392]

2. It is just heartbreaking.

I am happy your daughter is safe. It is just so senseless. My thoughts and prayers go out to your family and to the families who lost a loved one. The fact that Bush is using the tragedy to make his poll numbers rise as he attempts to make the public think he is a compassionate man makes me want to vomit. We see right through it. But, our focus shall be on the families of the victims. All we can do is pray for you all. Keep us posted on how your daughter is doing and if you need help in any way.

[BreweryYardRat]

3. I'm sorry to hear that.

:hug:

Glad your daughter's okay.

[lapfog_1]

4. Two profs listed on dept web site as deceased

Prof Liviu Librescu and Prof Kevin Granata.

edit to add link

http://www.esm.vt.edu/

[WePurrsevere]

7. To put a human face on these two victims...

(Thank you so much for posting that link.)

Here are the bios (with a picture) of these two Profs.

Prof Liviu Librescu - http://www.esm.vt.edu/php/person.php?id=10023

Prof Kevin Granata - http://www.esm.vt.edu/php/person.php?id=10012

My heart goes out to ALL the victims and those that love them and whose lives will be forever altered by their loss. :(

[wicket]

15. Thank-you

:cry: :cry: :cry:

[lostnotforgotten]

20. And Because The US Media Ignores All The Innocent Iraqis Killed By Bush

It is all just swept under the rug.

[calimary]

40. A damned shame, too. At first, it was coerced. Remember back when

all this started, and the media were ordered NOT to cover or photograph or do stories about the bodies returning from the war? No footage of coffins being unloaded on the tarmac at Dover AFB, no nothing. And of course, certainly no "commander-in-chief" greeting the returning dead or honoring them at any of their memorials or funerals or graveside services. Do you remember the photographer who lost her job because she dared to take pictures of a large load of flag-draped coffins about to be unloaded from the transport plane? Remember the Pentagon directive - that the term "body bags" would be replaced by "transfer tubes" - and those couldn't be shown, either? The lid of secrecy was clamped down tight because - if these republi-CONS can be relied upon to do ANYTHING, it's to learn from their political mistakes. Not to reform from them, mind you, but to make sure they're slicker about their deviousness, and get away with it next time. And they learned tons from the Vietnam War - especially how the public turned against it after seeing the carnage and the bodies and the destruction and chaos on the evening news every night during the dinner hour. As the public was compelled to face it, and to hear the gory details again and again, and the death toll, and the massacres and waste and chaos, the public began to oppose the war, more and more vigorously every day. Seeing was believing. Unfortunately, THIS time, the bush/cheney machine was determined not to step in it like that. So the answer was - control the message AND the messengers. Censor the war, forbid all coverage except for the government-approved embeds and the judith millers and other stenographers who dutifully reported what they were expected to (except, that is, for that damned clown geraldo rivera giving away various troop movements on Pox Noise) or helped to enable the lies promoting the war.

The media obediently went along with it, without question. That was then. It's still "then," now, sad to say. Only now, they've just gotten lazy. They're out of the habit now. Gotta cover Imus and Anna Nicole's baby, too, dontchaknow. Any defiance has carefully been bred out of them by now, even while the public is slowly waking up and growing increasingly angry and revolted by this, and speaking out about it. Even as the polls show bush and his war more and more unpopular every week. It's a frickin' DISGRACE. An ABSOLUTE DISGRACE. COMPLETELY DISGUSTING. CRIMINAL. DOWNRIGHT TREASONOUS.

BTW - thank you for posting this, lanlady. Gripping mental pictures you paint - and evoke. This is just awful. It grows on you, and gets more awful by the hour. So sad. I'm glad you and your daughter are safe together. Just too much sadness. Too many tears. This has been a VERY bad period in our history. I hope we can come out of it even halfway healed.

[wicket]

34. And another:

http://www.fdi.vt.edu/presenters/bishop_jamie.html

:cry:

[malaise]

8. CNN showed a photo of another Prof

from India - Engineering.

Hug your daughter Lanlady. We all share your collective pain.

[Marrah_G]

32. I would like to add a third Proffessor

I recieved this email when I got to work this morning, it is from a friend/colleague in GA.

-----"Yesterday was a horrific day at Virginia Tech. I was especially saddened last night to find out that Jamie Bishop, the son of my dear friends Mike and Jerri Bishop of Pine Mountain, Georgia was one of the slain victims. Jamie was a second year German professor at VA Tech and a truly great guy. I have known him since the time he was born. I cannot even imagine what his parents are going through. I hope that you will remember them as well as all of the other victims and their families."-----

[wicket]

35. Incredibly sad

:cry:

Thank-you for sharing.

