http://lashawnbarber.com/archives/2007/04/18/intellectual-and-physical-disarmament/

Oh, and a platitude does not really qualify as an idea either. Furthermore, ideas are only valuable inasmuch as they have the potential to lead to solutions.

I think that’s hilarious. Come on girl, have a discussion. A pie in the sky platitude “if there were no guns, there would be no shootings, it’s as simple as that” is not an argument, not a discussion, and most importantly, not a solution.

So don’t cry and whine about how insulting I am being to you when all I have asked you to do is explain how you would convert your platitude into an actual, effective, workable solution. And you cannot do it.

Every thug in American probably has several guns. How are you going to retrieve those guns? Any ideas? If you have no ideas, then it is just as I suspected — you engage in magical thinking and are not equipped to have this discussion.

I am very saddened by the horrible tragedy on your campus. I have worked with college students for over 25 years and know the special feeling between students, their university and the special feeling that professors have for their students.

I know there will be a long period of healing for all of you and you should know that persons from all over the US are grieving with you.

My thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time.

Tech is a great school, with great educators and even better students. You all proved that yesterday. You guys and gals stay strong.

To all the people who think Tech officials and police officials didn’t do it quite right yesterday – hindsight is 20/20, in my opinion. The college is located in a relatively low crime area compared to other universities. I don’t think anyone could have possibly forseen this insanity.

Also, the campus has a normal population the size of a small city. How does one notify an entire city of impending danger normally? I really don’t mean to sound sarcastic, but other than a huge siren how could you notify everyone?

SteveDinMD: Andrea, that’s a very good point you bring up. I think the Virginia Tech Police and administration have been unfairly criticized for their response. Many in the media have said that after the first shooting incident the entire campus should have been “locked down.” Just what do they mean by this? As a Virginia Tech alumnus, I have to conclude that the people making this criticism have never visited Virginia Tech, otherwise they would immediately realize the impossibility of their suggestion. it might well work in the case of a high school or small campus, but not one as large as Virginia Tech’s. Here in Baltimore, there are shootings EVERY DAY, but I’ve never heard anyone demand that the mayor immediately “lock down” the entire city after each and every incident. This comparison is not at all unreasonable. Lets consdier the VT situation in detail.

First, the main campus is THOUSANDS of acres in size, on which is situated between 100 and 200 buildings. How does one lock all that down? The answer is, one can’t. The only thing one can do is block off vehicular traffic to and from campus. Second, the student body totals approximately 26,000, of whom more than half live in off-campus housing and commute to class daily. How does one secure so many people coming and going in so many different directions? The answer is, one can’t. All one can do is largely contain on campus those who are already there, and turn away those who aren’t. Third, the shooter being a student, himself, how does one separate him from his thousands of classmates, to whom he poses a danger? The answer is, one can’t. All one can do under the circumstances is continue the police investigation in the hopes of ascertaining his identity and/or wait for him to reveal himself. As it so happened, the shooter revealed himself in shocking fashion.

Given the circumstances, I contend that there was little if anything that could have been done to avert the later carnage. The shooter could have chosen to go ANYWHERE, including any proposed student refuge, where he would have been no less able to attack people gathered at that location than he was at Norris Hall. Furthermore, had the University simply broadcast a “Run for your lives!” message over public address and radio to the student body urging them to flee, the end result in such case couldn’t be expected to be any less tragic than what actually transpired. The shooter could have opted to attack his classmates as they swarmed in their thousands in flight, or he could have entered a dormitory, or dining hall, or the library to commit mass murder where people could be predicted to take refuge. I don’t see any obvious way this tragedy could have been avoided or the death toll reduced, at least not after the first shootings.

I am of course referring to none other than the esteemed International Epldemiological Association 1998 study of gun deaths so breathlessly regurgitated by the anti-gun lobby.

Plus, speaking for myself, I have a problem when researchers reference stats that aren’t even within the same year.

That the US had a total gun death rate of 15.22 (per 100,000) in 1993 while England/Wales had a gun death rate of 0.46 in 1992, Ireland a rate of 1.21 in 1991, while Scotland comes in at 0.58 in 1994 is NOT comparing apples to apples. It’s not even apples to oranges.

