Guns were made for one purpose only; to maime and kill. I can respect an indivdual's right to sport for game but the right to acquire and hold automatic assualt weapons does not speak to the same intention. It speaks to profits for the gun manufacturing industry.

This act of violence is absolutely horrible but don't blame the NRA. The ROOT CAUSE is much deeper. I blieve that we can truly trace the beginning of this violence over the United States back to when we took the TEN COMMANDENTS out of our schools as well as PRAYER. Our forefathers were very smart in stating they didn't want a Country Religion. By all of their actions they wanted everyone to select their own religion, not have the States say you had to be a Christen, Jew, Muslim, Buda, etc. Only our CRAZY Politicians could come up with all of the wild arguments to keep prayer and GOD out of schools under the GUISE of Separation of Church and State. I personally believe all religions follow a style of the TEN COMMANDMENTS and therefore our children need to be taught them. Another problem is our violent TELEVISION and GAMES. All seem to make fun of KILLING. Also TV with their sex shows is absolutely terrible. All they protray is how quick can the man get into the ladies panties. WE need our Congress pass laws that forbid Violent TV Shows and Kids Games along with the foul language and Sex on TV Shows.
This will be a good start to getting to the ROOT CAUSE along with putting the TEN COMMANDMENTS AND GOD back into our schools.

Why hasn't anyone focused on the complete lack of a response to the original shootings that occured at 7:15 AM? Where was the massive response by law enforcement and school authorities that such an event should provoke? The main massacre did not happen until two hours later! If the law enforcement response cannot be counted on to provide security then what?

Typical liberal press saying that these people were killed with a gun when in fact they were killed with a gun. If the media were fair and balanced you would have written that they died of natural causes or God struck them down because they were sinners, maybe even homosexuals (right RA Wagner?). Why can we never get the news we want to hear from the liberal press instead of the facts? Clearly this is all Hillary Clinton's fault for working to nationalize health care in the early 90's.

"but the right to acquire and hold automatic assualt weapons does not speak to the same intention."

And just where does it say that the weapon(s) used were assault weapons?

Quit trying to rationalize all weapons as assault weapons until you know the facts.

Here was a university that was weapons-free; the only armed people were the campus police and the shooter. The kids were sitting ducks. If some of the staff and students had concealed carry (properly registered and properly trained), then this may not have got so out of hand. And we see how effective the police were; shooter still shooting two hours after the first shots fired and reported.

I also agree. In the past there were more accessable guns but almost zero violence in the schools. Maybe it is just that there's more deranged individuals out there. Maybe they are the problem.

This will be a good start to getting to the ROOT CAUSE along with putting the TEN COMMANDMENTS AND GOD back into our schools.

Posted by: R A Wagner | Apr 16, 2007 3:28:22 PM

There is such a thing. Send your kids to private school

Bottom line is this entire story makes me want to go out and buy my own weapon.

Just remember this, everyone; we all have constitutional right to be blown away by any subhuman jerk with a gun.

This will be a good start to getting to the ROOT CAUSE along with putting the TEN COMMANDMENTS AND GOD back into our schools.

Posted by: R A Wagner | Apr 16, 2007 3:28:22 PM

There is such a thing. Send your kids to private school
Posted by: Jeff C. | Apr 16, 2007 3:40:55 PM

I went to a private (religious) school and there was still a shooting there. I guess the 10 commandments aren't good body armor after all.

I agree with R A Wagner.

If not for the ten commandments I wouldn't know that it's wrong to kill 30 people.

But then, like R A Wagner, I'm a moron.

>>

Wow. That didn't take long. Now ***Bush*** is to blame for this?

I'm also curious about the need to quote a student from another school with no apparent ties whatsoever to this tragedy.

For everyone who will call for more gun control I have four words: Appalachian Law School Shootings.

Guns were already banned on VT's campus. The criminal violated gun laws by bringing them there where all the other students were disarmed.

If one - just one - of those law-abiding citizens there had a conceal carry permit, maybe we wouldn't be telling this story today.

We live in a world that solves so many of its problems through violence. From the family up through International Policy. Until we stop trying to blame race, gender, guns, religion and start focusing on the fact that the world is a very violent place and change that fact we will continue to have countless millions of people killed in this world. Sort of getting sick of the excuses from all sides of the political piles...as to why "violence" is so lusted for.

