Lots Of Blame To Go Around

Monday's tragic shooting at VA Tech was shocking and horrifying. Many components of the system broke down, and they deserve to be scrutinized.

But a quick check on any New York Times message board will reveal who our top 10% liberal citizens wish to blame: guns and more specifically the National Rifle Association. They claim that the NRA has "blood on its hands." I am a proud member of the NRA and resent these comments. There is no blood on my hands nor guilt on my conscience. Both of these items belong solely on the nutjob who killed all these people.

However, there were times at which the system failed to adequately address this issue. Besides the 2-3 hour police delay in alerting the students, a judge had ruled that Cho was at the very least a danger to himself and sentenced him to some type of residential mental treatment which most likely included some kind of medication.

Whatever happened to the proverbial rubber rooms? People said that was not civilized, but is letting these types of people go to an outpatient psychiatrist and pop some Prozacs a viable option? Maybe we need to lock some people up when they are mentally ill.

Everyone saw it: fellow students, teachers, the state police, but nobody did anything. All it would have taken is for someone in authority to say that this person is crazy and may do crazy things. This warning never came out.

Some issues have been floating around on talk radio today. I don't necessarily support all these opinions but I think they are worth considering:

1. Does the fact that he was Korean have anything to do with this? He might not have learned English until he 10 years old and had trouble socializing with others. In their culture mental illness might be stigmatized as it is in many parts of the world. They might have been reluctant to seek treatment if these problems had appeared in high school (former classmates indicate that they had) out of fear of losing face. Lastly, are his rants against "rich kids" part of a North Korean mindset?

2. Should his roommates/classmates have brought him to the attention of some type of authority before this happened? Can we lock someone up for writing crazy plays? Or should we at least evaluate them?

3. Why did the judge rule him a danger to himself but not to others? A month before the incident he had been accused of stalking.

There's lots of blame to go around. I think we need to re-evaluate the way schools and the courts handle mental illness and what people in the community can do to bring these bad eggs to the attention of authorities.

Just remember: Gun's didn't kill people, Cho Seung-Hui did.

More On VA Tech Shooting

Since my last post, I've had more time to read through the reports coming from the mayhem in Blacksburg. The authorities still seem to have no idea what they are talking about, and from what I gather the FBI, ATF, VA State Police, and many other law enforcement agencies are involved in the chaos.

Regardless of the outcome, two things are evident.

1. The VA Tech Chief of Police should resign. If the school had learned anything from a shooting incident last year on campus, it is that information is key to protecting people. By not shutting down classes when a gunman can be roaming around campus is idiotic.

2. These types of tragedies can never be prevented. People remarked to me before knowing the details that this must be some "pissed off white redneck." Turns out it was a Chinese guy on a student visa. Others try to blame the gun. If not a gun, this guy could have used a bomb or something else. Do your part in preventing situations like this: keep alert, learn how use and purchase a gun to protect yourself.

VA Tech Shooting / Guns on Campus

Today there was a horrible shooting at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Over 30 people were shot by a single individual. This incident is the worst school shooting in US history and the worst school killing in 80 years. My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and all those involved.

While blame for this massacre solely rests on the shooter, there were certain decisions made in the months and years prior to the attack that could have reduced the extent of this horrific event.

Just several months ago, a bill was introduced in the Virginia House of Delegates that would have allowed students to carry guns on campus if they were licensed to do so. This legislation failed to advance, mostly due to pressure from the schools themselves. On the bill's defeat
Virginia Tech spokesman Larry Hincker remarked:

"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."

One can only speculate on what would have happened if a student had been armed in that classroom. If only one half of 1% of students carried a gun, that would still yield a 25% chance of a student packing in a class of 50.

Heroes cannot exist when the tools to enable them are banned.