Virginia Tech

[InnerStrength]

Virginia Tech

No worries Fan, I just wanted to make sure I didnt offend anyone

[Determinator]

Virginia Tech

as a firearms instructor and enthusiast, this hits me in another way as well. That sick animal not only commited these inexplicable acts, but also is now fueling the mountain of legislation that will undoubtedly crash down on the "good guys" and we will pay dearly in loss of rights, huge new paperwork requirements, fees, fines for compliance issues etc...all of which have been useless in the past (DC is a sad example). sigh.
I recall my visit to Israel a couple years ago. The school kids and teachers were carrying guns everywhere. Someone I was with said how sad it was to see that. yes perhaps, but they don't have mass shootings in Israeli schools. The bad guys know they won't last 5 seconds.

[InnerStrength]

Virginia Tech

You know, by trying to imply that I had any understanding of how people could possibly feel who might be affected by this, when I couldn't possibly understand..I just wanted to clarify that I can't possibly understand how people lfeel who are directly affected. I just want to express my utmost sympathy....ya know?

[Beaches]

Virginia Tech

For those interested the Memorial Service is on CNN right now.

[InnerStrength]

Virginia Tech

I am on it - thanks Beaches.

[Determinatrix]

Virginia Tech

The Virginia legislative session on March 12, 2007 defeated a bill that would have allowed VT students to defend themselves.

See the self-congratulatory article from the Virginia Tech "director of state government relations" from just a month ago (3/12/07) in which she celebrates the defeat of a bill that would have allowed Virginia Tech students to defend themselves.

"During the past few legislation sessions, legislation has been introduced to allow guns on college and university campuses. This year the “gun bill” affected higher education institutions as well as all state agencies. The bill would have allowed a person to carry a gun in any state agency. This was of particular concern for higher education institutions as it would have overridden our current policies that prohibit students from carrying firearms on campus. With the help of campus police officers from across the state, the bill was defeated in subcommittee.

News Story | Virginia Tech News | Virginia Tech

[Guest]

Virginia Tech

D & Mrs. D as much as I respect you. I am for strict gun laws. My husband is a gun enthuisist,(former Marine) we have several in our home. He bought me one last year for protection.9mm Do I really need a gun that large? I just think it is to easy to get a gun. We live in a very wooded area our home is near a gun club shooting range. Nothing like getting woke up on Sunday moring by the sound of automatic weapon fire. I just do not see where anyone would need that much fire power. Just one girl's opinion.
Still love you in all your garlicness
Mary

[tea]

Virginia Tech

Mary, in Scotland we are not allowed guns full stop......Have often felt in the past in need of one, if for my own self only, ie on my own feeling vulnerable etc... yes of course there are guns here, by the gun totting folkies, but not legal for ordinary folks. Justly I think as I may have used one.... in the past certainly.. don;t know where I stand on this but know I would like to have one for my own safety certainly..


L

[Guest]

Virginia Tech

Tea, I know in my drunken past I probably would have shot that loser ex-fiancee I had. Hell,in particular after he beat me up. I just glad that a gun wasn't avaiable to me then. I would be in jail now.
M

[Determinatrix]

Virginia Tech

Hi Simeybear,

There are over 20,000 gun laws on the books, so strict gun laws have already been enacted. What usually happens in cases such as VT and Columbine is folks call cops with guns to come stop the killer. Cops = registered guns in the hands of trained citizens. But there are not enough cops, and the Supreme Court has ruled that we as individual citizens do not have a right to be protected by law enforcement; that is a collective right.

I guess living in the city where there are home invasions, rape, robberies, etc have made me somewhat a cynic. To know that I can keep my loved ones from getting hurt or stop someone from having a career of hurting others makes me feel I am a responsible neighbor.

Anyway, off the point. VT is a tragedy. Since we are unable to understand why, my brain jumps to HOW not to let it happen again. Making more laws about gun ownership is not working. (Heroin and rape are illegal, and yet I know those are still around and happening.)

Makes you wonder how many of us are oh so close to nutting up. Seems to be happening a lot. Have we lost our ability to cope? My dad used to talk about bringing guns to school for show and tell in the farmland of the midwest, but folks didn't nut up and murder a bunch of people.

United in Garlicknessm, Dx

[Determinatrix]

Virginia Tech

Fan,
You make me laugh! D and I love to fish hike camp and have often left a fully stocked lake convinced there were no fish in it. I actually don't call it fishing, but rather "practicing casting".
Dx

[Guest]

Virginia Tech

I agree with you Mrs. D, I live 65 miles west of DC and my husband is of total belief at one point there will be a total collapse of goverment. (Every country has had civil uprisings) and that we will need to be protected. I grew up with guns around my Dad was a hunter. I was married to a state trooper and have heard the stories. I think my problem is the enormity of guns. How big of a gun does any one really need?. I asked for a deringer(sp) for protection I got a 9mm. My husband saying the smaller would not be enough. I don't want to kill anyone .Stop them certainly. I just think they are to easy to get, in particular here in VA.
Smiles
Mar

[landsharkman]

Virginia Tech

It is sad and a terrible thing to happen. My condolences go out to the families and friends who have lost someone.

I'm not sure where I stand on this issue. Like Tea, I grew up in a land where the police do not carry guns and they were certainly never an issue in my childhood. In adulthood though times have changed. Even in Scotland, a few years ago, they had the similarly terrrible tradgedy of Dunblane. An unthinkable act.

They are not the acts of someone who is in their right mind. Some imbalance has allowed their moral sense of right and wrong to go awry. Or as suggested, maybe they never had that from birth. I do not think we will ever know what drives a person to do such unbelievably violent acts.

I do not know the answer, but have to deal with the aftermath and try to make sense of such a senseless thing ...

It is all so confusing, isn't it?

[Determinator]

Virginia Tech

Simey wrote: my husband is of total belief at one point there will be a total collapse of goverment.

you mean again?

I'll PM you the rest to avoid hijacking this thread....

[Beaches]

Virginia Tech

All that I know, no matter what side of the fence you are on, is this is terrible. I again can not imagine being the parent that gets the phone call that my child was shot and killed at school. I am so saddened by all of this.