Virginia Tech Spree Killer

[John Simkin]

It's looking like it was a Chinese student who went postal after an argument with his girlfriend.

Please don't be like that loose change mob, who are claiming it was a 'Manchurian Candidate' operation to deflect attention from Iraq.

I think it is only a matter of time before Muslim terrorists in the US use this tactic. It has already happened in Russia.

[Greg Parker]

Here's something for the Mossad-did-it-mob. Don't say I don't do anything for ya, boyz

The massacre was predicted by a ZOG conspiracy theorist on Mar 18 in a news group post. Here's part of the post:

Homeland Security warning: Our ZOG is planning another Port Arthur/horiffic shooting.

USA's ZOG is planning a bloody shooting incident...in a mall..or a school..or maybe a drive by in a crowded downtown...or maybe a

sniper.....Zog needs to stage a massacre.... to twist USA's arm and force naive people to turn over their guns.

Don't be fooled. Don't hand over your guns like the Australians did to their ZOG.

Come to think of it, wasn't it predicted by members of the right wing Commie conspiracy theorists that a Communist/Jew/Black would be picked for the JFK thingy...? and sure enough, that's exactly what happened!

These people truly have crystal balls.

I suggest the rest of us get steel...

[John Simkin]

With 80 people killed with guns everyday in the US it is not too difficult to predict that mass shootings will take place on a regular basis.

[Greg Parker]

With 80 people killed with guns everyday in the US it is not too difficult to predict that mass shootings will take place on a regular basis.

I agree, John. Just couldn't resist the crystal ball line. I came across the newsgroup post looking to see if the NRA had started to blame it on a conspiracy by the gun control lobby yet, just as they did in the Port Arthur case.

[Evan Marshall]

With 80 people killed with guns everyday in the US it is not too difficult to predict that mass shootings will take place on a regular basis.

I agree, John. Just couldn't resist the crystal ball line. I came across the newsgroup post looking to see if the NRA had started to blame it on a conspiracy by the gun control lobby yet, just as they did in the Port Arthur case.

people are convenientally forgetting Dunblane (spelling?) Scotland, Beslan, Ma'Lot in Israel and the female students slaughtered in Montreal.

The gun did not hypnotise the Asian kid into committing murder-I sell hundreds of handguns a yr and none have been used in a crime.

[David G. Healy]

It's looking like it was a Chinese student who went postal after an argument with his girlfriend.

Please don't be like that loose change mob, who are claiming it was a 'Manchurian Candidate' operation to deflect attention from Iraq.

Korean student (senior class in fact) and what does "postal" mean?

[Miles Scull]

With 80 people killed with guns everyday in the US it is not too difficult to predict that mass shootings will take place on a regular basis.

I agree, John. Just couldn't resist the crystal ball line. I came across the newsgroup post looking to see if the NRA had started to blame it on a conspiracy by the gun control lobby yet, just as they did in the Port Arthur case.

people are convenientally forgetting Dunblane (spelling?) Scotland, Beslan, Ma'Lot in Israel and the female students slaughtered in Montreal.

The gun did not hypnotise the Asian kid into committing murder-I sell hundreds of handguns a yr and none have been used in a crime.

Are guns to blame?

OK. Campus police find two bodies in a dorm room, newly dead from gunshot wounds. They find no perpetrator & no gun. A witness reports that a boyfriend of one of the victims may be responsible. Campus police and/or President Charles Steger conclude that this is a "domestic" situation limited to the dorm locus. No alert of a deadly killer at large is disseminated to the campus & to students on campus. The killer remains on campus, waits two hours, then kills 31 people.

Is there something wrong here? The authorities had to have immediately locked down the campus until the killer was found & neutralized. The authorities are complicit & are doing everything possible to deflect attention away from their incompetency & dereliction. Sound familiar?