"Typical liberal press saying that these people were killed with a gun when in fact they were killed with a gun"

"Its All Clinton's fault"

In 2002 armed students stopped a gunman who had killed 3 people. CNN reported that they just "tackled" the gunman.

In all, 4 of the 208 news stories about the incident included the fact that the people who stopped it were armed.

In the VA Tech case....they had to wait for the shooter to kill himself.

How sad.

For anyone who says more gun laws are the answer, I want specifics. What could additional laws accomplish that the thousands of mostly unenforced existing gun laws can't?

"If one - just one - of those law-abiding citizens there had a conceal carry permit, maybe we wouldn't be telling this story today."

Maybe maybe not...that person could have killed even more in his/her attempt to save the day.

Get off the politics people. Violence goes deeper...we kill with guns, knifes, fists, thumbs, poision, nuclear. We kill to teach people lessons. Until we eliminate violence and stop accepting it as "the solution" I will just have to keep adding more and more people onto my prayers....after they are massacred.

I am anti-gun, but I think both sides here are showing lots of disrespect for those killed right now.

My thoughts go out to the students of VA Tech and their families.

Gun control, NRA, 2nd ammendment or what have - random acts of violence like this are a tragedy that we all wish we could prevent.

Could we please have psycho, uneducated R A Wagner's comment removed? There is no need to think of "ladies' panties" at a time like this.

I asked God how He could let this happen in our schools. He sadly said He would have stopped it, but He's not allowed in our schools any more.

The only 2 things I could come up with to start this type of killing spree was:
1. the oneset of mental illness
2. College pranks against individual.

Don't know why #2 would come to mind?

We need to be more humane to each other.
Some people routinely "Ignore" persons they feel
are not of their equal. Even at work, people will walk past a co-worker for 20 years and not even say hello.
Some people have a hard time overcoming bullying and negative social responses from high school, and to go to another and probably more intense bullying atmosphere?
I might be wrong, but I bet if this person had been taken more seriously - what ever his need was - this might have been averted.
Something to think about the next time you walk down the hallway . . .

Those arguing for arming college students, are you serious?
I attend classes at a campus that is gun free and that is comforting.
You want children or young adults carrying weapons into classrooms?
Honestly, think about that situation how does that not escalate violence in classrooms.
You can not argue that guns provide more protection without also acknowledging the fact that violent crimes with a weapon would sky-rocket.
Also, if the person who believes school prayer would automatically shield schools from violence, please think about how your argument makes no practical sense.

r a wagner go back to thumping your bible.
why prayer in schools?? parents are the
main teacher of right and wrong. don't blame tv, violet show etc. how many PARENTS allow their childen to play the "violent video games. how many
PARENTS have dumped the responsibility for teaching "moral values" on the school until they are in trouble and then it's the schools fault.
the values or right and wrong ar taught at home.not to be violent is taught at home. if you and others would spend more time teaching your children instead of worring about having "prayer" in school maybe these horrific events would not occur.

I am glad the tragedy at Va Tech is being politicized. Dolts like George Bush and his money handlers at the NRA have been misrepresenting the Constitution for too long. It's time to shake them up.

Jeff, here are some specifics... since you asked:

“Britain's intolerance of firearm violence has impacted on its gun crime trends. Figures from the British Home Office reveal that there has been a substantial decline in gun crimes involving weapons other than airguns since new laws were introduced in 1996. Between 1996 and 1998, there has been an overall drop of 17% in gun crime involving shotguns, handguns and other firearms excluding air guns.”

“The substitution of air weapons for real firearms in crime has not significantly reduced the number of people killed by guns in England and Wales. But this is not surprising as England and Wales have been described as having "notably low death rates by firearms with less than 1 death per 100 000 people". Consequently, it is unlikely that the introduction of new gun laws would have a dramatic impact on an already low gun death rate.”

Brian,
I know you think it's cool to bash Christians, but the Ten Commandments do lay out a set of rules in life. You don't have to be Christian to know not to kill, but the Commandments are good to live by Christian or not. RA Wagner wasn't trying to tell you that killing 30 people is bad because of the 10 Commandents. If that is what you inferred then maybe you are the moron.

Randy Savage

"I asked God how He could let this happen in our schools. He sadly said He would have stopped it, but He's not allowed in our schools anymore."

