Holly Adams - Mother of Virginia Tech student, releases statement

ManInBlack said:

I'm going to wait before sharing this...I hate getting "snoped."

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Ed personally vouched for it. That should be good enough!

I had dinner with Holly and my friend Brian Reynolds one night after a meeting. Holly responded to one of the Lori Haas emails that started this off. We talked on the phone, discussed her statement and she did not put it out the other day as it was her daughters birthday. We spoke again on the phone and via e-mail and she said she would send something out today.. I had it first thing this AM in my inbox. There was also talk about Philip sending it out in an ALERT all by itself.. so I would expect that as well.

Ed

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Already sent it to some non-OCDO friends, some of whom are Tech graduates.

ed said:

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Proud to be in that photo. Proud that I went to VT and protested for students rights.

Sad that I think I'd be asked to leave campus for OCing with these new 'regulations'

Sad to realize that VT is only setting itself up for another disaster by preventing law abiding students and staff from carrying.

ed said:

I had dinner with Holly and my friend Brian Reynolds one night after a meeting. Holly responded to one of the Lori Haas emails that started this off. We talked on the phone, discussed her statement and she did not put it out the other day as it was her daughters birthday. We spoke again on the phone and via e-mail and she said she would send something out today. I had it first thing this AM in my inbox. There was also talk about Philip sending it out in an ALERT all by itself.. so I would expect that as well.

Ed

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It certainly was an honor to meet and have dinner with Holly Adams after she attended the VCDL meeting. While a strong woman, you could see the torment she lives with daily. Outside of the sympathy we have for her and the other victim's family members, it was interesting to hear firsthand the bitterness created by Lori Haas and Colin Goddard as they became the self-proclaimed spokes people to suppress the very situation which may have saved some or many of the victims.

The largest problem is their broad continued effort—Haas and Goddard attempt to speak for all of the victims, when, as Holly respectfully points out without naming them, their level of victimization will never touch the level shared by families who actually lost someone that fateful day. And, Haas/Goddard go further, exploiting the memory of those lost to support their cause. Holly confided to Ed, I and Michael that many of the victim’s families pulled away from the collective victim support group(s) as Haas' and Goddard' s narrow-minded drive took over. Another advantage Haas and Goddard have is the emotional wherewithal to push forward with an agenda, going home each night to their loved ones—those with a true loss would have to be twice as strong and twice as driven, which is likely why we rarely hear from someone in Holly’s position.

However, Holly does want her statement and story shared, so this is a great step toward awareness and perhaps our collective support for Holly and others in her position will pave the path for good things to come from this tragedy.

BTReynolds1 said:

It certainly was an honor to meet and have dinner with Holly Adams after she attended the VCDL meeting. While a strong woman, you could see the torment she lives with daily. Outside of the sympathy we have for her and the other victim's family members, it was interesting to hear firsthand the bitterness created by Lori Haas and Colin Goddard as they became the self-proclaimed spokes people to suppress the very situation which may have saved some or many of the victims.

The largest problem is their broad continued effort—Haas and Goddard attempt to speak for all of the victims, when, as Holly respectfully points out without naming them, their level of victimization will never touch the level shared by families who actually lost someone that fateful day. And, Haas/Goddard go further, exploiting the memory of those lost to support their cause. Holly confided to Ed, I and Michael that many of the victim’s families pulled away from the collective victim support group(s) as Haas' and Goddard' s narrow-minded drive took over. Another advantage Haas and Goddard have is the emotional wherewithal to push forward with an agenda, going home each night to their loved ones—those with a true loss would have to be twice as strong and twice as driven, which is likely why we rarely hear from someone in Holly’s position.

However, Holly does want her statement and story shared, so this is a great step toward awareness and perhaps our collective support for Holly and others in her position will pave the path for good things to come from this tragedy.

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If you don't mind BT, I'd like to spread your statement around also. That's the most descriptive and eloquent position about the three stooges, I've read.

peter nap said:

If you don't mind BT, I'd like to spread your statement around also. That's the most descriptive and eloquent position about the three stooges, I've read.

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Please do and thank you.

Thank you, Holly Adams

I cannot imagine the pain or loss you have been through. You take a brave and needed stand. Thank you. From your efforts dangerous policy and regulation may yet get defeated. An armed citizen may one day be allowed to excercise their rights and legally prevent a similar tragedy.

I will definitely pass this along.

My prayers and admiration go out to you, Mrs. Adams!

I created a LINK

I created a LINK to her statement so it can be easily shared:

http://www.virginiaopencarry.org/press.html

ed said:

I created a LINK to her statement so it can be easily shared:

http://www.virginiaopencarry.org/press.html

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Thank you Ed and thank you Holly.

Thank you Holly Adams - may your voice be heard clearly and often.

More is the shame that this even needed to be said.

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Not yet a VCDL member? Join VCDL at: http://www.vcdl.org/join.html
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VCDL's meeting schedule: http://www.vcdl.org/meetings.html
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Abbreviations used in VA-ALERT: http://www.vcdl.org/help/abbr.html
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Immediately after the Virginia Tech massacre, a few of the families of
the Virginia Tech victims anointed themselves as the official
spokespersons for all of the Virginia Tech victims and victim's
families. They are cocksure that they have the solution: more gun
control. Forget that guns were banned on campus back in 2007. Forget
that Cho passed a background check TWICE. Forget that Cho followed the
One Handgun A Month law to the letter. Forget that massacres always
seem to happen at gun-free-zones, like schools and malls, but not a
places like gun shows.