Edited April 17, 2007 by Miles Scull

[John Simkin]

people are convenientally forgetting Dunblane (spelling?) Scotland, Beslan, Ma'Lot in Israel and the female students slaughtered in Montreal.

The gun did not hypnotise the Asian kid into committing murder-I sell hundreds of handguns a yr and none have been used in a crime.

Of course things like this happen in other countries. However, as I pointed out, on average the US has 80 gun killings a day. No other country in the world comes close to this. I know this is all part of your idea of freedom but you have to accept the risks that comes with such a policy.

[Miles Scull]

people are convenientally forgetting Dunblane (spelling?) Scotland, Beslan, Ma'Lot in Israel and the female students slaughtered in Montreal.

The gun did not hypnotise the Asian kid into committing murder-I sell hundreds of handguns a yr and none have been used in a crime.

Of course things like this happen in other countries. However, as I pointed out, on average the US has 80 gun killings a day. No other country in the world comes close to this. I know this is all part of your idea of freedom but you have to accept the risks that comes with such a policy.

Finally:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,266460,00.html

[Evan Marshall]

people are convenientally forgetting Dunblane (spelling?) Scotland, Beslan, Ma'Lot in Israel and the female students slaughtered in Montreal.

The gun did not hypnotise the Asian kid into committing murder-I sell hundreds of handguns a yr and none have been used in a crime.

Of course things like this happen in other countries. However, as I pointed out, on average the US has 80 gun killings a day. No other country in the world comes close to this. I know this is all part of your idea of freedom but you have to accept the risks that comes with such a policy.

Finally:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,266460,00.html

Freedom will always bring a risk, but as long as people who committ gun crimes are not appropriately punished there is no deterance. In 20yrs in Detroit I saw one crime committed by the owner of a legally registered handgun-all the other crimes I saw were committed with stolen guns.

[Miles Scull]

people are convenientally forgetting Dunblane (spelling?) Scotland, Beslan, Ma'Lot in Israel and the female students slaughtered in Montreal.

The gun did not hypnotise the Asian kid into committing murder-I sell hundreds of handguns a yr and none have been used in a crime.

Of course things like this happen in other countries. However, as I pointed out, on average the US has 80 gun killings a day. No other country in the world comes close to this. I know this is all part of your idea of freedom but you have to accept the risks that comes with such a policy.

Finally:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,266460,00.html

Freedom will always bring a risk, but as long as people who committ gun crimes are not appropriately punished there is no deterance. In 20yrs in Detroit I saw one crime committed by the owner of a legally registered handgun-all the other crimes I saw were committed with stolen guns.

For anyone interested: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/4721024.html

_ E-mail sent at 9:26 a.m.:

Subject: Shooting on campus.

"A shooting incident occurred at West Amber Johnston earlier this morning. Police are on the scene and are investigating.

"The university community is urged to be cautious and are asked to contact Virginia Tech Police if you observe anything suspicious or with information on the case. Contact Virginia Tech Police at 231-6411

"Stay attuned to the http://www.vt.edu. We will post as soon as we have more information."

"The university community is urged to be cautious and are asked to contact Virginia Tech Police if you observe anything suspicious..."

This is sound advice, yes... Since there is now an armed killer on campus, if you happen to notice anyone killing students with a firearm please contact Virginia Tech Police. Exercise caution, otherwise you yourself might be killed & thus the Virginia Tech Police will not be notified & not alerted to this dangerous problem.

[Sid Walker]

Of course things like this happen in other countries. However, as I pointed out, on average the US has 80 gun killings a day. No other country in the world comes close to this. I know this is all part of your idea of freedom but you have to accept the risks that comes with such a policy.

John, that's ~80/day internally. Externally we are responsible for many thousands per day averaged over time...Haiti, Iraq, Sudan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Nicaragua, Guatamala, etc. et al. ad nauseum WW2-present. The single most violent nation on Earth since WW2, despite the PR image otherwise.

(I also think the number 80 sounds too low.)