The God I worship, the Christian one, is all powerful. Our God is not confined to "human rules or law". Steve it sounds like you have a very weak god. Time to switch. Heard the Muslim and Jewish God are as equally above human laws as the Christian God I worship. So you have choices my man. Don't give up.

P.S. People like Steve should try living more a life like Christ than trying to pretend they are soldiers for Christ (see how they put violience into it...already?)

At this moment or very soon, 32 families are going to be receiving the worst news they've ever gotten - that their daughter, son, husband, wife, brother, sister has been killed in this tragedy. Could we all take a moment or more to stop placing blame and advancing our own political beliefs to say a prayer for the dead, the wounded, their families and friends and for all those at Virginia Tech?

In all, 4 of the 208 news stories about the incident included the fact that the people who stopped it were armed.

In the VA Tech case....they had to wait for the shooter to kill himself.

How sad.

Posted by: JD | Apr 16, 2007 4:17:39 PM

It's also sad that you failed to note that the individuals who subdued the shooter were former police officers who had extensive training in dealing with such circumstances, not your average everyday gun toting law student.

Why has there been no information YET about the "gunman"? Why did the University not issue a lock down after the first shootings earlier in the morning? Does this not strike anyone else as particularly strange?

Is this "incident" designed to provide the government tighter controls on people and their whereabouts? Is this the beginning of what may be the government's making a good case for martial law?
Why was Bush's address to the nation so incredibly short? Why didn't the media ask any questions after his address? Why did he leave so abruptly after giving his address?

Is this yet another government-manufactured 9/11?

I don't think arming everyone with guns will work. That would force me to be a quick-draw expert and a good shot. I'm a lousy aim, and slow to pull out the gun. I'd likely shoot someone innocent while trying to get the bad-guy. Or I would get shot first, because he already has his weapon out, and has an automatic, and a bigger gun than me - I would need a bazooka. So it's only fair, people, that no one get a gun. Level the playing field.

When will America wake up and ban the use of guns by anyone other than law enforcement officials?

Compare our death-riddled society to Canada's which has much more stringent gun control laws. In 2002, Canada had 149 handgun related deaths while the US had 10,800 deaths.

Nope, I think Americans are way too stupid to ever change our outdated laws. Congrats to the NRA for its total control of consumers and politicians alike.

mm, look at the big picture. Britain and Australia have been dealing with a HUGE increase in total violent crime ever since their near-total gun ban was passed. It turns out that criminals like knowing that their victims will be unarmed. Same with D.C. and Chicago.

Maybe this is the wrong place wrong time for this but I have to ask something. Blogs were supposed to be a forum for people to express ideas generated from a story. So I ask why in such a terrible tragedy is there such venom? It is true maybe a concealed weapon MIGHT have helped but I come from a place where guns are prevalent and people are shot with regularity. So people having guns won't stop a shooter that wants to kill a lot of people. Moreover if many people have guns the job of law enforcement becomes much harder (i.e. who's the shooter and who's defending themselves).

As I read the preceeding posts I don't see an exchange of coherent arguements, I see just extreme dislike, almost hatred from both sides. This is true of any issue being blogged about.

I don't understand why people can't exchange civil ideas and not just views from the extreme on both sides.

I'm not on either side of the gun control debate I'd say ban guns but I understand it is constitutionally unenforcable and it's not the second amendment to which I'm referring. For those who cling to the second amendment protection please remember the following: At the time the constitution was written I would have been two-fifths of a man, women couldn't vote and the only people that could vote were wealthy male landowners. The constitution can be changed and has been changed many times. The reason why you can't enforce a ban on guns you'd run into privacy issues in trying to enforce it.

For once, just this one time, can we try to be civil in our discourse? This tragedy isn't politics this shouldn't be an internet shouting match. Our culture is split in half and no one seems to try and speech to speak to the other side. All we seem to be good at is shouting at each other. Can these blogs be used to maybe try to come together as a country? Hey maybe I'm a dreamer but in an instant like this I'd like to think better of humanity than what some of the previous posts have shown.

JD,

I assume you are referring to the Appalaichan Law School shootings. According to Ted Bensen, a police officer who was attending law school there and was the first to tackle Peter Odighizuwa (the gunman), it didn't go down like the NRA would like you to believe...

Still, a nagging wrinkle figures into the controversy over the law-school shootings: Whose version is true?

recently interviewed two of the students involved, Bridges (one of the two men who retrieved his revolver from his car) and Besen, and they gave differing accounts.

