2007-04-17

The Tragedy at Virginia Tech

I was shocked and saddened last night to hear of yet another shooting spree in the gun-crazy USA. This time, again, it hit a school, killing over 30 people who were in the process of getting themselves an indication.

As we speculate about the motives of the killer, the blogs and discussion boards are alive with discussion about gun control - senseless, idiotic discussions. For example, a group at another Virginia school are trying to get the gun ban at their school lifted - because they want to be armed to "protect" themselves against the crazies.

There is arguing for the second amendment to the US constitution that gives US citizens the right to bear arms from all points on the political continuum - different arguments, same story: Get a gun so you can protect yourself and your loved ones.

Occasionally a voice of reason: sure, if one of the students yesterday had had a gun, then maybe only 15 instead of over 30 would have died. But how many would then die in drunken fraternity club incidents? Michael Moore has shown that in Canada, just across from Detroit, banning guns has dramatically dropped the death rate and the crime rate.

So why isn't this a no-brainer and guns get banned? I suppose having a Texan in the White House is no help, Texans seem to believe that even children should be armed. Get a life, America, ban guns. Now. Collect 'em all up, crush them, and make cars out of them or whatever.

My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the murdered students and teachers.

2 comments:

Jim Horning said...

Couldn't agree with you more about the need to ban guns.

The Second Amendment to the US Constitution was a major (perhaps the major) failure of foresight by the Founding Fathers.

However, it's there, and given the (appropriate) difficulty of amending the Constitution, it would take a much larger groundswell of public opinion than we have yet seen to change it. The National Rifle Association is an incredibly effective lobbying organization. Not just when the President is from Texas, either.

But the Bill of Rights (first ten amendments) provides so many vital protections--freedom of the press, freedom of/from religion, due process, etc.--that I cannot, even in principle, support any attempt to subvert consitutional protections.

Everything has its cost.

Jim H.

WiseWoman said...

And then you think that it can't get any worse, and it does:
Virginia gunshop to go ahead with free gun giveaway despite massacre, reported on in this blog.

Seems this gun-shop owner is thumbing his nose at the New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who thinks lots of illegal guns in NY come from Virginia, where apparently anyone can get all the guns he wants right away.

He is giving customers who purchase guns raffle tickets, the main prize is - a gun. Buy a gun to win a gun, free!

Good Lord, what on earth has this come to?

Other bloggers are noting that they are hearing threats that refer to the killing in VA - how long until we get a copycat, in Europe or the States?