Share your reflections on the second anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings

What is it Lucinda?  Did He-With-No-Name look at you with hatred and fill you with fear for your life, or did he merely appear suicidal and in need of nurture?  At what point might it have crossed your mind to say, "son, it is time for you to leave this University and move on, you don't belong in my Department, or my beloved University"?  At what point should you have simply said, "get out of here"?  What of the many who told you as much?  Look no further than your face in the mirror for blame.

I'll save you the condemnation of Charles Steger.  Charles should go.  He presided over the greatest tragedy in VT history and fell short.  The facts speak for themselves and honor dictates that when lives were in the balance Charles Steger weakly accepted the flawed judgements of his lieutenents and made a deadly decision.  It happens.   And when these things happen you accept responsibility and step down.  Thanks for your service Charles - now go to your retirement.  The University will be fine, thank you very much.

I want to express my deep regrets to all those who lost loved ones on April 16. May you find the peace that passeth all understanding. I think of the loss often and visit them here <a href="http://www.roanoke.com/vtvictimprofiles/">Keeping their light alive.</a>

Robert Wilson, '77

All I can say is, "Wow Lucinda!"

A book, supposedly blaming everyone but yourself...how opportunisitc.

One assumes you will be donating every single penny you earn from recounting

the greusome day to the families of those killed and wounded, correct? You wouldn't

want to gain any personal notoriety or income off the bodies of our beloved.

Obviously, I have not yet had the opportunity to read the book, but the article alone

implies questionable ethics. One must ask the question, if Jason were so frightening, 

so disturbing, so unnerving, so clearly desperate for some sort of intervention as

Ms. Roy asserts, why didn't she press the issue? Call the police? Contact his parents?

Force her way into the University's highest office and demand that something be done

or she fears that someone, even herself, might be hurt? You can't be the 'beacon, the seer'

and in the same breath be the victim. You either OWN it or you completely absolve yourself.

As the most 'intimate' teacher, taking Jason under your wing to tutor and help you ironically

above anyone else hold the space of having to do everything humanly possible to stop

what ever it is that you personally fear will happen. Otherwise, you're wreckless and liable.

Many of us are wondering what Roy's true motivation is behind this book and most of all

are curious to see how it comes back to implicate her as some sort of emotional accomplice

to Cho's actions. Prior to April 16 and unfortunately too many times since April 16 the world

has watched in horror that no matter how much you want to cast blame on "someone" you can;t

because in all truth - like it or not - you can't stop it from happening. So to trawl the filth to find

some way to blame the VT Administration is so short-sided, so wrongly focused that it is  an

injustice to anyone touched by this crime. The blame - ultimately and only - lies in the grave with

Jason Cho...and with those who choose to write books seeking to blame...because a good deal

of the blame seems to lie with the insider-informed-all-knowing author.

meg martin:

Share your reflections on the second anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings

 I wish to comment on Lucinda Roy's decision to write a book about the Virginia Tech tragedy. 

Those who posted comments previous to mine obviously do not know Lucinda.  She has stated that proceeds from the book will go to families in Sierra Leone, thereby refuting the accusations of personal gain on the backs of those who were murdered at Virginia Tech. 

Lucinda is a good, loving, caring person; a beautifyl soul.  I have no doubt that she did everything within her power to help Mr. Cho.  She has gone out of her way to help me and many others that I know of, and there are countless instances that I know nothing about.  She has endured and overcome many difficulties in her life that only those who know her could imagine.   I have not yet read the book, but I don't need to read it to know that Lucinda agonized over the plight of Mr. Cho and gave whatever time, talents, and understanding that she could to lead him in a better direction.  Lucinda's time is valuable but always willingly shared; her talents are extraordinary; and her understanding is deep.

I worked at Virginia Tech for 19 years, many of them with Lucinda.  At Virginia Tech, as with most similar institutions, it is not easy to get administrative support in some situations, even for someone as convincing and persistent as Lucinda.  She tried to get help for Mr. Cho.  She sought intervention from several different sources, and when she got no help, she tried to provide the help herself.  What more can be asked of her?

I have great respect for Charles Steger and would in no way support his resignation.  He did what he had to do.  Lucinda did more than she had to do.  I want to publicly thank Lucinda for her efforts.  How much worse could the tragedy have been if she had not tried to intervene?

Adelene Kirby

Understandably, there is an overwhelming desire to find someone, anyone, to blame.

