A Week Late

I waited to say anything about the Virginia Tech shootings. There are people far more eloquent in their words, far better analysis of the subject, and far better perspective on the situation, having some sort of connection to the campus or its students.

That having been said, you're now going to be subjected to my opinion:

Who is to blame? Do we blame the media for inspiring people with violent TV shows, and then giving white-hot spotlight attention to the killer? Do we blame violent video games that cheapen the value of life? Do we blame violent anarchist/jihadist type websites that give instruction on how to inflict the most collateral damage, or the freedom of speech that permits such websites to run? Do we blame his oriental upbringing, the kids in his elementary school classes, or someone in his past that had possibly molested him?

While many of these things may have played a role in the volcanic anger that erupted in this guy, the primary blame must be assigned to the shooter himself.

I mean, let's get real. Does he think he's the only person in America to have been turned down for a date, to have been mocked for one thing or another, to not have money, and to have a difficult run at things? He may have had some issues, but he could have sought help from any number of sources. The choice to shatter countless lives was his, and not a very bright one at that. Anyone with the IQ of an average garden vegetable knows that taking a gun and randomly blowing people away does nothing to solve the problem.

The Media. Report the facts, celebrate the lives of those who died, and inspire the nation to greater things. After that, leave the story alone. Playing this idiot's "manifesto" over and over again, and putting this turd-bucket in the headlines for days and weeks does nothing good. You want to send a message to potential copy cat killers out there? Show them that their name will quickly fade into obscurity, while their victims will long be remembered.

And as far as "a backlash against Korean Americans"... What, was it a slow news day? Do you honestly think that people will blame Korean Americans for the actions of this nutjob? I don't remember a backlash against white middle-class Americans when Columbine happened... And we're not all so shallow as to blame a particular race for violence. Stop playing a non-existent "race card".

Guns Kill People. Sure they do. When they have some trigger-happy fuckwit behind them pulling the trigger. Are we going to start outlawing cars because of drunk drivers?

In and of themselves, guns are not the problem. Legislating away the right to bear arms is not the answer, because the ones you are mainly affecting through such measures are the law abiding citizens. Gun Control activists: Get this through your head! The bad guys will always find a way to get a gun if they want one bad enough. The only people you would be disarming are the ones who could stop them.

We had a "situation" here in Salt Lake a few months ago; some of you may remember it from the national news: A lone gunman strolls into a Salt Lake City mall and starts shooting people left and right. He was only able to kill five people because he was stopped dead in his tracks by an off-duty policeman who was carrying a concealed weapon. Several reports stated that the killer had a look of surprise on his face when the policeman shot him. Sure he did. He had hundreds of rounds, and was planning on using them all.

Look at the facts: Mass murderers will follow the path of least resistance; they will go where few, if any, would be able to stop them. Schools, shopping malls...gun free zones... Watch the news at night. How many Palestinian or Iraqi homicide bombers walk into a military outpost to blow themselves up? You're right: It's usually bus stops, school yards, shopping malls, pizzarias, discotheques... places where there are lots of people who are usually unarmed. A mass murderer is going to shy away from places where people are able to fight back, because they are cowards.

Now, that being said, here is my plug for gun control: Unless you have been properly trained to use a firearm, you have no right to pick one up. Among other things, correct gun training instructs you that use of a firearm is not a first choice, but a last resort. You need to be aware of the responsibility that comes with picking up a device that can take a person's life.

How do we prevent this from happening again? There are things we can do to prevent the likelihood of a horrific even like this recurring, however there are no guarantees. This reminds me of Dr. Malcom from Jurassic Park when he was told that the dinosaurs couldn't breed, because they were all genetically bred to be female. His reply: "...life, uh... finds a way." No matter how many safeguards are put into place, evil can always find a way.

What do we do about it? Live life to the fullest. Evil has always coexisted with good in this world; it's a fact. It's been said that "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men and women to do nothing." I would add to it that evil has triumphed if it has taken away your freedom and life and replaced it by fear.

There are no guarantees. You could die tomorrow from a horrific event like this one, or from a terminal illness, or from a car accident, or from heart failure, or from any number of different things. OR, you could leave past 100. Whatever the case may be, you only get one run at this life; don't let fear rob you of it.