:hug:

[qanda]

5. Oh boy, that is so hard

I'm glad your daughter is safe but she is obviously going through a lot right now. Hugs to you and her.

[Sadie4629]

6. lanlady, my heart goes out to you and your daughter

I know that she will be dealing with the grief for a very long time.

My son has a friend who is an engineering student at VT. I called him as soon as I heard, and he said he would be trying to get in touch with her last night. I am heartsick, and praying that she is safe. I only met her once, but I feel that meeting her has given me a connection to the tragedy. I can't imagine what the students, or their parents, are going through.

[WePurrsevere]

9. Oh no.. I'm so very sorry to hear of your daughter's losses.

If she was not by some chance home, you must have been frantic about your daughter before you heard from her that she's alright. As a mother my heart aches for her as well as for all those parents and dear ones of those killed. :(

[salin]

10. I am glad to know that your daughter is physically safe,

I can not begin to fathom the emotional trauma she, and all of the students and faculty must be going through. What an absolutely horrifying event.

Per your last statement - and how many US college students, trying to pay their way through school, have been sent to Iraq (to return in who knows what state) because of jr.s vanity war of choice.

Peace to you, and your daughter, all of her friends and the entire VT community.

[pecwae]

11. ((lanlady))

You and your daughter are in my thoughts as are all those who are grieving.

[izzie]

12. I think Bush is just going to do a fly over like for Katrina.

Oh I forgot this is Va. and not the deep South. I am sure he has to do something to make up for looking out windows and reading books all at the wrong time. It is hard to think he will really come out of the bubble.

[mindfulNJ]

13. So glad she is safe.

I can sort of empathize...9-11 happened 10 days after we delivered my daughter to NYC for her freshman year of college. It's a horrible, helpless feeling until you know they are OK.

She's going to need a lot of love and support in the coming days...stay strong!:hug:

[wicket]

14. This is just so horrible

So glad your daughter is safe :hug: My heart breaks for the other parents & loved ones who aren't so lucky :cry: :cry:

[StrictlyRockers]

16. It breaks my heart!

It breaks all of our hearts!!

:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

[GenDem]

17. So sorry that your daughter lost friends

This tragedy is simply beyond words.

Healing thoughts going out to your family.

[zulchzulu]

18. The tragedy is beyond words

My condolences to you and your family and all that have been touched by this horror.

[lostnotforgotten]

19. Glad She Is Safe And Your Prayers Are Answered

But this tragedy pales in comparison to what Bush and Co. have done to Iraq.

[LostinVA]

21. My coworker had a friend murdered there yesterday

She is heartbroken. BEYOND heartbroken.

[FloridaJudy]

22. Hugs and healing to your daughter

It will probably take her a long time to work through this.

:grouphug:

[Mandate My Ass]

23. peace to you both

and to everyone affected by this tragedy. I had to turn off GMA while they were interviewing Ryan's twin brother and older sister. Too horrible to imagine. My PTSD is really bad today, worse than yesterday and I don't even know anybody there. I'm glad your daughter is at least safe physically.

[terip64]

24. You are all in my prayers. I just can't imagine your horror. I am so sorry. n/t

[Eurobabe]

25. Very sorry for your daughter, this is horribly tragic

And equally sorry that so many will have to endure looking at the MoronInCharge while they are mourning. Anything Bush says won't be comforting. I wonder how soon into the memorial service he will invoking terra? :hug: for your daughter from an old Wahoo.

[terip64]

26. Can I just add that my middle daughter graduates next May and we have already started planning

the celebration. We will be married 25 years next year and have decided that her graduation is celebration enough. (Not to mention that we can't afford two events) It is everything to us. We are so proud of her and excited about her future. I just can't imagine what those parents are going through. It is beyond me.

