Fatal Shootings at NIU

[BYUfan1]

A former graduate student at Northern Illinois stepped from behind a curtain at the front of a large lecture hall at NIU on Thursday and shot 21 people, six of them fatally, then shot and killed himself. Seven of the wounded were listed in critical condition.

[Spence]

A former graduate student at Northern Illinois stepped from behind a curtain at the front of a large lecture hall at NIU on Thursday and shot 21 people, six of them fatally, then shot and killed himself. Seven of the wounded were listed in critical condition.

I don't know why these people who want to die use the last moments of their life to show to all who knew them that they were cowards. That isn't what I would want peoples last memories of me to be. I'm glad you didn't post his name. His name doesn't need to be written. My heart goes out to the innocent people who died in this tragedy.

[WoVeU]

Spence just stated and answered the curious problem.

The only reason my almost stable brain can come up with for such acts is the reward (of some form I guess) with infamy. This being delivered by the Media plastering these clowns faces and names all over papers, screens, and airwaves. Congress needs to pass a law to make this the one aspect freedom of the press doesn't grant. Report the story but no name or face needs to be given.

[Derek]

Spence just stated and answered the curious problem.

The only reason my almost stable brain can come up with for such acts is the reward (of some form I guess) with infamy. This being delivered by the Media plastering these clowns faces and names all over papers, screens, and airwaves. Congress needs to pass a law to make this the one aspect freedom of the press doesn't grant. Report the story but no name or face needs to be given.

Very sad. The guy was a nut. I can't fathom taking someone else's life

I can agree with some of what your saying WoVeU. However, I feel (being a Fedralist, and believe in the"WORD for WORD" interpretation of the Constitution) that Freedom of Speech/Press/religous expression/etc. is NOT absolute.

You can't leak national secrets about military capabilities. You can't print classified information like the New York Times did, though Bush let them get away with it. You can't scream fire in a movie theater when there is not one.

The constitution prohibits "Congress" from regulating these things. But it does not stop your state or local governments from laying a beatdown on you for marching/causing a disturbance without permission/permits to do so.

The 9th and 10th Amendments give all powers not reserved to the Federal government to the people or the states. So your state can regulate the local press, if their constitution or laws allow for it.

The Constitution is there to "restrict" government, not grant your rights. Since all your rights come from God, as the Founders acknowledged.

So I would clarify what you said, and say that the President can and should put a gag order on it. Don't give those nuts any press time. It MIGHT even make someone else that is contemplating the same thing, think twice when they see people "moving on" and forgetting about it. Not that we forget the people that died, but the person that did it is forgotten and most would say "good riddance".

[Spence]

No one should have to make a law about it. Common sense dictates that if you don't give them what they want the next guy will think twice about dying for nothing. No more copy cats. The press used to keep things quiet that weren't needed to tell the story. The name of a random guy who flips out and kills a bunch of people isn't needed to tell the story. Let law enforcement use his acts and let them learn the whats and whys. I don't need to know his name if he is dead.

[..fanatic]

I feel sad for the familes and friends of the victims, and for NIU as a whole. The Virginia Tech shootings hurt deep in my soul and now I know all too well how those at NIU must feel.

This is another senselsss tragedy.

[Spence]

Senseless is the key word.