Monday morning quarterbacking

One of the things that grabbed my attention during the Virginia Tech shootings was how many people focused on placing blame on the campus police department and the university for not locking down the campus after the first two deaths.

Now, hindsight is 20/20, and we all can see the consequences of that decision.  But when the police were first dispatched at about 730am, there were only two victims, and it appeared to be a simple double homicide.  The police had information that the shooter was no longer on the scene, and no reason to think there would be more shootings.

Listening to all the reporters ask why, hearing all the “experts” saying they campus should have been shut down, well, it’s easy to lob rocks from the cheap seats.  No one on the scene could have foreseen this guy staying on campus, taking another 30 lives.

Dear God.

Yesterday was just tragic. Watching the coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings is just disturbing. Trying to understand why anyone would feel the need to get a gun and just start shooting people…well, it’s incomprehensible.

That’s the personal side of what I’m thinking. The professional side of me was thinking this…

Diane and I watched the news conference the president of the university and the chief of the university police, listening intently to the information they were giving out, in disbelief. Especially when it got to the question-and-answer part. Here’s where it got depressing to me.

When I’m in on the coverage of a big story, shooting a news conference, I despise the q-and-a part. It starts innocently enough, with reporters asking pertinent question, questions that the public want, need the answers to. Once those questions are exhausted, it degenerates into what seems a contest to see who can ask the most inane questions. Usually, it’s ok. I just roll my eyes, try to hide behind my viewfinder, and feel embarrassed by the questions. Those questions are usually only heard by media insiders and the people who are enduring the questions.

Big national stories, where the news conferences are being aired live, well, the whole nation gets to hear the dumb questions. And there were plenty of them yesterday afternoon at VT. One guy asked something like, (I’m paraphrasing) “Why didn’t anyone try to stop him. I mean, if I know I’m gonna die, I’m just going to try to stop him myself.” Right, Rambo. I’m sure you’ll the hero at the next mass shooting. That wasn’t the only stupid question, but was the only one that stands out.

And is there any reason why we as a profession aren’t respected by the public?

Oy.