Well put

In addition, the VT-Flight 93 comparison fails for several other reasons:

1. The Flight 93 passengers had the time and ability to confer with one another and make plans.

2. They were attacking people armed with, at best, box cutters.

3. They knew what had happened on the other flights and suspected they were in for the same fate, so may have seen themselves as making a sacrifice for a greater good (such as saving the Capital building or something).

It's an absolute cop-out to say that someone should have been a hero in any situation, but "Dr." Emmerich's comparison--along with the rest of his writings--is absurd beyond belief.

What happened?

I was responding to a good post by Brabantio, who was responding to a brain-dead post by Dr. Emmerich.  All of a sudden, everything before mine is missing.  I really wasn't trying to jump in front of the line, folks!

Sure, sure, another dirty lib trick.

Nothing's worse than a line jumper.

(Sarcasm light should appear when the above is viewed)

I am telling the world here that i had to weep last night when names were put to faces and discovered the story behind those people that were killed on monday. each and everyone of those that perished had accomplished way beyound these scoudrels that get to speak on the world stage thru media microphones and utter such rubbish with no regard to the families that lost these loved ones. Michael Graham should be recorded in american history as an " A$$".

I really take offense to persons who analyze a mass murder in terms of liberal vs conservative values. Your politics Dr. Emmerich is useless and unfeeling.

Hi Doctor,

Our Dr. Hal Emmerich is not a doctor, he's a character in a video game.

I see no evidence that the dr. has read what he's taking about.

From now on, call me Lara Croft, Tomb Raider, even though Frogger would be more apt.

These people at V.T. were not kids. They were old enough to vote. They were old enough to leave home. The fact that none of them chose to try to stop the killer is not a point at all. The kids for the last 30 years have bean tout that to hurt another person is bad.The parents do not tell there kids to protect others and the schools teach that the government knows what is best so trust the government. These killings will keep happening until things change and the people of the U.S. learn to stand up for them selfs and not be victoms all the time and wanting the government to fix everything. These sort of things started in 1965 and we have not found a way to stop them yet. Maybe we need to step back and rethink the way we raise our kids and teach them.

Nice blanket statement. Now crawl under it and take a nice long nap.

You're funny, MickD.

Yours,

Lara Croft, Tomb Raider

Laura, just call me Buffy The Wing Nut Slayer and that's Ms. Buffy the Wing Nut Slayer to all you wing nuts.

Buffy, you're the best.  Thanks for the laugh!!!

Mr. Ranch you have also neglected to read what you have comented about. NO? Would you address the actions of student Zach Petkowicsz and his classmates? There were other actions of which we haven't heard yet. Any feeling that maybe an actaul report of the actions involved might be good to base an argument on? Worried you might forget your argument or fail to find a proper space for it?

Some futher reading might indicate that Mr. Chow had recognized problems that the various assistence systems could not respond to.Furhter reading might show not a number of young pathological personalities have no route of action regarding their pathology. The people now in control of actions to create proceedures and facilites to deal with this hole in our social net have no reason or desire to do so. Smaller government right? Even better if you have people in charge who have no intension of fullfilling the historical functions of the positions that they occupy.

Try again.

 "The kids for the last 30 years have bean tout that to hurt another person is bad." (J. Ranch)

Sooooo... you think the increase in school shootings is due to not enough kids understanding that hurting other people is good.

I'm glad I didn't bean tout the same place which you was.

If you have problems with YOUR upbringing, I'd suggest you take it up with your parents. If you have problems with the way your children turned out, I'd suggest you try to rectify the damage you've already done.

Don't come here parroting mindless drivel you've been indoctrinated to believe by Mrs.Limbaugh and O'Really. Neither has the required parenting skills. Luckily for the gene pool, Rush has not reproduced and O'Really's children are too young to inflict any damage on the world.

I've never met a parent who did not teach their kids that it's OK to protect themselves and others. My wife was a pacifist and she and I raised our children to never fight, unless there is no other option.

