Going Postal: Professor Kills Three at University of Alabama-Huntsville

Some people just don't deal well with rejection.

A professor at the University of Alabama - Huntsville allegedly shot three faculty members dead today.  Apparently, Dr. Amy Bishop was upset at being denied tenure, so fatally shot three faculty members at a meeting.

A few months ago, an engineer in Silicon Valley was let go from his job.  He asked for a meeting with the CEO, the VP of Operations, and the HR Manager.  He then pulled out a pistol and killed all three.  I assume he didn't think it through before deciding on this resolution to his problem.

A few years ago, another high tech worker in Silicon Valley was obsessed with a pretty co-worker, but she wasn't interested in him.  He came on strong, writing her notes and bringing her gifts.  He broke into her apartment while she was out of town and went through her things.  Finally, he was fired for stalking her.  Soon thereafter, he returned to his former workplace with a rifle and several pistols and opened fire on anyone and everyone, killing people in offices, hallways and cubicles.  After many hours, he finally surrendered to police and is now on death row.

Some people have a self-destruct button.  Like human land mines, they walk among us undetected and unnoticed, until the day they explode.  Cho, the student at Virginia Tech who killed 32 people, is a prime example.  Harris and Klebold, the losers who killed 13 people at Columbine High, are two more.

Going postal isn't the answer, but strong emotions can overrule rational thought, especially if the perpetrator has a brain chemistry imbalance.  Many people do and don't even know it.

Rejection and failure are a part of life.  We all fail or are rejected at one time or another.  In this economy, tens of thousands of people have lost jobs, homes and pension funds.  Years of work go up in smoke and they have to start all over again.  Take heart:  you are not alone.  If others can find a way to survive, so can you.

Someone wise once noted that success in life isn't decided by how many times you fall, but by how many times you get back up.  Of course, that's hard to do if someone decides to shoot you.