Tuesday, April 17, 2007
VPI Aftermath
Everyone and their brother has posted about the Virginia Tech tragedy that beset this nation yesterday.
As per norm, everyone is also looking to pass blame, as well. Some blame the guns. However, if this sociopath (and, noted, I am making an assumption in labeling him such) had an Internet connection, desire, and some common materials found around any small town in the United States, he could have made a bomb that would have resulted in the loss of many more lives.
Others (like the "criminal psychologist" that was raving on CNN last night) blamed movies, video games and the like. Yes, that's a bizarre take on this particular set of circumstances, I must admit...
Still others blame Virginia Tech's reaction, which was poor at best. From the initial stories and maps (as pointed out by A.C.), it appears that their inability to deal with the circumstances certainly catalyzed the amount of carnage.
However, the best article I have found dealing with the real culprit here can be found by Art Moore over at WorldNetDaily. Art looked to history. Not the history that dealt with Columbine. Not the history of Kent State. No, Moore points to the commonwealth's General Assembly which, just one short year ago, laid to rest a bill that could have effectively ended the siege. The quote of Virginia Tech's spokesmen, which was against the bill that would have allowed students in the open-carry commonwealth to have been able to protect themselves by allowing carry on campus, makes the administration at Virginia Tech look foolish:
"I'm sure the university community is appreciative of the General Assembly's actions because this will help parents, students, faculty and visitors feel safe on our campus," the Virginia Tech spokesman said.
Ouch.
Of course, it is unlikely that students or faculty who were allowed to carry on campus could have prevented all of the death that occurred yesterday at VPI. However, we could only be talking about a few deaths and not 33. I'm sure that the dozens of parents who would be able to hug their son or daughter this weekend would have thought that a relevant piece of legislation.
It's time that state legislators everywhere be held accountable for their actions and inactions in cases that are directly on-point like this. Quit fighting over honoring Justin Timberlake or introducing dozens of bills to deal with illegal immigration in the hopes that none of them that would effectuate change ever pass. This is aimed at both parties - both Republican and Democrat. Take your job seriously. Check your ego at the door. Start serving your state. People's lives are depending on it.
MORE: Matthew Clarke and Paul Craig Roberts have columns along a similar line over at LewRockwell.com. Roberts was a former Virginia Tech professor before becoming the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury under President Ronald Reagan.
As per norm, everyone is also looking to pass blame, as well. Some blame the guns. However, if this sociopath (and, noted, I am making an assumption in labeling him such) had an Internet connection, desire, and some common materials found around any small town in the United States, he could have made a bomb that would have resulted in the loss of many more lives.
Others (like the "criminal psychologist" that was raving on CNN last night) blamed movies, video games and the like. Yes, that's a bizarre take on this particular set of circumstances, I must admit...
Still others blame Virginia Tech's reaction, which was poor at best. From the initial stories and maps (as pointed out by A.C.), it appears that their inability to deal with the circumstances certainly catalyzed the amount of carnage.
However, the best article I have found dealing with the real culprit here can be found by Art Moore over at WorldNetDaily. Art looked to history. Not the history that dealt with Columbine. Not the history of Kent State. No, Moore points to the commonwealth's General Assembly which, just one short year ago, laid to rest a bill that could have effectively ended the siege. The quote of Virginia Tech's spokesmen, which was against the bill that would have allowed students in the open-carry commonwealth to have been able to protect themselves by allowing carry on campus, makes the administration at Virginia Tech look foolish:
"I'm sure the university community is appreciative of the General Assembly's actions because this will help parents, students, faculty and visitors feel safe on our campus," the Virginia Tech spokesman said.
Ouch.
Of course, it is unlikely that students or faculty who were allowed to carry on campus could have prevented all of the death that occurred yesterday at VPI. However, we could only be talking about a few deaths and not 33. I'm sure that the dozens of parents who would be able to hug their son or daughter this weekend would have thought that a relevant piece of legislation.
It's time that state legislators everywhere be held accountable for their actions and inactions in cases that are directly on-point like this. Quit fighting over honoring Justin Timberlake or introducing dozens of bills to deal with illegal immigration in the hopes that none of them that would effectuate change ever pass. This is aimed at both parties - both Republican and Democrat. Take your job seriously. Check your ego at the door. Start serving your state. People's lives are depending on it.
MORE: Matthew Clarke and Paul Craig Roberts have columns along a similar line over at LewRockwell.com. Roberts was a former Virginia Tech professor before becoming the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury under President Ronald Reagan.
Labels: Second Amendment, Virginia Tech
Permalink posted by Rob Huddleston @ 7:34 AM 
