The Virginia Tech Murders and Gun Control
© 04.17.07 By Bill Davis
This may sound heartless, but the first thing I thought of when I heard about the mass murder in Virginia was, why didn't somebody shoot the creep? But of course I'm forgetting; in this country sophisticated, educated and indoctrinated people think it's immoral to carry a gun for self defense (indeed the powers that be at Virginia Tech specifically worked against a legislative effort to allow licensed concealed weapons on campus). Thus there was no one there who could shoot the creep. Nevertheless, if just one of those unfortunate students had been packing heat, I doubt we would be mourning the death of thirty-two innocent lives today.
The anti gun lobby will use this incident to "prove" that congress must implement strong gun control legislation. We will all be subject to the irrational argument that if we make it more difficult for American citizens (or resident aliens like the Virginia shooter), to buy guns, then we will all be safer. Frankly you have to be an idiot to believe that garbage. There is a whole host of drugs that are deemed illegal but that doesn't keep them out of the hands of people who want them. The same was true during the Prohibition era; alcohol was readily available to anyone who wanted it. You just needed to know the right people. The anti gun lobby's belief that gun control legislation will keep murder by gunshot from happening reminds me of an old Andy Griffith episode where Barney Fife loses some prisoners and then complains to sheriff Taylor that "it should go right on their record, it's a clear violation of the rules!" After all, if anti gun laws worked, Monday's mass murder would never have taken place; guns are not allowed on campus at Virginia Tech.
The fact is if we want to diminish the possibility of murder on a grand scale such as we witnessed on Monday in Virginia, we will make it easier for people to buy and bear arms. Just think what would have happened if two or three of the victims had been carrying firearms. The sicko would have pulled out his 9mm Glock and maybe got off a couple shots but that would have come to an end as soon as two or three stalwart students returned fire and brought the perp down. Of course the anti gun folks would predict a blood bath if our college campuses were awash with weapons. Baloney. In the first place not everyone is going to buy and carry a gun – or be allowed to. And the truth is, our society has become more violent even as it has become more difficult to purchase and carry a gun.
Some folks might object and say that no young person should be subject to the mental strain that would result from shooting and possibly killing another human being. Perhaps. But I can guarantee you that it is a whole lot more disturbing to be a helpless victim and sit by while your fellow classmates are murdered in cold blood. I don't know if young men today are like the young men of thirty years ago, but I can tell you the inability to do something to stop a crazed killer would have weighed on my tender mind far more than the death of said murderer at my hands.
Certainly we mourn the deaths of so many innocent young people. But it would be a shame to react like a bunch of pantywaists and push for stricter gun control laws in the wake of this tragedy. The best thing to do at this point is to loosen up the restrictions on buying and carrying firearms and encourage gun training for those who want to pack a gun. That's the sort of action that will make our college campuses – our entire country – a safer place.
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