These incidents have nothing to do with the way we raise our kids. The person responsible for these shootings was the one who thought of himself as a "victim", not those he chose to murder.

Man, I'm getting paranoid but this seems like a Rovian type talking point forwarded to on-the-payroll journalists to divert any call for gun control or to indicate that more people need to be packing. Man.

I tend to agree.  I heard our local Rush Limbaugh wannabe making the same idiotic point two days ago.  This is most likely a Conservative talking point that has been circulated from wherever they get the rest of their garbage.

I've dated a lot of Type A guys.  Here's what I love about 'em:

A.  Their deliciously big muscles and...

B.  Their delightfully small egos.

They can lift cinder block all day, but they don't boast.  If Graham were in the company of such men, he wouldn't talk the way he does.  Behold his pastiness!  Witness his flaccid musculature! 

I could take Graham.  My Mom could take Graham.  Graham talks like a bad hombre because he's as tough as a burrito. 

I don't know who is lower Cho or those who are putting the blame on the students.

quite possibly those blaming the victims are the lower.

I mean, at least Cho eventually shot himself, but these ghoulish wingnuts will stick around to rear their ugly heads and proffer their worthless judgments the next time tragedy strikes

james-ranch1066 These sort of things started in 1965 and we have not found a way to stop them yet. 

I was a junior in high school back in 65.  I must have missed the starting point that led to this atrocity, please provide a link so I don’t spend the rest of my life trying to figure out where we went wrong.  Was it Son of Sam?

Oh yes, “Teach your Children Well”.  Teach them to be bullies, teach them to belittle someone because they are different, teach them to hate, teach them well. 

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/World/2007/04/19/4068653.html

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=d7d6bc5a-0ba0-4040-b4b4-71b0c89dd86d

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_9934.aspx

This is not directed at Mr. Ranch or anyone in particular, but everyone needs to reflect on how and why senseless atrocities like this happen.    

What next? Why not blame the shootings on students who were turned into wimps by soy products and gay tv shows? Yea, a real man would have swooped down like Spiderman and saved the day, right?  Who has time to worry about two handguns aimed at your head? Just do it!    Oh, and I sincerely doubt that these cowardly girly-men who criticize dead people would have done anything more than soil their undergarments from the shock and fear of a sudden attack. Cowards!!!

I know there are legal restrictions to how far you can go with a Punk'd type practical joke, but I would love to see every one of these tough-talkers set up in a staged but similar situation.

Then I'd like to see the video of them curled up under a desk with wet pants played all day long

I hope that MMFA forces the Doctor to handwrite his future posts so that the visual effect of his penmanship will be equal to the incoherent statements he spouts. By then, understanding the operation of an ink pen may be to difficult to understand.

 You are a Rush goose-stepper....which is dittohead in real english.

Rx: Keep sending in your info, it helps me understand the QuasiRight just a little better every day.

Well, Michelle Malkin would know about the erosion of intellectual self defense. It's been evident for some time now.

I'm surprised no post has contained the obvious question-what would this loud mouth do in the same situation?  Block the door with his body?  I doubt it.  I vote run.  Anyone else?  Anyone? Graham? You're a piece of s--- and I hope you are reading this.

This is such a load of crap.  How do these people deliver this drivel with a straight face?  And, Mr. Raunch, please educate us on this point...when in history have unarmed people successfully defended themselves against armed oppressors or assailants?  To state that this natural human response is somehow the result of "liberalism" is just a shameless Conservative bullsh*t talking point.

Here's a hint...all those movies where the hero kicks the gun out of the bad guys hand...those are ACTORS.  Just thought you'd like to know.

Get your head out of Rush Limbaugh's ass and think.

There is no doubt in my mind that everyone of the survivors and most of the students who weren't directly involved are giving a great deal of thought to actions they might have taken or will take if they are ever again involved in something like this.

Most will decide it is better to fight to escape or to subdue than to die. It is comforting to know that some students and professors took action.

By golly, I think you're right, OldFart.

