The Virgina Tech massacre permeates the news in this country 24/7. We are in disbelief that such an atrocity could happen. As the story unfolded, we quickly turned from observation to evaluation by asking the question, who do we blame? Do we blame the School Administration, the Police, the Gun Dealers or Virginia's gun laws?
Hey, let's start by blaming the student who went on the rampage. Instead of blame, we analyze what went wrong in his life, look at his upbringing, evaluate the way people treated him and diagnose his mental capacity and disorders. The blame is his. And his alone.
Could we reduce the chances of this happening again? Maybe. The School could improve its communication capacity with students and implement a better crisis management plan. The Police could be provided better facility information, building plans, etc. downloaded to their cruiser computers even before they get to the site. Better and more frequent training always helps. But what about the guns?
Are we safer with more gun restrictions or safer with more people protecting themselves with guns? Would stricter laws have prevented him from initial purchase or would fewer people have died if others had access to guns for protection? Are we in Barnstable and on Cape Cod better prepared to deal with a crisis? What do you think?
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A realistic look at life and politics in the Town of Barnstable.
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9 comments:
A friend just emailed me about your blog. It's nice to see that at a blog can operate with decency and civility. The other locals have really harmed this medium with its personal attacks and venom. Good Luck.
BarnstableBlogger, do you accept advertising? I would be interested in supporting your efforts through advertising my restaurant on your blog. I think others would, too. Thanks.
Tougher guns laws are not the answer.
Note to Anon. of 6:41.
I thank you for your post. I have undertaken this not as a business but a hobby. I would like to keep it as simple as possible right now. But thanks for the offer and come back often!
BB
The tragedy in Virginia ironically happened on Patriot's Day. The same day as Waco, and the Oklahoma City bombing occurred. They always talked about linking the timing of those tragedies to the significance of the day. I realize that the dates don't line up this year with the MA holiday falling on the 17th and not the 19th as it did back then. But still I feel it strange. Anyway, good luck with the blog it seems to be level-headed and not a vindictive vent hole like many others.
BB,
Yes we should have tougher gun laws...the fact that the VT nut can walk into a gun store and legally buy all the items needed to commit a slaughter says it all.
The 2nd Amendment worshipers who promote easy access to firearms are way off mark...easy access to initial gun purchases makes it far easier for secondary access to gun possession, through sales, theft, etc.
I don't think that we are any safer here than the rest of the country...if the Amish can have a school disaster, we all can. I do appreciate the recent actions our schools have taken to implement lockdown drills, because we need to plan for the worst and hope for the best. There is no such thing as a truly safe place...hell, even persons locked up in prison under constant surveillance aren't safe from violence.
Thanks Belly Up. Hadn't thought about the relationship with other events. Please come back often.
BB
The Virginia Tech shooter was reported to authorities for stalking women. This mentally ill man was recognized by many as being potentially dangerous, including a district court judge. He was temporarily detained for psychiatric assessment and then released. Had mental health “experts” done their jobs properly, he would have been committed, which would have made him ineligible to purchase those handguns. Of course, in that case, he probably would have used knives or other weapons to commit his heinous crime. Thomas Jefferson had a quote that sums up what is the truth. “Laws that forbid the carrying of arms... disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.”
I think it's all too easy to slip into the mindframe that if we have a law against X, X will not happen. That is naive, as clearly those who commit crimes do not have any respect for the law.
Could this happen elsewhere? Of course.
Would the presence of a few armed and trained students, school faculty or security guards have helped? Possibly, though any responsible citizen who exercises their lawful right and privilege to carry a concealed firearm fervently hopes they are never called upon to test their skills in a confrontational situation.
There are no black & white answers to these questions, no absolutes about what set of circumstances would have prevented any or all of the senseless deaths.
The only person who deserves any blame for this is Cho himself.
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