One mother, Holly Adams, whose daughter, Leslie, was murdered by Cho,
has chosen to speak out against the insanity of the continued banning of
guns at universities and colleges. I have met Holly and seen the pain
in her eyes. She knows in her heart that the only way her daughter
could have been saved on that horrible day was for someone to have been
able to shoot back at Cho. She doesn't want to have another parent go
through what she did because she did not speak up about the dangers of
gun control.

Here is a statement that Holly sent to me today:

--

On April 16, 2007, my child, Leslie Sherman, was killed by Seung-Hui Cho
during the Virginia Tech massacre. Today is the fifth anniversary of
her death. Always in my memories, every day I wish that this tragedy
was a nightmare and I could wake up to hold my daughter even if it is
just one more time. That opportunity might have been possible if
someone been able to defend and protect my daughter in her classroom
before Cho took 30 precious lives.

There is an unfortunate drive for more gun control and the continuation
of preventing guns on campus by parents whose children lived or survived
during that fatal day. Several family members of those victims have
actively voiced their support for increased gun control measures. As
result, it has been assumed that they speak for all families of the
Virginia Tech victims. I am writing this to make it clear that this is
not the case. They do not represent me and my views.

Speaking for myself, I would give anything if someone on campus; a
professor, one of the trained military or guardsman taking classes or
another student could have saved my daughter by shooting Cho before he
killed our loved ones. Because professors, staff and students are
precluded from protecting themselves on campus, Cho, a student at
Virginia Tech himself, was able to simply walk on campus and go on a
killing rampage with no worry that anyone would stop him.

I ask a simple question: Would the other parents of victims be forever
thankful if a professor or student was allowed to carry a firearm and
could have stopped Seung-Hui Cho before their loved one was injured or
killed? I would be. I also suspect that the tragedy may not have
occurred at all if Cho knew that either faculty members or students were
permitted to carry their own weapons on campus. Cho took his own life
before campus police were able to reach him and put a stop to his
killing spree.

A sad testament to this anniversary date is the number of similar
killings in schools and public places that have taken place afterwards
as if nothing has changed to help prevent such needless and
heartbreaking events. That is why I fully support the VCDL in their
outstanding efforts to help prevent this type of tragedy and loss from
occurring in the future.

Holly Adams



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(VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization
dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to
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Posted to both my FB pages Ed. One is seen by a number of tech students and the other by quite a few liberals. We'll see what happens. I imagine some sort of conversation will occur.

Has anyone looked into whether the Collegiate Times (Tech student paper) would carry it as an editorial?

It is now on John's page too: http://monachuslex.com/

I expect National/AP will pick it up today.

Ed

ed said:

It is now on John's page too: http://monachuslex.com/

I expect National/AP will pick it up today.

Ed

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I'm going to email it to the Collegiate Times (Virginia Tech's student newspaper), if there are no objections to that.

VApatriot said:

I'm going to email it to the Collegiate Times (Virginia Tech's student newspaper), if there are no objections to that.

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By all means - go for it.

Is she willing to go through the media grinder? Or will she be ignored?

paramedic70002 said:

Is she willing to go through the media grinder? Or will she be ignored?

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I discussed that with her and she did not really seem to want the back and forth, that's why she released a statement. I told her that I would front end inquires for her.

I've been waiting for this...,

to be honest, I really couldn't remember anyone from the families of the victims or the victim/survivors expressing the kind of sentiments Ms. Adams has, but I simply did not, could not, would not believe that none of them, not one of them wouldn't feel this way. Maybe I just didn't do enough reading, or maybe I missed the sound byte, or just maybe the silence is finally breaking. Either way, Ms. Adams has written so well what many of us have been asking for, THE QUESTION. I'm not sure the aforementioned group has allowed THE QUESTION to be asked,or whether it has been effectively stifled for one reason or another, but it's out there now, from a "qualified" member no less. Let's see if or how they will answer it, or if they can even summon the fortitude to contemplate it.

Thank you Ed for posting this, and please thank Ms. Adams for having the courage to share her heart felt truth with everyone, and please mention Jeremiah 29 vs. 11-13 to her if she is so inclined. I've found that it has given me great comfort in times of hurt and anxiety. I find it so easy to have sympathy for her, yet none for those who would continue to deny the simple basic right of effective self defense to others despite their own losses or wounds.

I believe that there are others in that group of families of victims and victim/survivors that feel the way Ms. Adams does, and I am most eager to hear from them, and they should be heard, just as the "control" group is.

sidestreet

Jeremiah 29 vs. 11-13

we are not equal, we will never be equal, but we must be relentless.

Curiosity?!

I was just curious if she had previously voiced her opinion in this regard. I know I've heard Mr. Godards horrible arguements for the past years. Did she just not know of a platform that was interested in her opinion or that would listen to her?