Virginia Tech

I don't have too much to say about what happened. I don't know anyone who goes to Virginia Tech, and from what I know about the story, the kid responsible was alone, mentally ill, and needed a lot of help that no one knew to give him or were able to give him.

I do have a lot to say about the issue of gun control, as do many others at this time. One wonders why our government thinks the threat of terrorism is so grave that our freedom of speech and privacy need to be abridged, but our freedom to own the types of weapons terrorists use to inflict their terror must be unfettered. One should wonder about a government that puts the Second Amendment before the First. Here are a few of the main arguments the gun-toters put forth.

If Guns are Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Have Guns

Interesting that those who propose this argument seem to have forgotten about the Police. Perhaps they are against them too. This argument is so stupid it's mind-boggling. You could say this about any law. "Murder shouldn't be outlawed because it penalizes law abiding citizens who like to hunt gays, since the criminals are going to murder anyway." Having a gun is not going to save you from a psycho or a terrorist attack anyway. The whole point of these things are that they are UNEXPECTED. It's maybe about 10% more likely that you carrying a gun around will save someone's life. It's about 1000% more likely that you carrying a gun around will result in you getting drunk or scared and taking a life by accident, or someone taking that gun and taking your life. More guns, more gun violence. It's simple math.

If Criminals Knew that More People Were Carrying Guns, They Wouldn't Commit Crimes.

Really? Or would a criminal just shoot first so you can't get the drop on him? This argument is like the argument for capital punishment, that fewer criminals would kill if they knew that they might get the needle. I have a newsflash. These people are deranged. They are outside the bounds of civilized society. They don't think like you. That's what makes them CRIMINALS. Applying the logic of a law abiding citizen to a criminal is pointless and bears no weight whatsoever.

The Second Amendment Protects My Right to Bear Arms.

No, it doesn't. The culture of this country protects that right. The Second Amendment states that "A Well-regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." This, for all the 6th grade dropouts out there, is an archaic form of what is known as a CONDITIONAL statement. It's like saying "The pool being full of water, it is okay to dive." Does this mean you have the unfettered ability to dive safely, even when the pool is empty? No. Similarly, does Amendment 2 give you the right to own a Glock even when there's no danger of any Redcoats smashing down your door? Also no.

People can argue that if one of those students or professors had a gun, at least some of the tragedy could have been averted. There's no way to know that. It can't be disputed however, that if Cho DIDN'T have a gun, all of it would have been averted. And that's the bottom line.