European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 19, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 12 stars and stripes thursday april 19 2007 Virginia tech rampage silence on gun control shattered politicians have avoided topic but shootings May bring it to the fore firearm related deaths in the us Virginia had 811 deaths from firearms injuries in 2003 with a 109 death rate per 100000 population the National average is 103 deaths due to injury by firearms per 100000 population 2003 by Calvin Woodward the associated press Washington gun control has been treated with a mix of silence and discomfort in the 2008 presidential Campaign a stance that May become insupportable once the United states finds its voice in the aftermath of the mass murder at the Virginia tech University democrats have been deliberately muted for months on an Issue that by their own reckon ing contributed to and perhaps sealed their defeat in the 2000 presidential election that was when Al Gores Call for gun registration Cost him votes in Rural America and dulled the party appetite for taking on the gun lobby top republicans in the race Are trying to close ranks with their party conservative base on a variety of issues making gun control an unusually sensitive one for them too thanks to their Liberal views in the past enter the massacre at Blacks Burg a an attack so horrific it froze the presidential Campaign in place candidates called off events and expressed Only sorrow not opinion in the first hours advocates of any Stripe raised their gun Agenda at their peril i think that people who want threat causes new scare at Virginia tech Blacksburg a Virginia tech students got another scare wednesday morning As police in swat gear with weapons drawn swarmed Burruss Hall which houses the presidents of fice they were just screaming get off the sidewalks said Ter Ryn Wingler Petty a Junior from Wisconsin they seemed very confused about what was going on they were just trying to get people organized the threat targeted the univer sity president but was unfounded and the building was reopened police chief Wendell Flinchum said one officer was seen escorting a crying Young woman out of Bur Russ Hall telling her its of its from the associated press to take this within 24 hours of the event and make it their political Hobby horse to ride Ive got nothing but loathing for them Virginia gov Tim Kaine said but the bloodiest shooting ram Page in modern us history with 33 dead is certain to set off a de Bate that those who would be pres ident can hardly sit out in the Days and weeks ahead in this Campaign candidates in both parties who have Ever taken a shot at a prey Are playing up their Hunting credentials others Are highlighting their allegiance to the constitutional right to Bear arms or avoiding the question Al together now such questions Are unavoidably in their face not talking about an Issue May be successful in the Short term but its never a successful Lon term strategy said James Kessler policy and gun control specialist at third Way a demo cratic centrist group i dont think that a candidate will be punished for supporting gun safety i think when a Guy walks in and shoots 32 people its going to cause there to be a lot of policy de Bate president Bush said now is not the time to do the debate until were actually certain about what happened and after we help people get Over their grieving fewer than 8 8109 do 269 Hawaii 28 source centers for disease control and prevention a far from tragedy tears and a tolling of the Bells the associated press Allentown a a Bell pealed 33 times inside the soaring Cathedral at Muhlenberg College breaking the silence As students mourned the dead at Virginia tech bound by the commonality of the Campus experience students sought to express their support South koreans Pray for victims Ahn South korean citizens Pray for the victims of the Virginia tech shoot ing massacre in Blacksburg a in front of the us embassy in Seoul South Korea on wednesday South Korea expressed Shock after learning the suspect in the shooting rampage at Virginia tech was a South korean native for Virginia tech and reassure each other that they still Are Safe theres not much we can do for them other than with our thoughts and prayers and in sure thais Why people showed up said Muhlenberg student body president Scott Gordon one of about 175 students who attended tuesdays Vigil students planned similar Obser Vances later in the week in Chap Els courtyards and Campus Cen ters across the country to reach out to Blacksburg a where a student gunman killed 32 people then himself monday at Miami University in Oxford Ohio about 300 students turned out tuesday night for a Candle Light Vigil in a courtyard outside a student Center it was a somber mood Junior Jon Elson said we know it could have been us a Muhlenberg president Pey ton Helm posted a message on the College web site seeking to re assure students that the Campus was Safe but Many students said they were chilled by the thought that what happened at Virginia tech could have happened on any College Campus student leaders Hung a giant condolence card inside the Stu Dent Union at California state University Bakersfield and asked members of the Campus Community to sign it before mailing the card to Virginia tech the victims the associated press a list of some of the victims of the shootings at Virginia tech Ross Abdallah Alameddine 20 of Sau Gus mass according to his Mother Lyn Nette Alameddine Christopher James Bishop 35 Accord ing to Darmstadt University of technology in Germany where he helped run an Exchange program Brian Bruhm 25 a civil engineering graduate student according to an an n9uncement by the Detroit tigers and friends Ryan Clark 22 of Martinez a biology and English major according to co Lumbia county Coroner Vernon Collins Austin Cloyd an International studies major from Blacksburg a according to Terry Harter senior pastor at first United methodist Church in Champaign Iii where Cloyd and her family lived be fore moving to Blacksburg Jocelyne Coutur Nowak a French instructor according to her husband Jerzy Nowak the head of the horticulture department at Virginia tech Daniel Perez Cueva 21 killed in his French class according to his Mother Betty Cueva of Peru Kevin Granata age unknown Engineer ing science and mechanics professor according to Ishwar k Puri the head of the engineering science and mechanics department Matthew 6 Gwaltney 24 91 Chester a a graduate student in civil and environmental engineering according to his father and Stepmother Greg and Linda Gwaltney Carlin Hammaren 19 of Westtown by a Sophomore majoring in International studies and French according to min sink Valley by school officials who spoke with Hammaren family Jeremy Herbstritt 27 of Bellefonte a according to Penn state University his Alma mater and his fathers employer Rachael Hill 18 of Glen Ahen a according to her father Guy Hill Jane Hilscher a 19yearold freshman from Woodville according to Tappahannock county administrator John w Mccarthy a family Friend Jarrett l Lane 22 of Narrows a according to rifles funeral service inc in Narrows a Matthew j la Porte 20 a freshman from Dumont no according to Dumont police chief Brian Venezio leu Librescu 76 engineering science and mathematics lecturer according to Puri go Loganathan 51 civil and Environ mental engineering professor Accord ing to his brother go pal Anivel Partahi Lonb Antouan 34 of Indonesia civil engineering doctoral student according to Kristi Arto Legoo a spokesman for the foreign ministry Lauren Mccain 20 of Hampton a International studies major according to a statement from the family Daniel Oneil 22 of Rhode Island according to close Friend Steve Craveiro and to Eric Cardenas of Connecticut col lege where Neils father Bill is director of major gifts Juan Ramon Ortiz a 26yearold graduate student in engineering from Baya Mon puerto Rico according to his wife Liselle Yega Cortes Minal panchai26 a firs year build in science student from Mumbai India according to foreign ministry spokes Man Navtej Sarna Erin Peterson 18 of Chantilly a an International studies major according to her father Grafton Peterson Michael Pohle 23 of Remington no according to officials at his High school Hunter Don Central High Julia Pryde age a graduate student from Middletown no Accord ing to Virginia tech professor Saied to St Ghirni chairman of the biological sys tems and engineering department Mary Karen read 19 of Annandale according to her aunt Karen Kup pinger of Rochester by Reema j Samaha is a freshman from Centreville a according to her family Leslie Sherman a Sophomore history and International studies student from Springfield a according to her grand Mother Gerry Adams Maxine Turner 22 a senior majoring in chemical engineering from Vienna a according to her father Paul Turner