Bridges stuck to the story that he pointed his weapon at Odighizuwa and ordered the suspect to put his own gun down, which he did.

Besen, the first student to tackle the suspect, said nothing of the sort happened. He said Odighizuwa laid down his weapon before the students confronted him. Police later confirmed the gun was empty.

The two armed students had not yet arrived at the scene, Besen said.

As soon as he walked out of the building, "Peter set the gun on the post and then he raised his hands in the air. To me, it was like he was mocking the students: ha, ha, ha, what are you going to do now?" said Besen, himself a trained police officer hoping to become a lawyer.

"Peter had no knowledge anyone had a gun."

Virginia State Police spokesman Stater said the armed students clearly helped subdue Odighizuwa after Besen and another student, Todd Ross, tackled him. Bridges sat on the suspect while Gross, also armed, provided a pair of handcuffs he had gotten from his car.

But Stater said the biggest heroes were the unarmed students who lunged at Odighizuwa: Besen and Ross.

Nevertheless, they weren't the focus of attention last week when a writer and photographer for an NRA magazine, America's First Freedom, came to the campus to interview the armed students.

Bridges said they took his picture; NRA spokesman Gregory said they may have been free-lancers: "It was nobody from our staff."

It's all getting way too political for Besen.

"I'm a gun advocate, but it really irritates me that people out there are trying to use this as a plug for their point of view," he said. "The NRA is trying to minimize the tragedy that happened here. I don't appreciate it."

It is amazing how quickly the above notes and postings deteriorate into the typical and over-used and tiresome Left vs. Right, Republican vs. Democrat, NRA vs. Gun Control, and Religious vs. Secular, arguments. Have some respect and courtesy. This is a time to pause and reflect on the innocent individuals killed and their loved ones left to mourn, not starting pointing fingers and spewing your own cliched statments about why your side is right and another's is wrong. Grow up. Many of you, and your posted remarks, are truly sad and pathetic.

Automatic guns are machine guns and in most states they are illegal. If one does live in a state that allows them you have to jump through more hoops and have more backgroumnd checks then a person that works in a nuclear reactor facility. Not to mention the BATF then owns you. You give up all your rights to privacy to own a machine gun (not automatic assault rifle). Which means they can come into your home anytime night or day to see that the machine gun is still in your possession. This senseless killing comes from a warped and hardened heart. Here are the ingredients for a violent society. Tell people there is no GOD. Which means you are not accountable to anyone but yourself. Tell them they were NOT created by a loving GOD but came from some primordal pond scum. Which means it's the survival of the fittest. Mix in violent entertainment, a justice system that will not properly punish the criminal element, an attitude of irresponsibility and a selfish culture and you get just what happened today. By the way I got called out at 3:30am this last Sunday morn to a house fire. It seems one of our criminal element was let out on good behaviour in December and he was out drinking. He got mad at a fellow and his wife and started a fight. He then left the bar and bought two gallons of gasoline and burned their house to the ground. The firemen were quick to respond but couldn't get it out in time. The five children, ranging from 8 months old to 9 years old were burned to death as their parents were too busy drinking ans fighting. Oh by the way, have you noticed gun free zones don't work. Yes I believe some teachers and students should be armed and our justice system should start hanging violent criminals (that includes rape). It would send a clear message to anyone considering violence.

The increase in violence in Britain and Australia is a drug issue. Big picture. Target illegal drugs, don't arm an entire nation.

God in school? Yeah that's the answer. All those 12 year olds listening to hip hop will def pay attention to some uptight right winger and their bible thumping. The disconnect between some RWers and reality is unbelievable. Every state needs strongly enforced gun registration and ownership laws. Not to punish guns or gun owners but to ensure their proper use.

Everyone needs to watch Bowling for Columbine. Watch it again if you've already seen it.

You are all wrong! Its not guns that kill, unless you use it to beat somebody till they die. Its the bullets, well actually its the gun powder. So find the producer of the gun powder and go from there. Quit using the gun as a scapegoat. While you're at it get rid of all the metal files they make sharp knives!

What ever happened to a good punch or a kick in the groin? The outlaw of fighting lead to the use of guns at schools, a black eye never kill anyone.