I’d rather know the numbers on a year by year basis across the board. Plus, what’s up with breaking out Great Britain while lumping the US? If the US was broken out, the stats would look pretty bad for the liberal bastions of gun control. I guess better for the argument to lump all the States together, then blame the numbers on the NRA & pro-gun advocates

Regardless of the skewed years, it’s definitely an improvement for England since the middle ages where according to records, the violent deaths were as high as 60 per. Mayhaps taking the swords, lances, bows and arrows away did the trick?

Going back to those IEA numbers. They take on new meaning when one looks at the totality of violent deaths, regardless whether by gun, butter knife, honor killings (depending on the locale, doesn’t get reported as murder) etc. To include suicide. Anyway you slice it, suicide is a “violent” death.

The total violent death rate for the US is 18.57. England/Wales comes in at 9.53, Scotland at 14.46 & Ireland at 10.68. Still looks bad for the US eh? Wait, there’s more… Portugal, Belgium, Mexico, France, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Brazil, Finland, Slovenia, Hungary & Estonia all surpass the US, ranging from 18.95 all the way up to 70.76.

For the curious, where does Japan & South Korea rank? Japan’s (1994) gun rate is 0.06, suicide rate is 16.72, for a total violent death rate of 17.34. Meanwhile, South Korea’s (1994) gun rate is 0.06, suicide rate is 9.48 and total violent death rate is 11.17

Bottomline, without consistency, stats are just manipulations. I’m sure someone will come along and blow these stats to kingdom come.

The real answer lies in sense of security. As long as John Q. Public feels confident & relatively secure, he’s a happy camper. If not, he’d be a nervous Nellie. I guess either condition is preferable to being totally oblivious to danger. Hmmm, maybe there’s some correlating to do here.

Anyhoo, Happy Camper signing off

maybe we are actually “living in the Wild West” since public culture (as opposed to many individuals) has proudly disconnected itself from any accoutability to a Creator God and rendered acceptable the right to do whatever I want. It seems the everyone’s ego is at the centre (”MY rights”) instead of the community.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom”

Your arguments are beyond ridiculous. In a perfect world, the only need for a firearm would be for hunting, because everyone would live in harmony. But, humans are imperfect beings and there will always be those that will prey on the weak and defenseless. If it’s not with guns, it will be with something else. Just about anything can be turned into a weapon. With the appropriate knowledge, and the will to do so, the ballpoint pens I carry in my purse could be used to kill someone. Should we outlaw those, and make everyone write with a quill? Pillows can be used to suffocate someone. Should we outlaw those? A pair of pantyhose can be used to strangle someone. Should we outlaw those and make women go with bare legs?

You go to one extreme in your silly argument. I’m following your same argument to the other illogical extreme.

My husband commented that he is no longer surprised at such happenings in our society. After all, we collectively kill our own offspring on a daily basis “like it’s taking out the trash.” And yet, we expect young people to value life. It is just not going to happen. There’s too great a disconnect there.

Still, such an atrocity takes ones breath away. As LaShawn said, there are no words.

every day someone becomes a victim of a shooting… even most of the “popular” US TV shows these days are based on violent crimes, and it’s become such an integral part of the national psyche… a lot of you actually feel “undressed” if you don’t pack a gun!!! and we get fed a constant diet of this drivel…

I live in Australia, a country that has experienced it’s share of bloody massacres in the past (similar to Columbine & VT), but as a result of the absolute human tragedy and overwhelming community outrage, our government brought in tougher gun laws… yes, it may not solve ALL our problems, and the world will always have criminals/thugs who use violence as a form of power and control… but I refuse to believe that your tragically misguided rationale in some way improves one’s security in life, or sense of wellbeing… who, in their right mind would want to sleep with a gun under their pillow or in their closet, thinking that it will save them somehow? you worship your guns as saviours, and then pray for the victims such as at VT… I just don’t get it!!!

am I qualified to talk about this subject? I say yes, I am… as a former victim of crime, I would STILL much rather live without your type of paranoia, and with the knowledge that the majority of my community/society feels the same way.

my prayer is not only for Virginia, but for the whole US (and any other country with similarly warped logic)… please change your attitude towards your “right-to-bear-arms” or else we will ALL suffer the consequences for years to come…