Ok I have to be a Donkey's Butt here

[Txbroadcaster]

I stated earlier in a thread how the shootings are not effecting me as much as some.

Some will think I am a jerk or insensitive..BUT now I am seeing all these Memorial funds and donating money to the school or some fund a group is set up and I dont understand it

YES it was tragic..It as sensless and it was a terrible event...BUT

People die everyday in tragic events, ALL AGES..Most tragic violent deaths are senselss..Because this one is now pushed in front of us by the media it is the STORY of the week. So now people are in grief and money must be sent.

If the money goes to a future scholarship then I am all for it. But I just think we are in a society of NOT REALLY HELPING TO HELP..But helping because we feel it is neccesary and we dont know enough about the familes yet to know if it is needed.

I just think alot of people do it to say LOOK AT ME I DONATED CAUSE I CARE

Throwing money will not make it better, it will not bring back the lives and it will not soften the blow.

[BuffyMars]

And if you choose not to wear orange or maroon tomorrow....its doesn't mean your heart doesn't go out to the victim's families or that you aren't thinking of them.

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Call me insensitive too, but I didn't support the families of 9/11 victims getting ungodly amounts of money and people who are struck by tragedies such as gang violence or things of that nature see nothing. I didn't really think it was fair, was all.

[BuffyMars]

Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
Call me insensitive too, but I didn't support the families of 9/11 victims getting ungodly amounts of money and people who are struck by tragedies such as gang violence or things of that nature see nothing. I didn't really think it was fair, was all.

Ditto.

[Txbroadcaster]

Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
Call me insensitive too, but I didn't support the families of 9/11 victims getting ungodly amounts of money and people who are struck by tragedies such as gang violence or things of that nature see nothing. I didn't really think it was fair, was all.

Gary,

You and I agree...It as PURE BS that 9/11 families got money from the governemt and OKC bombing families did not. PURE BS

And that is the problem I have..We pick and choose our "tragedies" to support.

[pirate4state]

This was not the kind of butt I was looking for today. :p

[smustangs]

I cant say i disagree w/ yall. my prayers and heart is with those people but i think so people go a little bit overboard sometimes after a tragedy like this becuase their are numbers of senseless deaths every day but we dont all jump to send joe blow money just my opinon though

[pirate4state]

Originally posted by BuffyMars
And if you choose not to wear orange or maroon tomorrow....its doesn't mean your heart doesn't go out to the victim's families or that you aren't thinking of them. I'm wearing orange today, but not b/c of what happened at VT. It was just the next shirt in line in the closet.

[smustangs]

Originally posted by pirate4state
I'm wearing orange today, but not b/c of what happened at VT. It was just the next shirt in line in the closet.

strangly enough i have on an oragne and white stripped polo just now thought about that haha

[Adidas410s]

I had a friend that was a police officer in Irving that died last Friday while on his way to help a fellow officer at a crime scene. Yes it has received a good amount of coverage in the DMN...but I don't see people left and right throwing money at his family and making a big scene. It feels like people think, "well if the media is forcing it upon us then it must be more important than something else."

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Originally posted by Txbroadcaster
Gary,

You and I agree...It as PURE BS that 9/11 families got money from the governemt and OKC bombing families did not. PURE BS

And that is the problem I have..We pick and choose our "tragedies" to support.

Yep, whichever will make the powers at be look good or make Americans feel warm and fuzzy in their hearts. This isn't a knock on the current administration, it's a knock on our government leaders and our citizens alike at times of crisis during American history, not just this one.

[JasperDog94]

Originally posted by Txbroadcaster
And that is the problem I have..We pick and choose our "tragedies" to support. And let's not forget that the government spent 180 million of taxpayer money to fix the superdome when the NFL rakes in billions every year.

[JasperDog94]

Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
Yep, whichever will make the powers at be look good or make Americans feel warm and fuzzy in their hearts. This isn't a knock on the current administration, it's a knock on our government leaders and our citizens alike at times of crisis during American history, not just this one. You're sounding more and more like a libertarian BBDE.:eek: :eek: :)

[smustangs]

Originally posted by JasperDog94
And let's not forget that the government spent 180 million of taxpayer money to fix the superdome when the NFL rakes in billions every year.

never heard it put like that but that is so true and ridiculous when you think about it

[JasperDog94]

Originally posted by smustangs
never heard it put like that but that is so true and ridiculous when you think about it I just can't wrap my mind around it. The NFL is making money by the truckload, yet the government had to spend the money? :crazy: :crazy: :crazy:

[thatsminty]

I dont think it should be focusing on the fact that "omg so many people died"
I think it should be focusing on it's happening in places were parents and people in general usually list one of the safest places to be. It just goes to show now the only safest place you'll ever really be is in your own skin.

but one thing I dont really understand is why the kids--even adults now--who simply just want to kill themselves must take down others...to make a statement of somekind. They're not making much of a statement really except for the fact they're just as psycho in death than what they were in the land of the living.

I have never said suicide was a bad thing, but seriously take your own life and leave others out of it--but I guess to make other people care is for them to involve other innocent people.

Instead of technology giving us the heads or tails if you're having a boy or girl they should invent a machine where they can tell if your unborn fetus is going to be a psycho then abortion for that matter alone should be legal.

I'm just sayin'

[SintonFan]

Originally posted by Txbroadcaster
I stated earlier in a thread how the shootings are not effecting me as much as some.