To all the pro-gun, anti-gun, pro-religion, anti-religion folks who have posted to this blog, wake up people you have missed the point here. There has been a security breakdown of momentous proportions at VT. The first shootings occurred at 07:15H, why wasn't the campus shut down then? Why weren't students notified until after the start of the second shooting spree? Then they were only notified of the first shooting. My daughter is a Junior at VT, she left her dorm at 08:30H for a 09:00h class, she had to traverse the drill field on her way to Williams Hall totally unknowing of the events that had unfolded earlier or the events to come. It wasn't till she was in her class that she got the first email about the earlier incident. All I keep asking myself is why, why wasn't the school locked down after the first incident? The shooter was at large, campus authorities knew this...WHY???? So people it's not about the second amendment, its not about God, its about a breakdown in security that cost the lives of 32 innocent people.

Let us put the blame where it really belongs...with
the individual who made the decision to take the lives of many innocent people. We must never forget that each of us is responsible for the choices that we make.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and families of the people involved in this horrific tragedy.

Just remember this, everyone; we all have constitutional right to be blown away by any subhuman jerk with a gun.

Posted by: C.Morris | Apr 16, 2007 3:47:13 PM

The Constitution doesn't say anything like that, you know it doesn't, and yet you thrown a lie like that out there.

If you want to hold every law-abiding gun owner (subhuman jerk) complicit for the murder of everyone killed by a gun, that's fine.

My niece is at Va Tech. Luckily she's safe, scarred but safe. It almost killed my mom and my sister not knowing for hours.

If you can promise me she and everyone else will be safe from this kind of violence in the future by me giving up my guns, I will mail every gun I have to you.

So are some of you glad that the victims couldn’t shoot back?

You must know that you will never be able to get rid of all the guns.

And until you get rid of ALL of them, how dare you try to get rid of ANY of them?

Until you have confiscated every last gun from every last person who is evil, how dare you confiscate a single gun from a single person who is innocent?

You know damned well that evil is rampant, that it is lawless, and that it is armed. And you know damned well that it always has been and always will be.

And you know that those things are not subject to your wishes or to your laws, and that you can't change them, that they are eternal.

So how DARE you claim the "right" to deprive an innocent human being of the ability to protect his life, knowing he may be faced with an enemy like that?

How DARE you demand that he obey YOUR wishes and stay helplessly locked in a stone building with the doors chained shut while he and his classmates and his teacher are literally shot apart like fish in a barrel?

How the hell DARE you?

I guess you dare because you're "special". You're "enlightened". You're "noble".

Then you ought to have the shred of nobility to admit to yourselves--even if only in your private moments in your beds at night--that since evil is indeed rampant, lawless, armed and eternal, that perhaps the true enabler of the homocidal monster isn't the working man who built the gun which can equally serve the good or the evil, but rather the enabler is YOU who KNOWINGLY demand laws which disarm only the victims and serve only the evil.

Don't think so? You don't think that's how it played out yesterday at Fish-In-A-Barrel-U?

Then go ahead, drift off to sleep tonight trying to forget what I'm reminding you of. Just do it. Forget it. Don't think about it tonight. Don't think about it EVER. Make sure you DO NOT imagine that you're floating there amid the dead, the dying and the doomed, seeing the horror and telling yourself all the noble things you'd do to fix it if only you could. Whoops, too late--in your earlier moments "awake" you've already voted for every gun control legislation and policy on the ballot, so you've already done what you could. Don't think about it (you certainly never did before). Don't imagine that all that's left to you is to explain to those innocent victims in their last moments of bloody screaming terror at the hands of eternal lawless evil, just why it is that you believe as you do, voted as you did, and how you were oh so proud of yourself back then for making sure they can't SHOOT back now.

Yeah, seriously. You should be proud enough to shout it from the rooftops, print it on your tshirts, and seek out their grieving family members, always saying the same thing: "At least I helped make sure they couldn't shoot back!"

Come on, go for it! I'll put MY thoughts on a tshirt: "At least I'm trying to make sure the next victims can shoot back!” So I think you should put yours on a tshirt too.

Or, of course, you can just forget it. Don't imagine any of it. Whatever you do, do NOT think about it. Especially not tonight.

Or any time you’re in a place that can be turned into a barrel.

Sweet. Dreams.

"If you want to hold every law-abiding gun owner (subhuman jerk) complicit for the murder of everyone killed by a gun, that's fine."

Stan,

and you know that isn't what I said, either.

At no point did I say 'every' gun owner is a subhuman jerk. See, you lied. I said 'any subhuman jerk' with a gun.

