I tried to resist, but I'm going to bite.

Not everyone should be allowed to carry guns.  Nor should a great majority of people want to own a gun, much less carry one.  It's the whole Spider-Man thing, "With great power comes great responsibility."  College students are poster children for irresponsibility, and there's no way you can keep a gun secure on a college campus. People steal stuff from dorm rooms all the time.  As for myself, I have no desire to carry a gun, although I have been around them ever since I could handle a rifle and understand safe handling (owning one and going to the range is another thing).

But this twisted individual most likely knew he could go on his merry little killing spree unhindered.  It most likely wouldn't have mattered, since he was suicidal, if people were armed.  Fear of a weapon does keep some crime, like home invasions, from happening.  In some countries with strict gun control, there's nothing to stop a criminal from breaking in while you're in the house, and not everyone has a security system like in the commercials.  Of course, the United States has a cultural aspect (unlike somewhere such as Japan) where people tend not to behave, and these actions happen regardless.

So what would happen if students at VT were armed?  The guy probably wouldn't have killed as many people before being stopped, but over the long term, gun accidents and violent acts would make up for the saved people, and more. So arming students is a stupid idea invented by morons who can't think things through.  Hiring properly trained campus police who do more than eat donuts, hand out parking tickets, and pull people over for going 32 in a 30 would be the proper response.

And no, I haven't been following this story enough to know what actions the police took, but if you find dead bodies (in the dorms), you sure as hell shouldn't let things be business as usual.

 

I think beginning a conversation about the shootings with "what could the school have done to prevent this" is a fool's errand. This kids was nuts and he was determined to go out in an attention grabbing way. He planned everything including his stupid 23 page emo manifesto that the news is enjoying the hell out of broadcasting.
Maybe one of the ways they could prevent this kind of stuff is not to glorify it everytime it happens. I mean this kid has upped the ante over Columbine, how many people is the next depressed fuck going to have to kill to top this one?

We used to have Serial Killers and now we have school killings. The world is really advancing at a breathtaking rate. to Tomorrowland!

agree with Rush once shame on him. Agree with Rush twice Shame on you.