Virginia Tech Thoughts, part 1
The shooting at Virginia Tech was a reprehensible event. It doesn't make sense for someone to go in and kill as many strangers as possible, so our view of the world is throw into confusion. If people died there for no reason what is to say that won't happen here today or next week or a year from now? Introducing that sort of uncertainty into our otherwise mostly predictable lives is scary, so we want to find a reason for the event. If it makes sense somehow, if it can be explained, then it can fit into our world view without upsetting it.
Some people take advantage of events like this to explain that their own view of the world and their ideas would prevent it from ever happening again. Maybe they are right and it is an "I told you so". Maybe they aren't right and are trying to ride the wave of public emotion and uncertainty to turn more people to their way of thinking. It is difficult to tell.
One group has been raising their voice in this tragedy to promote their ideas on carrying firearms. Virginia has a concealed carry law, allowing people to carry a concealed weapon in public with a permit, but it does not allow them to carry that weapon in certain places like schools. Ohio has a similar law. Some people have been claiming that if concealed carry was allowed in school then the gunman would have faced multiple armed citizens defending their own lives and those of their classmates. I heard a similar argument after Columbine, suggesting that all the teachers should be armed, and again after the World Trade Center attack saying that all pilots should be armed.
To me that seems a bit of a romaticisized idea. Viewing the world through an idealized Old West set of glasses. First it assumes that there would have been one or more armed people in that area. Second it assumes that they would have the sort of grace under fire to shoot someone attacking out of the blue, and have enough control in that situation to be more of a threat to the shooter then he would be to the other students. And third and most importantly, it assumes that many more guns on a college campus every day would provide a safer environment then one person with guns and bad intentions at one time.
It has been a while since my college days, but I remember friends showing up to classes very drunk. I remember an idiot thinking he was being funny pulling a knife on someone at a party. I remember a lot of people being very stressed and pissed at the world around exam time. Putting firearms into that mix would not have made me feel safer. Even discounting the chance of someone having a really bad day or suffering from chemically induced stupidity, then there is still the chance of an accident with very bad consequences, potentially far worse then dropping a heavy text book on someone's toe.
At the same time, I could see how a society that was responsible could benefit from it. Ensured that everyone who carried a weapon had sufficient training, both in the weapon's use and in situations where they would have to use it, could make a safer environment. Something similar to police training would be needed to carry a concealed weapon. And on the flip side strong punishments for violating the law with a concealed weapon. But I don't see our society being anywhere near that responsible.
What do you think?
Poll Concealed Carry
Some people take advantage of events like this to explain that their own view of the world and their ideas would prevent it from ever happening again. Maybe they are right and it is an "I told you so". Maybe they aren't right and are trying to ride the wave of public emotion and uncertainty to turn more people to their way of thinking. It is difficult to tell.
One group has been raising their voice in this tragedy to promote their ideas on carrying firearms. Virginia has a concealed carry law, allowing people to carry a concealed weapon in public with a permit, but it does not allow them to carry that weapon in certain places like schools. Ohio has a similar law. Some people have been claiming that if concealed carry was allowed in school then the gunman would have faced multiple armed citizens defending their own lives and those of their classmates. I heard a similar argument after Columbine, suggesting that all the teachers should be armed, and again after the World Trade Center attack saying that all pilots should be armed.
To me that seems a bit of a romaticisized idea. Viewing the world through an idealized Old West set of glasses. First it assumes that there would have been one or more armed people in that area. Second it assumes that they would have the sort of grace under fire to shoot someone attacking out of the blue, and have enough control in that situation to be more of a threat to the shooter then he would be to the other students. And third and most importantly, it assumes that many more guns on a college campus every day would provide a safer environment then one person with guns and bad intentions at one time.
It has been a while since my college days, but I remember friends showing up to classes very drunk. I remember an idiot thinking he was being funny pulling a knife on someone at a party. I remember a lot of people being very stressed and pissed at the world around exam time. Putting firearms into that mix would not have made me feel safer. Even discounting the chance of someone having a really bad day or suffering from chemically induced stupidity, then there is still the chance of an accident with very bad consequences, potentially far worse then dropping a heavy text book on someone's toe.
At the same time, I could see how a society that was responsible could benefit from it. Ensured that everyone who carried a weapon had sufficient training, both in the weapon's use and in situations where they would have to use it, could make a safer environment. Something similar to police training would be needed to carry a concealed weapon. And on the flip side strong punishments for violating the law with a concealed weapon. But I don't see our society being anywhere near that responsible.
What do you think?
Poll Concealed Carry