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I am writing to address the article written about the two student deaths this past weekend.
Personally, I found the articles to be impersonal, listing streamline facts.
It didn't seem to me that the author took the time to really find out who either of these fellow Hokies were. I was fortunate enough to be friends with Lauren Smith, and I consider my time with her a small privilege.
What the article failed to relay was that Lauren was both strongly dedicated and fun loving. Lauren had a smile that was contagious; you could not be around her and be upset.
On weekends that she didn't have drill, she could be found around town enjoying college life. Lauren was the type to be ready at any instant for coffee at Starbucks or French toast at Joe's. She was the type to crack a joke and cheer you up instantly. Lauren's passion was to live by this university's motto, "Ut Prosim."
When she decided to go Army, she threw everything she had into advancing her involvement and training. She always said Army was her best class. Lauren was more than just a good solider; she was a great friend to many.
In this article, I can't help but show my bias toward the loss of Lauren being a loss for the student body. In this big university there are few superstars; our Blacksburg world is made up of whom you're closest to.
I know that in the grand view of things the passing of Lauren and Can Geyran were not campus shattering, but to those close to either it was a shocking blow.
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What I'd like to know, what is the cause of death for such a young, presumably healthy person? That was omitted from the report, while the Turkish student's condition was described.
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Fred, it is against the law to disclose medical histories of patients without the patient's consent. Thus, it is likely that her family did not want to disclose the cause of the death (which is certainly well within their rights).
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Obituaries used to regularly list cause of death. Then society got all touchy-feely about privacy. What's the big deal? HIPAA certainly didn't help Virginia Tech -- the psychotic Cho benefited from his "right to privacy" under it.
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And obituaries are written by whom third parties? Of course not; obituaries are written by the families of the deceased. Would you prefer full disclosure of the state of everyone's health? HIPAA isn't designed to protect institutions; it is designed to protect individuals.
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Obituaries are generally compiled by newspapers - reported from funeral homes. There are "obituary writers" after all. If someone gets hit by a train, that cause of death is known, if someone dies from a heart attack on the basketball court, that is known. This idea that "privacy" now applies to cause of death being removed from obituaries must be due to AIDS or suicide cases.
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Be realistic, Fred. It isn't like Funeral Homes come up with elaborate stories about the deceased either. I'm not sure why you insist on this 'right to know' about they causes of other peoples' deaths. It is well within the rights of the individual, and his family, to choose whether or not to disclose the specific circumstances surrounding one's death.
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Kyle: There used to not be any problem in obituaries with funeral homes simply saying, Jane Public, 75, died of a cerebral hemorrhage (or diabetes, lung cancer) etc. Such listings occurred up until 10 years ago or so. I don't see what the big deal is about saying what caused someone's death. Someone who is dying at such a young age -- that is shocking.
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