One Day Blog Silence In Honor Of The Victims Of Virginia Tech

I can´t believe it. I was at dinner when two good friends and I heard the news on television. Hours later I was sitting on my laptop not able to formulate any words, thoughts...anything.

BLACKSBURG, Va. — A gunman massacred 32 people at Virginia Tech in the deadliest shooting rampage in modern U.S. history Monday, cutting down his victims in two attacks two hours apart before the university could grasp what was happening and warn students. The bloodbath ended with the gunman committing suicide, bringing the death toll to 33 and stamping the campus in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains with unspeakable tragedy, perhaps forever.

I felt like I had to write something. Anything. But I didn´t know how. I felt like there is nothing I can write to describe what I feel.

So I called my two friends Euripidis and Halil to talk about this tragedy and we decided that we had to do something.

So we started the One Day Blog Silence Initiative tonite in honor towards the victims of Virginia.

Silence can say more then a thousand words.

On April 30th 2007, the Blogosphere will hold a One-Day Blog Silence in honor towards the victims of Virginia.  33 died at the US college massacre.

***UPDATE: I just read this and it put tears in my eyes. Please Read Silence is a Memoriam, Not a Reason to Stop Blogging  ***

We did our best. Now we need your help - Find out what to do.

Comments

[Steli Efti]

Mister EDgAR,

to be honest with you, as somebody who lives in Europe, I didn´t even have the idea to write a "real life" letter to a congressman or something like that.

I do understand your point about DOING something than just talkin or not talking and I would like to ask you to give people actually an example of what they can do! Inspire them!

I know that most people do not act and want to know what to do and that this can be frustrating to those of us who take action but complaining doesn´t help either - right?

So writting to a congrasman is one thing.

What about talking to the kids that sorround us? In family, friends, neighborhoods?

I mean go out and talk to kids about violence and find ways to educate them?

Every killer has people who sorround him. The One Day Blog Silence event can be used to go out and talk to children you know instead of posting something on a blog.

Any other suggestions?

[Steli Efti]

Camille,

you are so right! We are all humans. We have differences but in the end certain events can show us how close we stand to each other.

Keep the hope alive!
Steli

[Steli Efti]

UPDATE: Please read this: http://lorelle.wordpress.com/2007/04/17/silence-is-a-memoriam-not-a-reason-to-stop-blogging/

[La interrogación]

Steli,
You are completely right. It is atonishing how things can go worst and worst.
I do not understand why weapons are still almost free in the UUEE. They have to reconsider their policies about this issue.
Anyway, silence is the best thing but we should shout loud and clear: stop selling weapons like candys!!!

[La interrogación]

Steli,
You are completely right. It is atonishing how things can go worst and worst.
I do not understand why weapons are still almost free in the UUEE. They have to reconsider their policies about this issue.
Anyway, silence is the best thing but we should shout loud and clear: stop selling weapons like candys!!!

[Steli Efti]

La interrogacion,

thankx for your comment. I agree. The National Rifle Association says "guns don´t kill people. people do."

But we all know that´s bs.

As Eddie Izzard said it once brilliantly : "Maybe guns don´t kill people. But I think they help. Just going to somebody and shouting out BOOm won´t kill to many people!"

I am totally against giving weapons to the public.

Much power!
Steli

[Camille Jolicoeur]

Banish weapons is like the death sentence, or wars, it is a non-human solution to an out of control situation.

I think the real solution stands behind a few answers:

- Why humans feel as outsiders of humanity?

- Why humans need to impose their belief?

- Why do we replace sharing to everybody with power?

Let's hold out one's hand spontaneously. Every individual is essential to mankind to build our stability.

I know I may look far out from our violent world, and that evolution is damn slow, but, we are all member of one powerfull group: HUMANITY...

[florence meichel]

I totally agree, Camille ! :-)

We are all on the same boat : the humanity boat !

[Ewan Spence]

While I agree that this was a terrible event, to put it in perspective it is a drop in the ocean. Yes 33 people have died, but more than that die of cancer each day. More die in road traffic accidents. More die in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in other areas of conflict around the world. Should we a stop for them? Maybe we should make a bangle and wear it for the last 33 peopel to die in the world who didn't reach old age.

To take 24 hours and make it silent is a selfish reaction. It makes you feel good about something bad because you are (very visibly) being seen to be doing something. Maybe a more profitable use of the time would be to blog your letter to Congress on issues that directly affect and kill peopel, such as war, smoking, high powered weapons, cancer, research into virus and vaccines, medicare for the less well off in the US and other countries.

But silence? On a blog? Would *anyone* outside of the blogger and their close cirlce of readers realise WHY?

[Peter]

People take the idea of silence as non-action which would be incorrect. If you believe that your idea of the future actually creates that future or in the law of attraction or intentions become reality. Then silence is a potent force where we are sending our intentions to ourselves and the universe as to what we want to happen. Ways of accomplishing that do not become apparent until we are looking for it. You need to start somewhere and this is a declaration of intention. Just think about Gandhi.

[N]

MLK stated: "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

I think, although the idea is - to borrow EDgARs word - "cute" it is pretty disastrous.

