While doing the daily read of Lawrence Auster's website, I came across the following link. It is a full-text reprint of Virginia Tech professor Nikki Giovanni's remarks at an event commemorating the victims of the Virginia Tech shootings. Incidentally, I saw the end of her remarks via WDBJ video, and was impressed. Instead of sniffling, she seemed almost defiant, a stance with which I agree.

The author (and several commenters) wanted to know what, among other things, a reference to an "Appalachian infant killed in the middle of the night in his crib in the home his father built with his own hands being run over by a boulder because the land was destabilized" meant. It would seem that the author and/or commenters believed that the reference was fictionalized or simply the ravings of a barking moonbat. Not so.

Without regard for the other substance of Professor Giovanni's remarks, I can explain the reference to the Appalachian infant. It is a dreadful story, one that sparked a spot of irritated annoyance with the company in my circumstance. A toddler, three year old Jeremy Davidson of Inman Hollow near Appalachia, was killed in his bed when a boulder of ~1,000 pounds rolled off a nearby coal mining site and struck the trailer in which he was sleeping on the night of August 20, 2004.

A press release from the Commonwealth's Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy describing their findings is here; the DMME found that, "[the site operator] demonstrated gross negligence by committing the following unauthorized actions that resulted in the death of Jeremy Kyle Davidson.

Posted by: Country Pundit at 09:21 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The nearest major institution of higher learning to me is the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Like someone on a message board I frequent said, "it's hard not to know someone who goes there". Many of my high school class went there, and several members of my law school class wore maroon and orange on a regular basis. Despite all this, I thought nobody I knew was caught up in the Korean's rampage.

I was wrong.

Long-time neighbors of my parents have a son who attends Virginia Tech. He's fine, but apparently some of their cousins were not, their names included on the list of the dead. Blast it.

Meanwhile, I had the chance to travel along Interstate 81 earlier today, and stopped at the Wytheville Wal-Mart. In the parking lot was a car, driven by a youth by the looks of it. Written on the back glass was the speedlettered 'VT' along with the legend, "KEEP THEM IN UR PRAYERS". Indeed.

If you're on 81 in Smyth County ever, you've probably seen the household with the hand-painted (but apparently well-executed) barns at Seven Mile Ford with various Virginia Tech indicia, including that bird. I usually snort amusedly at the thing---again, I didn't go to VPI---but tonight I did a little something different. I wondered out loud if the property owners would do anything different. From the looks of it---and it was brilliantly illuminated at night---nothing has changed, but I'll get a better look at it in the daytime later in the week. Perhaps they will do something; perhaps they will do nothing. Either would be appropriate, in my judgment.

If you're interested, a discussion of sorts is going on over at Grim's Hall as to an appropriate tactical response in such a situation. I myself am inclined to believe that anyone short of military or law enforcement personnel would have been essentially useless in the situation, given the psychological advantage the Korean---I can't pronounce or spell his name and I intend to dehumanize the little monster as best I can---would have had. Every man probably asks himself, "What would I do?" The answer for me is (more than likely) attempt to flee at all costs. About the only thing I carry of value is a pen, but I'm not Joe Pesci and this ain't Casino, so yeah, flight would be my most likely choice, if I wasn't paralyzed by fear.

I would like to think that I, along with others, would have had the nerve to rush the guy. After all, unless the Korean was lifted straight from a John Woo film, he's going to be using a single pistol at a time, and Glocks only carry so many rounds. Further, the Korean would have to stop every one who charged him, while the defenders would only have to stop one "man". This is of course the optimum outcome scenario, but it only prevents some losses. Enh, such discussion disheartens me.

I was unfortunate enough to see some of the National Broadcasting Company's coverage on its program Dateline. All I learned is that good people died at the hands of a pimple-faced geek with a social disorder. At least he's dead; that way, we'll be spared the spectacle of some poor defense counsel trying to make the best of a really bad situation.

Posted by: Country Pundit at 10:55 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Harrumph. The death toll climbed after my intial posting, and I do not like it. I have not particularly paid attention to the matter, primarily because there is only sorrow there.

Conversation with an emergency medical professional indicated that the casualty list may have increased due to high winds plaguing the area. If this is true, then it may have complicated rotary-wing approaches to the VPI area, forcing the evacuation to be performed solely by ambulance. Given the spaghetti-bowl nature of VPI's streets (or so it seemed to me the last time I was there) valuable time may have been lost.

From a religious standpoint, I always hate these sorts of things. Given my personal nature, I usually wind up cursing the perpetrator of the crime. This is in direct contravention of the generally accepted Christian doctrine of praying for those who do harm to you. I've only managed to pull that off once, and it was nearly a physical effort to do so---it was at the non-denominational service held at my graduate institution shortly after 11 September 2001. I remember most clearly that the words would not come. Then, as now. I have not yet managed to get beyond growling, "I hope he's screaming in Hell about right now." I hope the fires around him are being fed by anthracite coal---I hear it burns nice and hot.

Yet, in the midst of pointless slaughter, beauty. Jesus Christ remarked in the thirteenth verse of the fifteenth book of St. John that, "Greater love hath no man than this, that lay down his life for his friends." It is safe to say that Professor Liviu Librescu conclusively demonstrated that greater love. I don't know much of anything about Jewish concepts of the afterlife etc., but if I had my way about, his arrival in Heaven would have been something on the order of the scene from Return of the Jedi where Emperor Palpatine arrives aboard the second Death Star. Blocking a door so others may escape, buying their lives with yours? That is a man. I can only hope that I could be so brave in the face of death.

Nnnh. I do not look forward to the politico-legal response to this circumstance.

In a meaningless statement of solidarity with those murdered by this Korean loser, an ersatz graphic taken from the Cold Spring Shops has been posted in the right margin and will remain for some time.

Posted by: Country Pundit at 03:16 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Yikes, just up the road a couple of hours in Blacksburg:

Lone gunman kills 21 at Virginia Tech

Reports suggest that the gunman is dead. There is no news at this point as to potential motivations or victim patterns. Unverified hearsay reports suggest that the gunman performed execution-style killing of several VPI students. Some survivors have been transferred to the Carilon New River Valley Medical Center in Radford, just off of 81. Cripes, that must mean that whatever's in Blacksburg has been filled up.

The VPI&SU website has been overhauled to provide details on the matter. As of 1240 hours, 22 are dead.

I had a couple other things planned for today, but there is no value in posting them now; perhaps tomorrow. This publication's prayers and sympathies are with the victims and their families.

Posted by: Country Pundit at 12:46 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Courtesy of Katko v. Briney, 183 N.W.2d 657 (Iowa 1971), all first year torts students learn that you can't use a spring gun to defend an abandoned farmhouse, no lethal force to defend property, etc. I say fie on that.

It appears that there's a burglar in the area, and he/she/it attempted to pilfer my vehicle, among others. Didn't take anything, 'cause there's nothing worth taking. You want the Long John Silver's box? You can have it. Meanwhile, please ignore the fact that all the lights in the area have suddenly gone out and the little red dot that your friend is screaming about being on your forehead.

Bother. Never a MagnaVolt dealer around when you need him. The best MagnaVolt ad ever:

If not that, then we go for the UA model 571-C in 10mm:

Hey Ripley, don't worry...

Posted by: Country Pundit at 03:24 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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