The Tech Massacre Anniversary

So today was the big day -- classes canceled, moments of silence, idiots at other schools staging 'die-ins.'

John and I are both Tech alums -- three degrees between us -- and that is where we courted, though we actually first met commuting to our Coop jobs at Patuxent Wildlife Research center (which is why I get to tell our girls, "Oh, Yeah! Your Daddy and I met in the backseat of a car!" Ahem! -- In '79. Married Dec. '81. Oldest child born in '87. One miscarriage, in '86. NO abortions. k thx bai!).

We had our own way of commemorating the event (something we've been meaning to do for decades -- procrastination, we has it!):

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Step one in pursuing those concealed carry permits -- check! Of course, we still need to acquire something that can actually be concealed -- the heirloom 1918 1917 Colt 45 is a little, ahhhh, bulky? OTOH, here in Virginny, we do have 'Open Carry' -- w00t! Anyhow, so there!

I am, however, going to have to ask my dear old friend Christopher, who used to teach at Miami (tickled his father no end to be able to say his son was teaching "at Oxford" -- heh!), whether this sort of thing would have happened when he was there -- ugh:

Student project, "Jungle Red," remembers victims of shooting at Virginia Tech

In remembrance of the April 16, 2007, fatal shooting of 32 people at Virginia Tech, a group of Miami University students encourage men on campus to join them in "Operation Jungle Red: Embrace Your Inner Strength" - an open display of letting go "of gender-stereotyped behavior - namely male dominated acts of violence," by painting one or all fingernails red April 14-16.

Students in kinesiology and health 385, "Contemporary Issues in Men's Health," and KNH 462, "Program Planning and Evaluation," wanted to do more to remember the victims of Virginia Tech by sending a message of "never again." Reginald Fennell, professor of health education, challenged students to create a program addressing an issue associated with men's health. He planted the seed for a "Jungle Red" activity and the students expanded it to a campuswide event.

Students hope to encourage 1,600 university men (50 men for each victim of the shooting at Virginia Tech) to wear "Jungle Red" nail polish. "We have chosen red nail polish because it clearly stands out and makes a statement," said senior Erica Keeney, co-chair and health promotion major.

"By stepping out of their rigid gender roles and wearing nail polish, we hope men will also make an effort to distance themselves from the stereotype of violence," added co-chair Tyler Topel, a sophomore exercise science major.

“We hope that with the success of this memorial event, the excitement seen on Miami's campus will spread to other college campuses across the nation, encouraging men to speak out against violence."

Students have submitted "Operation Jungle Red" to be considered for inclusion in the Guinness Book of World Records.

The Miami community is invited to join in one or more of the following activities:

•Get fingernails painted on just one hand or one finger at these locations: the hub, Martin Dining Hall, Haines Food Court, Miami recreational center lobby and Phillip’s Hall lobby;

•Donate fingernail polish at the front desk of the department of kinesiology and health, 106 Phillip Hall;

•Contribute time to paint nails, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, April 14, and Tuesday, April 15, and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday, April 16.

"Embrace Your Inner Strength" my ever lovin' ass! They're not trying to get men to be strong, they're trying to weaken them by instilling corporate guilt!

"We have chosen red nail polish because it clearly stands out and makes a statement," uh huh! Sure it does. We know what you're up to, you want to make them all feel like they have blood on their hands!

I really hope it was a total flop and that the men there have too much self respect to fall for this crap -- God, I hope so!