1. One day where all the good voices are silent will make the evil one scream even louder. Hyphotecially - if every blogger that is against violence silencing his or her blog the blogosphere will be a place for hatred cause the ones who evangelize a message of death and despair won't be silent.

2. Symbolicism is important. The blogosphere is a symbol for freedom of speech. To propose to silence it is somewhat contraproductive to that.

3. The quotation "silence speaks louder than thousand words" is somewhat obsolete since the present mediaworld positions chatter where it find silence.

I won't be silent. But my words strife always against the oppressors, the moral jeopardy of the present society.

[margalit]

There are many opportunities to talk about the violence in our world. I do it all the time on my blog. I've already blogged twice since the VT massacre on guns. I have plenty of time to blog about the incident, and many other incidents. I can blog before and after the day of silence. But during the day of silence, I won't blog. I won't blog because it makes a statement for a blogger like me, who posts daily or even several times a day to respectfull observe a day of silence.

I have lived in Israel and have experienced YomHaShoah. I know what it is like to stop and keep silence along with every other person in the entire country. it is a powerful statement. VERY powerful. Silence CAN be just as powerful as noise.

Just look at this thread, and the other threads going around. Senseless arguing about whether or not it will make a change. Of course it won't. Change with the powerful NRA controlling the Republican party isn't gonna come from blogging, pro or con. I don't think anyone is proposing that a day of silence is going to change the world.

But what it will do is acknowledge that you're sick to death of the violence, that you support the end of violence. That you honor the fallen the world over.

You can fight any other time, any other day. Oppression won't end because of your fight either. But won't you consider honoring the dead with your silence for just this one short time? Or are your words so powerful that you actualy believe that you can make the world change by your activism alone?

[Steli Efti]

Peter,

my friend it´s nice to have you with us. I started to read "ask and it is given" one week ago and I have experienced more then once the power of thoughts!

Let´s focus all together on what we want - peace, health and happines for all mankind.

Much power!
Steli

[Steli Efti]

NI,

I just published a post where you can find a link for all of you who want to write at One Day Blog Silence for peace and about the victims of Virgina Tech.

margalit,

thank you for your support. Your words reflect my thoughts. Nothing more to ad to this.

Much power to all people!
Steli

[Mister EDgAr [h.]]

Since I can't seem to be able to shut up and leave people alone I would very much like to post a reply to a comment in reply to one of mine, I made on an other blog, still hoping that, one day, the silent majority will speak up..

"It’s not one day of silence that pains me,
It’s the eternity of it.

Honoring the dead, I understand,

Inaction to prevent this from happening again disgust me.

You really wonder why this happened and why it will happen again?
What will you be doing in between?
What will all the silent ones be doing in between?

How about, after your day of silence, honoring all of the dead, so many of them by taking actions? Did you ever wrote a letter to your congressman stressing that something should be done? That mentally ill children’s should not have such an easy access to firearms?

I was in fury when I read that the people surrending the shooter were absolutely not surprise that it was he who killed so many, yet teachers, student and so many more chose to be blind at the sight of despair, chose to not act and they waited and waited until it finally exploded and it was too late.

In a society where people refuse to engage in conversation about mental illness and suicide this, sadly, will happen again and again.

Turn off your TV and think for a second, you really believe that a broken heart kills so many innocent? If you are still wondering let me give you the answer, NO it doesn’t. The shooter was mentally ill and no one did a thing about it because, we the people, refuse to see it and that is what I am against!

People will mourn for one day and them go on with their life still wondering why such a thing can happen and patiently wait until the next massacre.

Not changing subject, but moving on..

The evil empire of the NRA “seriously” proposed that student should be armed in school so, when the next shooter comes to them they will be able to defend themselves. More guns?!

Who is to stop them? The silent mourning majority?

It is so much easier to find excuse not to do something them to actually act and that is what I am against!

I really hope that your day of silence will not go unheard but I have doubts..

Wishing you the best! You are a good person most of you are but the good people need to speak up from time to time! "

[jamal]

a day of silence is good, as one can consider and think to speak constructivly the next day and help stop similar atrocities occuring again.

[Steli Efti]

Jamal,
thank you for your support!

TO ALL:
Please go an read this http://www.ewriting.pamil-visions.com/2007/04/19/virginia-tech-massacre/#comment-5282

Much power!
Steli

[Iván Cotrina Castaño]

I go to put that all info in my Spanish Blog. Im from Spain and all people here are giving their suppor to the victims of that massacre. I will try to spread this One Blog Day Silence beetwen my Spanish friend's and Bloggers. See you.

[Neil]

Thank you for this thoughts, Steli. I took the opportunity to be silent for a day and to reflect on the world. I'm sorry that some others saw it as another reason to winge. There will be many other tragedies and perhaps we will do the same again or perhaps there will be other ways to mark the occasion and show we care, but a day off helps to clear the mind. Take care.

[Chat]

I’d be interested in an updated GoogleAnalytics chart (may be two with about six weeks coverage), just to see if the effect did wear off after a while and also, did others link to your new name with the same link-text (allinurl:…). I hope you will publish a follow up.

[Maximus]

I would like to see a continuation of the topic