:cry:

[RFKHumphreyObama]

27. Words are woefully inadequate at this time

I'm glad your daughter is safe. I extend my deepest and sincerest thoughts, prayers, condolences and sympathies to your daughter and to all of her friends on the friends and profeesors that that they have lost in this senseless and horrific tragedy. I'm so, so very sorry for all of them and will keep all of them in my thoughts and prayers and in my heart

Once again, I'm so so sorry and my deepest and most profound and sincere thoughts, prayers and condolences go out to your daughter and her friends and also to all the friends and family involved. And to you as well. As someone who lives overseas, please know that you and your daughter and their friends and family are in the thoughts and prayers of countless people at home and around the globe
:hug: :hug:

[Sparkly]

28. So sorry for your daughter's pain, lanlady.

:hug: Hang in there -- you know she's going to need you. :hug:

[phylny]

29. I'm a UVa mom, and I share in your sadness.

Of course, our daughter at UVa was worried about friends at Tech, and about friends of friends. We heard that one friend's ex-boyfriend was killed, as well as a student from my kids' high school, class of 2006.

It's horrifying, and as a parent of a college-aged student, I can only begin to imagine how Tech parents feel, whether their child is safe or not.

I'm happy to hear that your daughter is safe, and hope she is able to find help through her grieving.

[underpants]

30. This whole city seems to be dragging around

Richmond

Everyone seems to be completely floored by this. I spoke with someone in the course of business yesterday and she said something about it being a crazy day and we (total strangers) got into a discussion about Tech and how horrible it is.

Seriously everyone is just hangdog from this but I have noticed lots of smiles at one another and being very polite to one another in more ways that usual.

[erpowers]

31. Sorry

I would just like to let you know that I feel sorry for all of Viriginia Tech nation. It is so sad that you all have to deal with this loss.

[Maat]

33. Hugs to you and your daughter.

Sending healing thoughts her way.

:grouphug:

[Liberty Belle]

36. I'm so sorry. This brings back bad memories of Santana & Granite Hills,

the high school shootings in my kids' school district. They went to a different school, but it was way too close for comfort, and we knew one of the teachers who was shot.

Hug your daughter, and just be there when she needs to talk. And take her for some counseling if she wants it.

This is all so tragic!

[Madspirit]

37. I am glad your daughter is OK.

...and I am so sad for all those people. I hope your daughter takes advantage of the counseling they are offering. It would be awful to know all those people who died and to be that close to the tragedy. I am sorry.
Lee

[rainbow4321]

38. There is one blog saying that he tried to wrestle the gun away

from the shooter and got shot in the process. Pretty damn brave...most people would have run (me included).


http://southernsassoncrime.com/?author=3

I began calling my friend at 1.30pm yesterday, we will call her Jill to protect her true identity. It was nearly 2 hours before Jill was able to get back to me, she said that the cell situation near VT was so bad, you were lucky to get one in 10 calls to go through. Her voice was shaky and halting as she told me what little information she actually knew. Some of which, by no fault of her, has turned out to not be true.

She was a friend of the RA Ryan Clark who was apparently the first victim of Cho Seung-hui. Jill at this point crying revealed that Ryan was informed of the argument happening in a dorm room by another student, he went and knocked on the door to ask the couple to keep it down. It was at this point Emily screamed, “He’s got a gun.” Ryan evacuated the floor and went back to try to diffuse the situation in the dorm room. It is unclear if he called campus security at this point, or if he was even in actual fear for his or Emily’s safety. A struggle for the gun ensued, Ryan was shot, Emily is reported to have fled the room. She was followed. At some point, Cho Seung-hui shot her. He left the dorm. Jill was unclear what he did in the next two hours, but said from what others are saying, he was in his own dorm room. News reports have verified Cho Seung-hui indeed did return to his room, apparently to re-arm and write a note.

[peacetheonlyway]

39. we send you love and light and healing and comfort on this tragic week

our wishes are for your daughter to know that we all mourn with her.

former atlanta resident, I mourn this lovely boy Ryan Clark who reminded me of some of my outstanding RA's at Georgia Tech.

in some way, we all feel the pain you feel and we want you to know we are your friends in DU land and here to help you in anyway we can..

just reach out when you need us....

[SeattleGirl]

41. I'm so sorry, lanlady.

I know what it feels like, first hand. And I've been reliving my own experience with this. My heart goes out to you and your daughter. :hug:

[Behind the Aegis]

42. Hugs from New Orleans...

I am glad your daughter is safe and I am so sorry she will have this pain to carry. Her friend, Ryan, was profiled on the local New Orleans stations for his works here in Lower 9th Ward, as well as others who came down from VA Tech. They interviewed people he helped about this tragedy and they were very upset. You can see the coverage here: VA Tech Shooting Victims Volunteered in 9th Ward. (It is off to the side, if you need help finding it, PM me.)

:hug: