By Adam Abramson
I know this space is reserved for college football, but this one irked me beyond belief.
In case you haven't heard, two young adults thought it would be a good idea to dress up as Virginia Tech shooting victims for Halloween. According to one of the involved, the two attended a very small party on a college campus and had the intention of "shocking" their friends.
Well, I suppose they forgot how small the world is with devices such camera phones, BlackBerries, PDAs, iPods, Facebook, MySpace, Google, text messaging, email and the 24-hour television news cycle. All it took was for someone to snap a picture, post it on one of these social networks and let the rest take care of itself.
The two have become subject to countless threats, news reports (Lindsey Henley, a close friend, did a fantastic job with this story) and a hodgepodge of emotion. Big shocker.
I have to say, being a 2006 grad of VT, I was pretty angered when I saw it. The blatant lack of sensitivity is disturbing, but I let it go. We're all twisted in our own ways, and there are bad apples in every bunch. I will refrain from showing the pictures or give out any names, there's really no need.
But then I heard one of the two attempt to defend his actions. And the stuff he said was utterly ridiculous. You can listen to a 20-minute phone call between Henley and one of the two at the link above. But his quotes include:
"This is a group of college students who now think it's trendy to be upset about their friends being killed. I don't know what they teach people in Virginia Tech, but at ++++++++++ we don't learn to threaten people with murder to teach them that murdering is wrong."
"That's the problem with college students. They all live in an ivory tower of privilege. They don't understand, when it all boils down to it, it's someone wearing a costume."
His words speak for themselves. But I was left enraged. It's a shame, because his ignorance shouldn't be acknowledged, but I couldn't help myself. So I found out his name and sent him a piece of my mind. The following is word for word:
From: Adam
Date: Dec 7, 2007 6:51 PM
++++++++++,
I'm writing you in hopes you are indeed the same person who dressed up as murdered college students for Halloween.
I think you're out of touch. There's just a fundamental way to behave. If the "screw what the rest of the world thinks" attitude makes you sleep easier at night, that's about all it accomplishes.
And if you are indeed the same person whose quotes I read online, just remember something: Before you decide climb aboard your soapbox to give us your insight and theories about the world, be cautious to not paint with broad brushes. Your take on the violent nature of Virginia Tech students because of "what they teach people" or the ivory tower of privilege that "all" college students reside in (an eerily similar pattern of thought to that of Cho's rant on camera before his massacre), make you look as ignorant as your "shocking" stunt.
Your callous attitude during the interview is more disheartening than your attempt at acceptance among friends, or however you want to justify it.
You should have realized the world is a small place and you're fool to think this wouldn't get out.
Adam
From: ++++++++++
Date: Dec 7, 2007
I'm not the ++++++++++ kid. Chill out and go have a beer at the house.
From: Adam
Date: Dec 7, 2007
at least be original...
From: +++++++++
Date: Dec 7, 2007 9:09 PM
My costume was original.
Some battles cannot be won…
And to the people that are forced to share a learning institution with said character and his cohort, my sympathies.
Comments (5)
You have every right to get mad at this schmuck on wheels.
But understand he admits to going to Penn State, so right off the bat, he's got very little intelligence to work with.
WOW! Adam, these guys are total morons. Just like the "Steve Kerr" idiots. But I guess every school has their (insert words here, because embarrassments is not nearly strong enough).
Oh, and by the way, it is okay to go off topic once in a while.
Man, that was probably the lamest thing I've seen today. Dude, you got to get over this already. I know that it wasn't cool to dress up like that, but you can not be serious. Really, I hope you don't spend your time looking for things that offend you so that you can complain about them. Anyway, Virginia Tech as an academic institution is a joke. It's probably even worse than Penn State. Its certainly not BU.
Blake
P.S. I love the broad brushes reference. Next time, do you think you can top yourself and write anything even more cliche? You're honestly a garbage writer.
Apologies from an alumnus of Penn State on this nonsense. I dont get the logic of not releasing their names. They asked for this harrassment, they deserve whatever verbal jabs are coming to them.
And Blake, are you actually attempting to defend these clowns? Or are you just dumb enough to think you can tell people what they can and cant get offended about?
And you obviously know nothing of either university.
You're honestly a garbage human
Is Blake really trying to claim that BU is the beacon for morality and the arbiter of all that is correct in this world?
Seriously? BU?
C'mon, Blake, even Dan PSU Class of 04 has the intelligence to not defend his alma mater. Certainly your time at college, if that's what they call BU these days, taught you to think open-mindedly for a few minutes of your life.
Otherwise, I hope your parents are proud of the $100,000-plus they wasted on you. It's clear you didn't score any scholarships with your thought patterns.