Comments on the Virginia Tech Tragedy

First and foremost, I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the students and faculty killed at Virginia Tech on April 16th. However, after listening to numerous discussions that have occurred since those horrible events, I do have a couple of comments:

1. Considering my somewhat close proximity to Blacksburg, I obviously saw and heard about the many ways that individuals were honoring the students and faculty. However, I was not one of those people who wore maroon and orange. Why not? Trust me, it was not to be difficult or in protest. I decided not to wear those colors because we as a nation don't decide to wear camouflage even once a month to honor the military personnel killed in the Middle East. (By the way, the Department of Defense has officially confirmed 3,323 U.S. casualties in Iraq to this point, not including the 9 soldiers killed today when a suicide car bomb struck near a patrol base in Diyala province.) Mr. Bush delivered multiple speeches regarding the events at Virginia Tech but will not even take the time to read the names of military casualties during his weekly radio address.

2. I have also listened to countless individuals insist that the country's restrictions on handguns should be relaxed, thereby hopefully reducing the amount of tragedies similar to the one at Virginia Tech. Really? Because when I reflect back to my college days, I can confidently state that I would not want the overwhelmingly majority of my fellow students, even with proper instruction, to be walking around with a handgun. Not only that, just think about what would happen if these now armed individuals are cut off on the highway, argue with a coworker or involved in a family dispute. How easy would it be now for those people to use that weapon in order to settle the conflict? Last but not least, Cho Seung-Hui was deeply troubled and intent on murdering innocent individuals last Monday at Virginia Tech. If faculty members or other students were permitted to carry handguns, then Seung-Hui would have used an automatic weapon. If faculty or students possessed automatic weapons, then he probably would have detonated a bomb.