(no subject)
The events in Virginia have naturally struck a chord with our collective consciousness. Cho Seung-Hui, through his hate-fuelled killings and pre-prepared "multimedia manifesto", has managed to get his message of loneliness and revulsion at society out into the world. Another isolated, dangerous individual who sees no way other than violence to give themselves purpose. Much like the Columbine shooters - heck, he even invoked their memory in his messages to NBC.
Late April seems to be a bad time of the year for America. The aforementioned Harris and Klebold acted out their crimes on April 20th (1999). The Oklahoma City Bombings took place on April 19th (1995), whilst on the same date in '93, the Branch Davidians were killed after the Waco standoff. And now the VT shootings will be carved into the ledger - not to mention the recent events in Iraq; one-hundred and ninety-eight people dead.
My message to the American administration? Keep a tight hand on your guns. If you want to follow a piece of Revolutionary legislation, that is your right as a sovereign nation; and thus also the right of your citizens. But for Christ's sake - stop them from ending up in the hands of whackos. If someone believes themselves mature enough to own a weapon designed - ultimately - for killing people, then they should also be adult enough to realise that there will be forms to fill in. If they've been referred to therapy due to their anger and anti-social tendencies, don't sell them a gun. Simple as. Too much bureaucracy and expenses? Get the NRA and all the other gun lobbies to pay for it. You may invoke the citizen's right to bear arms as being part of your constitution, and I accept that wholeheartedly - but they also have the right to safety and security. Once Chong got his hands on a Glock 19 and a Walther P22, those who died on campus were effectively denied that right.
Don't get me wrong - I understand the argument that if you're going to outlaw things which can kill people, then you may as well extend that legislation to knives, cars, household chemicals, heavy objects, lighters and anything else. But these things have a certain multi-purpose tendency to them, don't they? People need knives to cut their steak, they need cars to get from A to B and household chemicals are needed for cleaning. What else do you need a gun for other than to shoot someone? Perhaps it's being used as an obvious keyring accessory? Or maybe it's there to help unclog the drains? If you don't think you want to shoot someone any time soon, don't get a gun - you're far more likely to blow your hands off than injure anyone else. If there's no risk of heavily-armed attackers or invaders, buy yourself a good baseball bat, or learn some basic - but useful - martial arts techniques. If you like guns (heck; even a peacenik like me can be marvelled by them), then join the military, the police or some other security force. That way, you will get to work with them on a daily basis, and will be trained in safety issues and how to make good use of them.
And just in case anyone invokes the age-old argument of modern society and de-sensitization via films, music and computer games; give me a break. I'm a big fan of the Matrix films, not to mention gun-happy flicks like Resevoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction. I've played Deus Ex and Unreal Tournament numerous times. I listen to bands such as Rammstein; who were (in some quarters) partly blamed for the Columbine shootings, as well as the killings perpetrated by Kimveer Gill in Canada. Heck, I even own a big trenchcoat. But because I'm mentally well-adjusted, can draw a healthy, solid line between fantasy and reality, and have a deep belief in the worth of human life, I'm not going to shoot anywhere up.
Late April seems to be a bad time of the year for America. The aforementioned Harris and Klebold acted out their crimes on April 20th (1999). The Oklahoma City Bombings took place on April 19th (1995), whilst on the same date in '93, the Branch Davidians were killed after the Waco standoff. And now the VT shootings will be carved into the ledger - not to mention the recent events in Iraq; one-hundred and ninety-eight people dead.
My message to the American administration? Keep a tight hand on your guns. If you want to follow a piece of Revolutionary legislation, that is your right as a sovereign nation; and thus also the right of your citizens. But for Christ's sake - stop them from ending up in the hands of whackos. If someone believes themselves mature enough to own a weapon designed - ultimately - for killing people, then they should also be adult enough to realise that there will be forms to fill in. If they've been referred to therapy due to their anger and anti-social tendencies, don't sell them a gun. Simple as. Too much bureaucracy and expenses? Get the NRA and all the other gun lobbies to pay for it. You may invoke the citizen's right to bear arms as being part of your constitution, and I accept that wholeheartedly - but they also have the right to safety and security. Once Chong got his hands on a Glock 19 and a Walther P22, those who died on campus were effectively denied that right.
Don't get me wrong - I understand the argument that if you're going to outlaw things which can kill people, then you may as well extend that legislation to knives, cars, household chemicals, heavy objects, lighters and anything else. But these things have a certain multi-purpose tendency to them, don't they? People need knives to cut their steak, they need cars to get from A to B and household chemicals are needed for cleaning. What else do you need a gun for other than to shoot someone? Perhaps it's being used as an obvious keyring accessory? Or maybe it's there to help unclog the drains? If you don't think you want to shoot someone any time soon, don't get a gun - you're far more likely to blow your hands off than injure anyone else. If there's no risk of heavily-armed attackers or invaders, buy yourself a good baseball bat, or learn some basic - but useful - martial arts techniques. If you like guns (heck; even a peacenik like me can be marvelled by them), then join the military, the police or some other security force. That way, you will get to work with them on a daily basis, and will be trained in safety issues and how to make good use of them.
And just in case anyone invokes the age-old argument of modern society and de-sensitization via films, music and computer games; give me a break. I'm a big fan of the Matrix films, not to mention gun-happy flicks like Resevoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction. I've played Deus Ex and Unreal Tournament numerous times. I listen to bands such as Rammstein; who were (in some quarters) partly blamed for the Columbine shootings, as well as the killings perpetrated by Kimveer Gill in Canada. Heck, I even own a big trenchcoat. But because I'm mentally well-adjusted, can draw a healthy, solid line between fantasy and reality, and have a deep belief in the worth of human life, I'm not going to shoot anywhere up.