Dr. Roy may currently be a convenient target for the fear and rage left in the wake of the shootings, but these attacks on her are completely baseless and inappropriate.

One of the more enduring and important lessons that we could hope that our educational institutions would pass on to tomorrows leaders would be  the importance of personal Accountability, and taking Responsibility for your failures (as well as your successes).  This is especially true for those in leadership and authority positions - Drs Roy & Steger.  These two individuals, more than any others, were in a position to act in the hour of crisis and either acted wrongly, or did not act.  People died or were terribly injured as a result.  

Lucinda Roy would not have been the first Department Head to have pushed an unstable erstwhile student from the University.  Instead she failed in her responsibility to place the best interests and safety of serious, dedicated students below those of this malignant individual.  Virginia Tech is a University, not a psychiatric hospital.  Hokies have a right to expect  that our University is committed to educational excellence, and guarded from distraction and disruption. People in positions of authority such as Roy have a burden, it comes with the job.  When they fail, it is completely appropriate that we hold them responsible.

It continues to trouble me (and others) that many in the VT community (Administration/Faculty/Staff/Students/Alumni) either don't get it, or are willfully ignorant of this characteristic of personal Honor.  Students can be forgiven for not having it sorted out, especially if their Department Heads and Presidents do not set a good example. To the extent that anyone continues to make excuses for the failures of these leaders they devalue the loss on April 16.  Quite frankly, I don't know how Charles Steger justifies his continued presidency.  I would not willingly serve under his leadership, or trust the judgment of either him or Roy.

For 2 hours on that fateful day, as ranking member of the VT Policy Group, Charles Steger failed to assume proper command of the incident and instead ceded the overall safety of the campus to the judgment of a confused committee of police officers.  The result was an escalation of casualties from 2 to 49.  From 2 dead to 32 dead.  A psycopath became a killer and with 2 hours to contemplate his fate, an unchallenged murderer transformed into a mass murderer, neatly mailing his press kit and putting his affairs in order for the ride to oblivion.  Two hours was plenty of time for the Policy Group to act effectively. In fact it was 30 lifetimes.

When I meet the survivors, and the families and see their pain and injury I am filled with deep regret and humiliation that Virginia Tech failed them.  But my words are cold comfort, they know that there is nothing I can do or say.  However they are wrong - I can continue to demand  the resignation of President Charles Steger.  I can demand that Lucinda Roy take personal responsibility for failing to enforce the simple truth that an education at Virginia Tech is a privilege, not a right.  And if a student does not want to be a contributing member of the University community, I am offering to buy their bus ticket home. She should have done the same.

Its easy to Monday morning quarterback and say this person or that person acted wrongly or didn't do enuff...whatever...its sad that in 2 years many people have not moved beyond trying to blame someone other than Cho.

It was terrrible event but sadly and ulitmately unpreventable...and all the blame doesn't change it or bring anyone back.

Perhaps the Virginia Tech administration (past and present) should take a moment to reflect on Albert Einstein's quote, "The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them."

People should read Dr. Roy's book before making erroneous assertions regarding her motivation for writing the book and her understanding of the matter.  She,probably more than anyone, knows what went wrong.  I just read it and the book reinforced my view, and the view of many others, that the administration is at fault.  The university administration closed ranks to protect two individuals -- the president and the provost.  The book also confirms suspicions that the university attorney provided bad advice, that the Governor lacked objectivity, and the families of those who died that day deserved to be treated better.  Blaming Dr. Roy for shedding more light on the facts of the matter is misdirected.  Blame should be directed at those who refuse to admit mistakes.  Admitting that mistakes were made is more noble than remaining silent and hoping that in time wounds will heal and memories will fade.

I admire Dr. Roy's courage and willingness to stand up for what she believes in.  While it might be hard for her to leave Virginia Tech and Blacksburg, the loss is not hers.  The loss is Virginia Tech's refusal to see that what she has said is true and the institution's refusal to recognize its dysfunctional and protectionist culture.  Another institution of higher learning will benefit from having Dr. Roy as a faculty member.  Virginia Tech will continue to suffer from the problems it had prior to April 16, 2007 that have only been reinforce and amplified since.

I certainly hope that Dr. Roy doesn't leave. I just finished her book and it was wonderful and honest. Why should a respected tenured faculty member leave after writing and honest book? I understand harrassement. I was harrassed by one of my own colleagues for simply asking questions about the 2.5 hour delay in communication. Who cares? If all it takes is the Hokie Cheer and silence to make them happy, so be it. I prefer the truth.