Virgina Tech "for thought"

[00sscam]

Just something i found on a board i am on.

Devastation at Virginia Tech

Jan 21, 2006
HB 1572, which would have allowed handguns on college campuses, died in subcommittee.
By Greg Esposito 381-1675

A bill that would have given college students and employees the right to carry handguns on campus died with nary a shot being fired in the General Assembly.

House Bill 1572 didn't get through the House Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety. It died Monday in the subcommittee stage, the first of several hurdles bills must overcome before becoming laws.

The bill was proposed by Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah County, on behalf of the Virginia Citizens Defense League. Gilbert was unavailable Monday and spokesman Gary Frink would not comment on the bill's defeat other than to say the issue was dead for this General Assembly session.

Virginia Tech spokesman Larry Hincker was happy to hear the bill was defeated. "I'm sure the university community is appreciative of the General Assembly's actions because this will help parents, students, faculty and visitors feel safe on our campus."

Del. Dave Nutter, R-Christiansburg, would not comment Monday because he was not part of the subcommittee that discussed the bill.

Most universities in Virginia require students and employees, other than police, to check their guns with police or campus security upon entering campus. The legislation was designed to prohibit public universities from making "rules or regulations limiting or abridging the ability of a student who possesses a valid concealed handgun permit ... from lawfully carrying a concealed handgun."

The legislation allowed for exceptions for participants in athletic events, storage of guns in residence halls and military training programs.

Last spring a Virginia Tech student was disciplined for bringing a handgun to class, despite having a concealed handgun permit. Some gun owners questioned the university's authority, while the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police came out against the presence of guns on campus.
In June, Tech's governing board approved a violence prevention policy reiterating its ban on students or employees carrying guns and prohibiting visitors from bringing them into campus facilities.

Here's Larry Hincker's VaTech contact info:

hincker@vt.edu or (540) 231-5396

 

[Charlesbusa]

Guns or no guns does not matter.

People have been killing people since the very beginning.
People will continue to kill people until the end.

If they don't use guns, they'll use knives, clubs, poisons, they're own hands, etc...



How to prevent more people from killing people.
Better parenting.
Better justice system.

But you can't prevent them all, people will always kill people...

 

[00sscam]

I agree 100%

 

[VaBusa]

Not sure what everyone else is hearing right now with regards to the VT murders, but here in VA it's pretty much all anyone's talking about. I'm already so sick of hearing blame being put on the guy that sold the guns, the professors that saw some disturbing signs from this sick individual, the fellow students that saw him as an odd person...

In the end, he was an adult and not one single person could have had him committed or otherwise without just cause. Not a single person could have imagined what his plans were and no amount of gun laws will keep a crazy person nor a criminal from getting a gun and killing...

I realize that out of the pain left behind from this tragedy comes the point and blame game; it's how so many cope I guess, but I just can't imagine a single thing that could have been done to avoid what he did.

 

[Don Hardcastle]

IMHO, the reason there is so much blame is because this guy offed himself (that is how I heard he died, I change the channel everytime something comes on) and they can't blame him.

Doesn't really matter, you would have those people that always want to blame the system.

I agree with Charles. Gone are the days where you can bust your kids' a$$e$ when they need it because they will call the police. So the foundation of disicipline that we as parents are duty bound to instill is gone in most cases.

I tell you what tho, ask my son if he get his a$$ busted. He will tell you emphatically yes.


Don

 

[Don Hardcastle]

I wanted to add this as a seperate post.

Here is the part the really pisses me off.  A handful of college students/professors get killed on a college campus, the President orders the flags at half-mast as a sign of mourning and respect.

I have been in the Navy almost 20 years, 16 months until retirement.  We have Soliders, Sailors, Marines and Airmen half-way around the world and they have been dieing for 4 long years.  No half mast for them.  No display of national mourning or respect.  What the hell is up with that?

Don

 

[VaBusa]

Yep, very true...I recall hearing one of my younger cousins threatening to call 911 if my grandfather spanked him...I was thinking, all those years ago, that we're allowing our kids to rule us now, and they know the buttons to push to scare parents away...

That won't work in my house...I'll hand my sons the phone and dial the # myself

 

[heavybusa]

 

[VaBusa]

(USN05LE @ Apr. 18 2007,14:56) I wanted to add this as a seperate post.

Here is the part the really pisses me off.  A handful of college students/professors get killed on a college campus, the President orders the flags at half-mast as a sign of mourning and respect.

I have been in the Navy almost 20 years, 16 months until retirement.  We have Soliders, Sailors, Marines and Airmen half-way around the world and they have been dieing for 4 long years.  No half mast for them.  No display of national mourning or respect.  What the hell is up with that?

Don

Not to show any disrespect at all because I appreciate what our military does to protect and serve this Country, but these "handful of students and professors" didn't sign up for battle nor were they trained to be faced with the situation that they met on Monday and they didn't have any weapons to protect themselves. They were in a learning institution, not in a war or in basic training...so, that is a HUGE difference in my eyes...