My point; I don't trust most Americans to drive sanely, keep there ally picked up, or mow the lawn. Why should I trust them with high powered weapons? A majority don't even bother to vote. Apathy wins every election.

I've know and worked with lots of angry guys that are just itching to smoke somebody. You hear them at lunch, whatever, just dying for some quality trigger time. HOPING somebody breaks in to their house.

If it makes you feel any better, I AM qualified to carry assault weapons and side arms. In a pinch, you would be a lot better off with me in your foxhole than one of those Rambo wannabees.

PR1ME,
Maybe you should take a vacation to NRAs heaven on earth, Iraq. Guns are plentiful and violence is....rampant.

PR2ME

I stopped reading after "Fish-In-A-Barrel-U"... I bet you think you are so clever for thinking that one up and you just couldn't wait to use such a smart little comment.

You disgust me.

Two thoughts:

First, and I would hope most obviously, arming everyone is not the answer. Imagine a late night of drinking on campus in which a disagreement breaks out over some trivial matter. Imagine that disagreement leads to an argument or a fight involving both drunken groups and several drunken bystanders. Now, give them all guns. How does this improve the situation?

Second, while I appreciate the 10 Commandments argument, I personally would submit that raising your children to do the right thing begins at HOME. It is not the state's job to make your child a decent human being. It is YOURS. If you can't accept that, I would suggest not reproducing.

My most sincere condolences to the families of the victims of this horrible event. May the smiles they brought to your heart in the past bring you solace in the future.

AO

"Amendment II:
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

"Give us us free."

C. Morris

You did say everyone has the right under the Constitution to be murdered by someone with a gun.

You implied that the Constitutional right to own a firearm caused this. What does that make anyone that legally owns a weapon?

I keep my guns locked up, I don't carry a concealed weapon even though I could here in Omaha. I don't feel the need. I don't plan on being in any foxholes either, but thanks for offer of helping me out in a pinch.

As far as the angry guys that want the quality trigger time, where the hell do you work where you are surrounded by so many people like that?

You need to hang out with mellow, laid-back, gun owners like me, not those other guys.

I am 64 years old, when I was a kid everyone had guns. We took them to school and hunted rabbits on the way home. No one ever got shot my a craze person.

You could go to a hardware store and buy any gun you wanted. No back ground checks or waiting periods. NO one going around and committeding mass murders.

Point: guns are not the problem. The problem is when did it begun so easy for some one to pick up a gun and just start shooting people.

I spent four years in the marines from 1961-65. It was never easy to pull a tigger and shoot someone, even when they were trying to kill me.

Hey MATT:

Virinia Tech is a Gun-Free campus. The security guards aren't allowed to carry guns. Sercurity guards were the eye-witnesses that saw the guy going to the other side of campus after the first two people had been killed, but before the slaughter.

Comforting indeed.

John: one of many reasons that Iraq is violent--and it's a reason you might approve of--is that they are trying to repel occupation by foreigners. I thank you for admitting that you realize guns help serve such a purpose.

Sad for you: correct. I couldn't wait to say "Fish-in-a-barrel-U". I want full uncompromised clarity of the ugly fact that dozens of innocent UNARMED people were mowed down at their murderer's leisure. I never EVER want to switch on my tv and see that again.

Your disgust of me is a nano-scopic price to pay.

"Fish-in-a-barrel-U". I hope it catches on.

Maybe some of that homeland security funds protecting politicians should go to our future - our children's protection! I could careless about the security of elected officials that are out traveling anyways, however they voted those funds right in to cover their own back. My heart is with those families.

I am ashamed of all of you on both sides, who take advantage of tragedy to justify their principles (such as religious, anti-gun, etc.) or emotions, such as about sex and foul mouth movies. You wouldn't take advantage of this tragedy to speak out against what offends you miss wagner(and i'm sure you are a woman) if it was your child at Tech. And you would not take advantage of it to try to save my soul when I am not asking you(saving me is another justification to harass and tell me what to watsh, do and how to talk, so you look good in the eyes of your god). My cousin goes to Tech and thanks god he is ok. See god did not strike me for being a sinner because he knows I am better than you are. The only reason your kids don't go to Tech is not because god is looking out for you but because you're and all your family is stupid and can't learn. I don't feel like housewives should be allowed to vote or speak out(and other women should).