Some will think I am a jerk or insensitive..BUT now I am seeing all these Memorial funds and donating money to the school or some fund a group is set up and I dont understand it

YES it was tragic..It as sensless and it was a terrible event...BUT

People die everyday in tragic events, ALL AGES..Most tragic violent deaths are senselss..Because this one is now pushed in front of us by the media it is the STORY of the week. So now people are in grief and money must be sent.

If the money goes to a future scholarship then I am all for it. But I just think we are in a society of NOT REALLY HELPING TO HELP..But helping because we feel it is neccesary and we dont know enough about the familes yet to know if it is needed.

I just think alot of people do it to say LOOK AT ME I DONATED CAUSE I CARE

Throwing money will not make it better, it will not bring back the lives and it will not soften the blow.
.
I agree.
Have you noticed that this year the NBA started their "NBA CARES" campaign? Seriously, why do they need to tell us "they care"? I would think that if you genuinely cared you wouldn't need to advertise it.:confused:

[BuffyMars]

Let me tell you a little story.

I am taking an excerpt from a few articles I found online. Mind you this happened back in 1996 before internet had the big boom.

[Steven Renfro fatally shot 3 people in a drug-induced rampage. Renfro, 40, voluntarily headed to the death chamber on a conviction less than 10 months old. He asked that no appeals be pursued and his execution be carried out as soon as possible. Rick Berry, a high school classmate and the prosecutor in the case, said the decision not to fight was Renfro's way of trying to get into heaven. "By voluntarily going ahead and being punished, it's like an atonement," Berry said before Renfro was put to death. On 8/25/96, after taking what he said were 70 doses of the tranquilizer Valium, and drinking, Renfro put on camouflage clothing, blackened his face and armed himself with four guns, including a military assault rifle, & 500 rounds of ammunition. He shot and killed his live-in girlfriend, Rhena Fultner, 36, then killed an aunt who lived with them, Rose Rutledge, 63. He went to the nearby trailer of an acquaintance, George Counts, 40, against whom he had a grudge, and shot him, too, firing more than 150 rounds into the mobile home. When police responded, he opened fire again, wounding a police officer.]

George was my uncle, the ONLY uncle that I have ever been close to. This tragedy, which Terry can attest to, ripped apart my family. Subsequently, my grandmother went crazy after years of grief which caused my papaw to eventually divorce her. His daughter got pregnant at 16, and his son is a cracked out disease spreading hobo who beats his own grandmother and rapes his girlfriends. My other aunt and uncle no longer come around without my grandparents putting together family functions. It is literally, me, my mom and my dad. No one else. Which I am now thankful for. I have started a new family with Terry.

But I can't help but think what my life would be like if my uncle were still alive. Would my family still be as perfect as I once thought it was? Maybe not....but I will never know.

My point is to show....look what happens. This happens to seemingly normal families EVERYDAY! The media was not there to make a parade of what was happening, but does that make it any less significant?

Well of course, I don't think so! If my memory serves me correct, cleaning a bloodsoaked trailor that looked like it had been parked on Omaha Beach...is not such a good one.

Having said all of this...Steve made history. While my uncle is just a memory.

Shortest Time on Death Row prior to Execution
Name County TDCJ Number Time on Death Row Execution Date
1. Joe Gonzales Potter 999177 248 days 9/18/96
2. Steven Renfro Harrison 999229 257 days 2/9/98

--He served the 2nd shortest term on death row by waiving all appeals. It was a bittersweet moment to say the least.

I forgot to mention, this all happened early am on August 25, 1996. My Uncle's 40th birthday, was August 24th.

[thatsminty]

yeah that's another thing that annoys me, it's when something like this happens people start pulling their heads out of their bums and start stuff like this...or they take the tragedy that has happend to those students and make it their own. If you've never experienced it dont try to "act" or tell people you "know what it's like" because you don't

I understand it's mostly because people are trying to be nice, but sometimes some/most people go too far.

[mustang59]

Originally posted by Txbroadcaster
I stated earlier in a thread how the shootings are not effecting me as much as some.

Some will think I am a jerk or insensitive..BUT now I am seeing all these Memorial funds and donating money to the school or some fund a group is set up and I dont understand it

YES it was tragic..It as sensless and it was a terrible event...BUT

People die everyday in tragic events, ALL AGES..Most tragic violent deaths are senselss..Because this one is now pushed in front of us by the media it is the STORY of the week. So now people are in grief and money must be sent.

If the money goes to a future scholarship then I am all for it. But I just think we are in a society of NOT REALLY HELPING TO HELP..But helping because we feel it is neccesary and we dont know enough about the familes yet to know if it is needed.

I just think alot of people do it to say LOOK AT ME I DONATED CAUSE I CARE

Throwing money will not make it better, it will not bring back the lives and it will not soften the blow.

You are right that senseless tragedies happen every day and seem to go without much notice expect by the people directly affected. But sometimes something of such magnitude, like the VT killings, takes place and it touches a chord with many people. When they see the faces and hear the stories of those 32 victims they feel helpless to do anything but want to help. For some people that means donating money to fund memorials, help victims, whatever. I really believe most of the people give without expecting anything in return.

An example of that is the death of one of my friends a few weeks ago. She and her husband were quite comfortable financially yet she was loved by lots of people who wanted to do something to honor her memory. Two memorial funds were set up that would benefit others and people gave generously to them even though Toni's death never made news headlines.

I guess what I saying is that sometimes people just need to reach out and do something. I'm sure any donations the university gets will be put to good use.