Comments on: Fred Thompson: Sometimes Making Choices is Easy http://themoderatevoice.com/12457/fred-thompson-sometimes-making-choices-is-easy/ An Internet hub with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, indies, centrists, moderates, and right Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:12:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Sarah Sawyer http://themoderatevoice.com/12457/fred-thompson-sometimes-making-choices-is-easy/comment-page-1/#comment-77883 Sarah Sawyer Fri, 27 Apr 2007 16:53:34 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/2008-elections/12457/fred-thompson-sometimes-making-choices-is-easy/#comment-77883 A great president, Harry S. Truman, once said, and it stands true in almost every emergency: "The buck stops here," meaning, of course, responsibility begins and ends with the Offfice of the One in Charge, in his case, the Presidency. There was to be no "passing of the buck" not while he was in office. Right or wrong, he would accept credit or he would accept blame, either-or, for he was the President of the United States. Now, apply this long accepted adage to the administrators at VA Tech,beginning with the President down and including all those in positions of power, responsible for the welfare of all students on that campus. They had approximately two hours of reaction time to save the thirty students who died during the second shooting spree. Two hours!! If you will, imagine this scenario that played out again and again on television: Double homicide. Killer on the loose. In charge--Campus Law Enforcement: Not to worry! We've got it contained! Just a stalker, Just a lovesick, rejected boyfriend, Just an irate student. No bother! All's under control! Resume your usual routine. Have a cup of coffee. Just two students dead. Just one killer on the loose. No sweat. No really big deal. Take another coffee break. We'll report back to you in a couple of hours. No need to lock down. No need to interrupt classes. No need to frighten students. No need to upset the peace and tranquility on campus. As our Wise Senator from Tennessee surmised: It appears that at VT, administrators and law officials alike were reacting as demonstrated in old "black and white" action movies. And how quickly the Memorial speakers on campus began playing the violins, covering themselves with the blanket of Good Ole Virginia Techism, or hiding behind the fig leaves of school loyalty and enthusiasm, as heralded by the poet in resident who called out passionately. "We are Virginia Tech!" The time of mourning is over. Now is the time to investigate, and investigate thoroughly so that this will not happen on any other campus in this country, and it must start with complete honesty! We must begin now to learn from the mistakes made at Virginia Tech. Pull up the rug to reveal all the lies and deception, alibis and excuses--big names and little names--and see clearly what was done to cause the deaths of these students and what should and could have been done to save them. No less than a thorough & complete analysis of the facts will suffice. A great president, Harry S. Truman, once said,
and it stands true in almost every emergency:
“The buck stops here,” meaning, of course,
responsibility begins and ends with the Offfice
of the One in Charge, in his case, the Presidency.
There was to be no “passing of the buck” not while
he was in office. Right or wrong, he would accept
credit or he would accept blame, either-or, for
he was the President of the United States.

Now, apply this long accepted adage
to the administrators at VA Tech,beginning
with the President down and including all those
in positions of power, responsible for the
welfare of all students on that campus.
They had approximately two hours of reaction
time to save the thirty students who died
during the second shooting spree. Two hours!!

If you will, imagine this scenario that played out
again and again on television:

Double homicide.
Killer on the loose.

In charge–Campus Law Enforcement:
Not to worry!
We’ve got it contained!
Just a stalker,
Just a lovesick, rejected boyfriend,
Just an irate student.
No bother!
All’s under control!
Resume your usual routine.
Have a cup of coffee.
Just two students dead.
Just one killer on the loose.
No sweat.
No really big deal.
Take another coffee break.
We’ll report back to you in a couple of hours.
No need to lock down.
No need to interrupt classes.
No need to frighten students.
No need to upset the peace and tranquility on campus.

As our Wise Senator from Tennessee surmised:
It appears that at VT, administrators and law
officials alike were reacting as demonstrated in old
“black and white” action movies.

And how quickly the Memorial speakers on campus
began playing the violins, covering themselves
with the blanket of Good Ole Virginia Techism,
or hiding behind the fig leaves of school loyalty
and enthusiasm, as heralded by the poet in resident
who called out passionately. “We are Virginia Tech!”

The time of mourning is over.
Now is the time to investigate, and investigate thoroughly
so that this will not happen on any other campus
in this country, and it must start with complete honesty!
We must begin now to learn from the mistakes made at
Virginia Tech.

Pull up the rug to reveal all the lies and deception, alibis
and excuses–big names and little names–and see clearly
what was done to cause the deaths of these students and what
should and could have been done to save them.

No less than a thorough & complete analysis of the facts will suffice.

]]> By: Robert Bell http://themoderatevoice.com/12457/fred-thompson-sometimes-making-choices-is-easy/comment-page-1/#comment-77795 Robert Bell Fri, 27 Apr 2007 12:34:04 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/2008-elections/12457/fred-thompson-sometimes-making-choices-is-easy/#comment-77795 It may also be that neither private firms nor government intervention will be required. It may just be that given the availability of cell phones, GPS's etc, individuals and groups will start organizing themselves to provide this capability organically. Perhaps the most graphic examples are Flight 93, and the cell phone pix of 7/7. They may do so through chat rooms, MySpace links, who knows ... It may also be that neither private firms nor government intervention will be required. It may just be that given the availability of cell phones, GPS’s etc, individuals and groups will start organizing themselves to provide this capability organically. Perhaps the most graphic examples are Flight 93, and the cell phone pix of 7/7.

They may do so through chat rooms, MySpace links, who knows …

]]> By: angliss http://themoderatevoice.com/12457/fred-thompson-sometimes-making-choices-is-easy/comment-page-1/#comment-77749 angliss Fri, 27 Apr 2007 03:32:00 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/2008-elections/12457/fred-thompson-sometimes-making-choices-is-easy/#comment-77749 One of the founders of <a href="http://scholarsandrogues.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow">Scholars and Rogues blog</a> is a mobility expert. He describes how his company could have offered some of these very services to Virginia Tech over at the blog: http://scholarsandrogues.wordpress.com/2007/04/17/could-more-lives-have-been-saved-at-virginia-tech/ One of the founders of Scholars and Rogues blog is a mobility expert. He describes how his company could have offered some of these very services to Virginia Tech over at the blog:

http://scholarsandrogues.wordpress.com/2007/04/17/could-more-lives-have-been-saved-at-virginia-tech/

]]> By: Mary Maryman http://themoderatevoice.com/12457/fred-thompson-sometimes-making-choices-is-easy/comment-page-1/#comment-77621 Mary Maryman Thu, 26 Apr 2007 20:58:44 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/2008-elections/12457/fred-thompson-sometimes-making-choices-is-easy/#comment-77621 Hail Mary! Hail Mary!

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