PR3ME:

Grow up. I have a close friend at V-Tech and she's devastated by the stigma that will surely become synonymous with the name of the school. It’s idiots like you that perpetuate these notions and yes, it disgusts me that you shallowly refer to the institution and the tragic massacre with a “catchy phrase.” Knock it off.

As for the students and professor being unarmed? Of course they were! I could not imagine leaving my home, grabbing my lecture for the day and, oh yes, my gun. No way. Quite frankly I, and I think most of my colleagues, would never consider teaching at an institution that allows for it. As a professor would I EVER condone either myself or my students carrying guns, it’s a horrible idea.

Didn’t anyone learn ANYTHING from Columbine? You had two boys who were bullied and picked on by their peers and they retaliated. This sounds like the same kind of retaliation. While I’m not taking this kid’s side - he obviously had some big problems - there has GOT to be something done about bullying in this country! Why isn’t there required training at schools that all kids must attend to? Why do teachers ALWAYS look the other way? Why are kids who “tattle” about bullies considered to be wimps? Matt Lauer just said it this morning on “Today” - the shooter was a picked-on, bullied kid. No wonder he retaliated. I know someone’s going to come back and say I’m overreacting. I’m not. Something has got to give here.

Blue

Bullying did NOT lead to Fish-in-a-barrel-U or to any of the other such atrocities. It has little, if anything, to do with it. Generations of American kids have been bullied; only recently have they started to routinely massacre innocent people who HADN'T bullied them.

If bullying was the problem, they would target the bullies.

They go way beyond that. These monsters lash out at humanity as such. Humanity per se. They target as much of humanity as they can reach. That's their thought, that's their deed, and that's why we have as many grieving families as we do.

Far closer to the root problem is the primacy of emotions. Modern generations are taught that their emotions are as legitimate as their reason, that feelings are as good as facts, that they are perfectly valid and are not to be judged.

Right? Are young people taught that, or not? Are they taught to identify their emotions, or to just "express" them?

Please understand that if emotions are not to be judged, then the person who has them need not judge them either. Because they are already perfectly valid.

And if they are perfectly valid, that means they are perfectly actionable.

And no one can claim that he didn't act on his feelings.

It's a sure bet that none of these monsters REASON their way into mass murder.

No.

One way or another, mental illness or not, in whole or in part, they EMOTE their way into it.

So if "bullying" or "easy access to guns" or "not enough God in the schools" or "video games" or "Ozzy Osbourne's music" or "pornography" or any other non-answer had anything at all to do with any of it, the most it could have done was just to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and thereby APPEAR to set in motion a pattern that was already looking for an excuse.

I don't think violent TV or games are to blame, it's just an easy way out to condone the actions of America... You have the Constitution to support your right to bear guns but now blame the kid, or Marilyn Manson, or a videogame... Wake up people!!! I studied elementary and middle school in the US, I was bullied, pushed around and laughed at, but didn't go out and killed everybody, I listen to Marilyn Manson, Ozzy Osbourne, KISS and Disturbed, I play Halo and lots of shooters games coz I'm really good at them, I write erotic stories and love my mom, my friends and my dog, I have a Media major and planning my postgradute degree... You are trying to profile a lunatic, and as far as I know that can't be done... Pro guns, anti guns, pro Bush, anti Bush, it's all the same until you analize the source of all this mayhem...

Again: wake up!!! This should have neer happened!!! But if you give access to guns as if they were Fruit Loops you should more than expect this kinds of things... Who cares if no one heard about the first shooting until the second one began? This shouldn't have happened!!! Even if people were notified, 2 persons had already been shot!!!

The right to have a gun was made in a time when it was needed... more people get hurt because of guns that aren't even used for home protection...

Wake up and smell the roses, it's an inner thing, kids are being bullied out of their minds, and you have to stop blaming the media, videogames, music or the Teletubbies for all I care... Start listening to your kids... Stop judging... Start over as a Nation and support the victims of this crazy killing without taking a pro or anti something position, stop using it in you own advantage and just Listen!!!

"Modern generations are taught that their emotions are as good as their reason"
Prime, you are absolutely right. But you know what!
They are often taught that from behaviors of their parents and other "mature" adults. You want to change young generation, people? Change yourselves!!!!! Start thinking with your head and with your heart when it comes to love( the only thing that needs not be rational)!!!!! Stop thinking with your guttttts.!!!!!!!!!! That what Cho thought with when he did this.