The problem is that us liberals aren't willing to give the student surge a chance to work.  We're all for cutting and running from the classroom before the student surge has been given a chance for success.  And after our slow bleed strategy surrenders the classroom, what then?  It becomes a haven for the mentally ill gunslingers.  Meanwhile, we lose all our respect from other educational institutions around the world.

Well, when that next student surge becomes necessary, I want you to know, OldFart, that I'll be right behind you all the way...

...and yet the entire story is a story of people just freezing, of just letting him have their way, except for that one brave professor who put himself in between the gunman and his students...

So all the people killed by Cho were sniveling cowards. Got it.

to all of you tough guys blaming the victims.  Why aren't you on the ground leading the charge over in Irag?

I know the answer, you are the worst kind of cowards!

The people who insist that they could rush a person with a pistol have never been in harms way and they are pretty ignorant of history. Gee, I wonder why prison inmates comply with corrections officers? In addition the Japanese Army was outnumbered by the citizens of Nanking. I guess the wussification of the Chinese people kept them from rushing their invader.

The lowlifes blaming the students are lower than Cho. He was mentally ill. These jerks think they will fight an armed man.

I have no doubt what would have happened if we had a do-over and Boortz and Malkin traded places with two of the dead students.  They wouldn't just have crapped their pants.  They would be D-E-A-D dead.

It is obvious that this disgusting blame-the-victim talking point has come from someone in the Bush Administration or the gun lobby.  They have fallen to a new low. Fortunately, I believe only the most ignorant morons will fall for it.

I hope this tactic backfires.  You'll note that there is little support for the new talking point here on Media Matters.

Bush-supporting readers of Media Matters take note:  Is this really the type of rhetoric you wish to be associated with?  Does it not make you question your support of Rush and Malkin and Boortz with regard to other matters? 

Just askin'.

So how many more characters are left in that video game, now that Col./Lt./Dr. has gone GAME OVER?

Waaaaayy too many.  Don't be surprised to see the following usernames show up:

LiquidSnake, McDonnel Benedict Miller, Johnny Sasaki, Dr. Drego Pettrovich Mandar, Kyle Schneider, and if he decides he's really a woman trapped in a man's body (as many conservatives do, it seems), Meryl Silverburgh or Mei Ling.

Although, at the rate he's been going lately, he may run out of powerups sooner rather than later...

That's it I am convinced. The right thinks we should raise our kids to be Spartans. I was on the fence but now I'm convinced

Thanks for letting me know. Now I'll be sure to sign my five year old up for a practical pistol course and send the three year old to survival training. Can anyone say Summer Camp?

What a joke. Did this guy ever serve his country in combat? Has he ever taken a weapons class? Doubt it, if he had he'd know better than to spew this ignorance.

many years ago when i was a freshman in college going through my teenage outlaw phase, i found myself staring down the barrel of a gun several times...

 only once in that time did i ever think that the circumstances were favorable enough for me to play the cowboy and take my changes against somebody else's trigger finger and that was because the other person was almost incoherently high and would have, at worst, shot off my ear ...and i was just drunk enough that night not to care

 other than that, even when i was armed and could have easily turned a situation into a shooting match, "getting the f--- outta dodge" was always the preferable maneuver

the very idea that some of these chickensh-- chickenhawk pundits want to blame a bunch of unarmed students and teachers caught off guard for not being eager to test their luck against a deranged gunman is so utterly and damnably stupid and heartless as to be beyond belief and beneath contempt

 i really do wish these wingnuts would take their masturbatory "this is how I would have done it, so why didn't they?" fantasies and theories and jam them forcibly where the sun does not shine

Took the words right outa me mouth, Crapo.  I looked down the barrel of a service .45 when I was 18, and neither I nor the M.P. holding it was drunk.  The thing looked as big as a cannon.  These mic-ro heroes are lower than slugs.  I revere the 1st Amendment, but just because you have a right to say anything you want it doesn't follow that it's right to say anything you want.