Now, as for flying the flag at half-staff for lost Americans...I don't have an answer for that one. If they opted to, the flag would not have been flying high above for 4 years now

That in itself is a very sad fact...

 

[Vic_E55_2001]

this murderer was what he is BECAUSE he was spanked and abused as a child. He was a sick person required some attention, well, nobody cared.
His roommates were not talking to him in a year, can you imagine that? I can`t.
He was sick little bastard nobody cared for. He did what he did because nobody cared to prevent it.

why nobody cared to protect themself when he was executing them? Because they`ve been told to lay down and cover their heads. That is a Police job. isn`t it? Just like they been told to call 911 when mom spanked them.

 

[VaBusa]

Well, none of us were living with this kid, so we don't really know if he was ignored by his roommates or if it was his choice to be distant from those around him...

Again, can't blame his roommates for what he did...

 

[Don Hardcastle]

Michelle, I agree with you to an extent my point is that military members over there dying has become common place in the media.

Vic, there is a HUGE difference between a spanking and abuse.  To say that he did this because he got a spanking is sterotypical and ignorant.  I am not trying to be offensive, so please take none.  Current psychology tells us that spanking a child can cause long term emotional and mental distress; however, if the punishment is explained "Why the kid is getting a spanking" and the child understands the consequences of his/her actions, it can be a useful tool.  There is a fine line between spanking and abuse.

Again please take no offense, there was none intended.

Don

 

[VaBusa]

I agree 100% with that...it's gotten so it's a blip in the news that more Americans died today and that is a sad state of affairs for our Country...

I can see where the families and friends of those serving our Country wonder why so much coverage goes toward the VT story when we are losing fellow Americans every day. It's no secret that America is slowly desensitized to things going on around them. Hell, there are plenty that probably don't think a school shooting is a big deal anymore, and the press certainly doesn't think 33 dead at a university is a big enough story, so they dig and make up crap to sensationalize further...

 

[Vic_E55_2001]

(VaBusa @ Apr. 18 2007,13:40) "handful of students and professors" didn't sign up for battle nor were they trained to be faced with the situation that they met on Monday and they didn't have any weapons to protect themselves. They were in a learning institution, not in a war or in basic training...so, that is a HUGE difference in my eyes...

Exactly, we are too civilized to protect ourself.
We don`t have guns, training, intentions....

 

[VaBusa]

(Vic_E55_2001 @ Apr. 18 2007,15:52)

(VaBusa @ Apr. 18 2007,13:40) "handful of students and professors" didn't sign up for battle nor were they trained to be faced with the situation that they met on Monday and they didn't have any weapons to protect themselves.  They were in a learning institution, not in a war or in basic training...so, that is a HUGE difference in my eyes...

Exactly, we are too civilized to protect ourself.
We don`t have guns, training, intentions....

Do you think college kids should get Army issued gear? I'm confused at to what you're saying Vic? You think we're raising a society of people that can't think for themselves or protect our own? I see both sides to that issue, but I'm not sure which side of the fence you're on

 

[Cykill]

Hind-sight is 20/20. it's easy to look back and say, How did X miss that? Why didn't Y know X wasn't watching. WTF was Z thinking by doing that to him/her.

It's sad it happened, i feel for all the friends and familys that lost people. BUT the bottom line is, guns/no guns, spanking/no spanking, Army gear, and an uncle doing whatever in the woodshed.

Stuff like this will always happen. It sucks, The best we can do is try to be aware of our surrounding, teach our kids the best we can, and hope for the best.

 

[Vic_E55_2001]

I think that we are raising a society of people that can`t protect their own life.

 

[VaBusa]

(Vic_E55_2001 @ Apr. 18 2007,16:08) I think that we are raising a society of people that can`t protect their own life.

While I agree with that, I have to say that kids sitting in a classroom aren't exactly going to be prepared for something like what happened on Monday no matter how they're raised. They're at a college, worrying about today's test or summer break, not the threat of a crazed gunman...

Kind of why I think that one Professor lost his life trying to protect the students in his class...he was prepared to put himself in harms way for the sake of others...I would guess that comes from his age and experiences in life, surviving the Holocaust...that's the kind of stuff you don't really learn at a young age...

 

[Don Hardcastle]

In other countries it is required for everyone to serve 2 years in the Armed Forces immediately following high school.

Don

 

[Don Hardcastle]

(Vic_E55_2001 @ Apr. 18 2007,15:08) I think that we are raising a society of people that can`t protect their own life.

Vic,
I am with you 110% on that one. The general thought seems to be that someone else will take care of it, ie the police, military etc.

I am not saying that we should arm our college kids, but that thought process goes far beyond protecting one's self. It runs from abandoned children to teenage pregnancy.

We have managed to allow our society to slip to "there is a government entity that will take of it", no matter what that it is.

Maybe I am being too idealistic but I have to think that while this guy fired at least 44 rds (there are 10 or 12 ppl in the hospital), someone could have tackled him, thrown a chair at him or something. He had to pause to reload. The weapons that he used only held a max of 15 rds.

There are 29,000 ppl on that campus. That is the size of a small town.

Don



Don