Our famous linkfest offering readers a wide variety of links from blogs representing varying viewpoints. But this time, due to the worst mass killing in American history, we’re offering links from a cross-section of blogs (most of them randomly selected after hours of looking at blogs). In this edition, we offer you links and a few quotes.

GRASSY KNOLL DEPARTMENT: Read the UPATE of THIS POST on Crooks & Liars. And you thought grassy knolls were reserved for the JFK case? NOTE: One of the glories about blogging is that it is done quickly, almost stream of consciousness. The danger is that supposition can override opinion. We each make our choices, but we’d rather take a deep breath and think most bloggers have on this tragedy as well.

Could More Lives Have Been Saved At Virginia Tech? Sam Smith is MUST READ on this at his new, content-heavy weblog. And he has SPECIAL expertise to address this question (READ IT ALL).

Recovering From Traumatic Stress Syndrome: Mark Daniels (one of the most thoughtful blog writers) has done a lot of work on this issue over the years. These info-packed links are here.

The Debate Over MSNBC Extensively Airing The Self-Justifications Of A Murdering Madman: Believe it or not, it is a complex issue (despite our headline here). Ed Morrissey looks at it extensively. A tiny taste 4 U:

NBC made the right decision to go public, and to work with law enforcement to determine which material to release at the time, as they apparently did. They unfortunately overshadowed that correct decision with the very incorrect decision on marketing the materials. They sensationalized material that absolutely required no such effort — and degraded their credibility as a result.

AGREED. Anyone in the news business would have to hang up his or her hat if they didn’t broadcast or print part of that info. But then it goes into the area of a “get” and NBC seemed to be shifting into hawking its “get” and slipping into “Why, look at the exclusive stuff WE HAVE and the others don’t!” territory — which opens them up to criticism. A little more restraint could have saved NBC from what is sure to be some grief from new and old media critics.

A Student’s View: From Beautifully Broken on My Space: “Damn. I feel so bad for everyone at Virginia Tech. Bush made one of the dumbest comments I have ever heard of in my life ” They were in the wrong place at the wrong time.” I guess I shouldn’t go to class next week someone just might come in and kill everyone and I don’t want to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Whatever! Everyone talks about how they would have fought….You have no idea what you would have done if you were in that predicament. This guy had the doors chained, most people run at the sound of one gunshot so imagine yourself trapped with a psycho with guns. Also parents complained about the security. IT’S A OPEN CAMPUS! anybody can walk on it and it’s like the 7th largest college in the united states.”

And On The Issue Of Gun Control be sure to read Sights and Sounds From the Fifth Column.

And More Specifically Handguns? Good Will Hinton’s Expat Teacher wants to ban them.

And What About Media Coverage In General? Has it become too clichèd, too predictable and to some too sickening? If you think so, you can NOT miss reading Taylor Marsh. Here is one small (and we’re not joking) bit of her long and eloquent post:

Yesterday we were treated to a media spectacle that was as gratuitous as it was blatantly self-serving, with each cable network trying to prove they cared more, could send the most people to cover it; could set up the best on sight situation room and every single anchor swallowed his or her orders like good members of the corporate hack pack. They made sure their cameras were trained on the families and students grieving in the gymnasium, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone’s loss, ripping the scab off of any privacy these people and this community could grab. We even had Mr. Bush and Mr. Kaine making sure they both were up front and on camera for the event, because they had to help the people grieve. The arrogance of some politicians is choking, isn’t it? Sure they cared, but who needs a politician when your life is falling apart? What was the point of televising the community’s private pain, and theses two politicians and their wives? Their wives? And why is the media sticking microphones in student faces so we all can listen to their tortured stories over and over again?

Have we lost all sense of dignity? When did our pain become something we’re so proud of we need to broadcast it… never mind. We are a therapy nation now, televising our grief for all to see. It’s what we now do best. But did the community of Virginia Tech need our prying eyes? It likely never occurred to anyone to ask.

And yes… a lot of things we do — including on weblogs — can leave a sinking feeling in your stomach when you stop and t-h-i-n-k about them (but there’s often too little time…and it can be hard.)

Yet Another Take On The Media Coverage from Tom Watson:

The war was interrupted again on our national news media elite’s menu again yesterday by the violent and tragic events in Blacksburg. The death-count crawls, the local officers in full SWAT turnout gear arriving post-mortem to stand behind skinny trees, the updates on the blustery weather (”it’s very windy here, Wolf”), the video of stunned young Americans standing around in college sweatshirts.

One big story at a time - that’s what we can handle, according to the suits. Flood the zone with sadness and remorse and plenty of idiocy: Dr. Phil ranting cluelessly against video games (there was no difference, by the way, between the “Dr. Phil” of Imus and the real thing); right-wingers talking about more guns in schools for defensive purposes. Everybody blaming the West Virginia cops.

Read it all.