Is UVa safe?

[ChiSox07]

UVA is probably as safe as any school in America.  Honestly, the coverage of the VT tragedy has been a little out of proportion.  The US' gun laws are too lenient, but this isn't a country where rampages like VT are even remotely commonplace.  It was horrible, yes, but these tragedies rarely happen on college campuses (I think the last one was at Texas in 1966).  Don't miss out on an incredible opportunity at UVa because of what some wacko kid did this week.

[Journeyman]

Wacko doesnt begin to describe...we're talking some Summer of Sam 'ish with this kid.

This type of stuff just doesn't happen often.  And I would imagine, there will be heavier screening of students like this in the future.

[BikePilot]

Yep I can't think of a safer school (in the US or UK, no direct exp in AU). Anywhere in the world there's always some risk, its a fact of life, but the risk is really minimal. Think about how many hundreds of thousands of students there are in many thousands of universities across the US, as sad as it is with that many sooner or later something bad is going to happen, but your probably more likely to die by slipping in a bathtub. Heck, UMD has more students than Oxford, Cambridge and LSE combined (I think)!

[mimidb101]

Thanks for your reassurances - I am really looking forward to the exchange, and it would be a terrible shame if I missed it because of what happened at VT. Incidentally, why are the gun laws in the US so lenient? I mean, there have been a few school/college shootings in the last few years, so why haven't the legislators done something about it? I don't mean to cause offence to anyone's political viewpoint here - it's just that as an Australian, I find it hard to believe. 

[Pop Up Video]

Thanks for your reassurances - I am really looking forward to the exchange, and it would be a terrible shame if I missed it because of what happened at VT. Incidentally, why are the gun laws in the US so lenient? I mean, there have been a few school/college shootings in the last few years, so why haven't the legislators done something about it? I don't mean to cause offence to anyone's political viewpoint here - it's just that as an Australian, I find it hard to believe. 

Easiest answer: it's just a different culture.

[IF]

Thanks for your reassurances - I am really looking forward to the exchange, and it would be a terrible shame if I missed it because of what happened at VT. Incidentally, why are the gun laws in the US so lenient? I mean, there have been a few school/college shootings in the last few years, so why haven't the legislators done something about it? I don't mean to cause offence to anyone's political viewpoint here - it's just that as an Australian, I find it hard to believe. 

Easiest answer: it's just a different culture.

That's prob the best answer too!  But I'll explain a little more for you in case you're interested.

It's a long held tradition from pre-revolution days.  To my knowledge, it wasn't about self-defense so much as self-sufficiency all around (though also self-defense from native Americans).  Of course during the Revolution it became a a very prized possesion.  Then when the Constitution was finally written, it was set up so that there was an incredibly large amount of respect and power (at that time period at least) given to individual citizens.  Since you're coming here you might be interested to note that this is a Federalist/Libertarian position.  And it is something that many people in America still hold very dear, as much as free speech or religion (or non-religion).

[IF]

FYI, the laws aren't quite as lax as they seem.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070420/ap_on_re_us/virginia_tech_shooting_weapons

Don't know why this isn't on cnn or fox yet...

[Journeyman]

FYI, the laws aren't quite as lax as they seem.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070420/ap_on_re_us/virginia_tech_shooting_weapons

Don't know why this isn't on cnn or fox yet...

Because the mainstream media sucks.

[«ě»]

Coming from Australia (or Norway as I am), I think you'd be wise to consider where you go at night time a bit more than you're used to. Other than that, I feel that most law schools appear to be quite safe, and you're probably safer in an area like UVa than in metropolitan areas like NYC, Washington etc. Although shooting sprees like we saw at VT is a horrible tragedy, it's important to remember more people got killed in traffic than on VT campus that day. While these events get a lot of press attention (as they should!), they are uncommon and it is highly unlikely you'd be involved in anything like this ever.

FYI, the laws aren't quite as lax as they seem.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070420/ap_on_re_us/virginia_tech_shooting_weapons

Don't know why this isn't on cnn or fox yet...

Well, being a future lawyer, it's important to pick on minor semantic things...

"Rules should have barred weapon purchase"

What rules should do means absolutely jack as long as they don't actually do it.

[IF]

FYI, the laws aren't quite as lax as they seem.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070420/ap_on_re_us/virginia_tech_shooting_weapons

Don't know why this isn't on cnn or fox yet...

Because the mainstream media sucks.

It does, I just would have thought that one of them was partially on the ball.

Coming from Australia (or Norway as I am), I think you'd be wise to consider where you go at night time a bit more than you're used to. Other than that, I feel that most law schools appear to be quite safe, and you're probably safer in an area like UVa than in metropolitan areas like NYC, Washington etc. Although shooting sprees like we saw at VT is a horrible tragedy, it's important to remember more people got killed in traffic than on VT campus that day. While these events get a lot of press attention (as they should!), they are uncommon and it is highly unlikely you'd be involved in anything like this ever.

FYI, the laws aren't quite as lax as they seem.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070420/ap_on_re_us/virginia_tech_shooting_weapons

Don't know why this isn't on cnn or fox yet...

Well, being a future lawyer, it's important to pick on minor semantic things...

"Rules should have barred weapon purchase"

What rules should do means absolutely jack as long as they don't actually do it.

Agreed, for immediate practical purposes.  But the fact that the rules exist is important.  There is a strong tendency to blame the lawmakers, and clearly thats not the issue here.  The proper rules have already been created.  Now its an issue of implementation and enforcement.