Common Dreams reports that US Forced to Import Bullets from Israel as Troops Use 250,000 for Every Rebel Killed

On that basis, each US soldier posted overseas to promote democracy at the point of a gun needs a separate Environmental Impact Assessment.

I preume that ghetto gangsters are more frugal with their ammo?

[John Simkin]

Of course things like this happen in other countries. However, as I pointed out, on average the US has 80 gun killings a day. No other country in the world comes close to this. I know this is all part of your idea of freedom but you have to accept the risks that comes with such a policy.

John, that's ~80/day internally. Externally we are responsible for many thousands per day averaged over time...Haiti, Iraq, Sudan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Nicaragua, Guatamala, etc. et al. ad nauseum WW2-present. The single most violent nation on Earth since WW2, despite the PR image otherwise.

(I also think the number 80 sounds too low.)

An average of 80 a day was quoted on a BBC radio show yesterday.

Freedom will always bring a risk, but as long as people who committ gun crimes are not appropriately punished there is no deterance. In 20yrs in Detroit I saw one crime committed by the owner of a legally registered handgun-all the other crimes I saw were committed with stolen guns.

The two guns that killed the people in Virginia were purchased legally. Apparently it does not break the rules to take guns to school in Virginia. Having harsh punishments for people who kill 32 people seems fairly irrelevant when they end up killing themselves. In fact, any rational punishment system will not work if the person is emotionally disturbed over a broken love affair.

Every day individuals get very upset when they have some conflict with another human being. Thankfully, most individuals in the world do not have access to a gun when this happens and the damage that they do to other humans is fairly limited. In the US when this happens, there is always the possibility of mass carnage.

I cannot see how the American people cannot see this. On the BBC radio phone-in, American after American phoned in to say that it was vitally important for Americans to have the freedom to “bear arms”. That it is in the American Constitution and this must not be changed otherwise it will lead to other freedoms such as the freedom of speech to be removed. This gives the impression that Americans think they are on the edge of the imposition of a police state. The idea that once you have a law you cannot change it is bizarre. Laws always have to change with changing circumstances. It might have been a good idea to allow people to own guns when the government was unable to provide an adequate law enforcement system. But to allow it to happen today is a recipe for disaster. How many unnecessary deaths do you have to experience before the American people have to change their minds on this subject? As I said earlier, it is only a matter of time that if Muslim terrorists exist in the US it is only a matter of time before they use your culture against you.

One American woman phoned in to say that she was brought up to have a gun available at all times to protect her. It seems that her father had a fear that someone would break-in and rape her. She said that when she was a teenager her boyfriend went off with someone else. She got hold of the gun and came close to killing herself with it (whereas men shoot their partners or rivals, women tend to shoot themselves). She didn’t and afterwards got rid of the gun. As she said, when you are emotionally disturbed, a gun is no protection at all.

[Thomas Graves]

[...] Apparently it does not break the rules to take guns to school in Virginia. [...]

____________________________________

Mr. Simkin,

Nice to see a bit of English sarcasm. Or is it just ignorance?

Sincerely yours,

--Thomas

____________________________________

[John Dolva]

"As she said, when you are emotionally disturbed, a gun is no protection at all."

"In 1994, when the U.S. Congress debated whether to ban "assault weapons," a talk show host asked then-Senator Bill Bradley (New Jersey), a sponsor of the ban, whether guns cause crime. The host noted that, in Switzerland, all males are issued assault rifles for militia service and keep them at home*, yet little crime exists there. Sen. Bradley responded that the Swiss "are pretty dull."

(* and these are state of the art military assault rifles. And after completion of training are allowed, if they wish, to buy the rifle. They can also own and carry, in holsters, concealed hand guns.)

For those who think that target shooting is more fun than golf, however, Switzerland is anything but "dull." By car or train, you see shooting ranges everywhere, but few golf courses. If there is a Schuetzenfest (shooting festival) in town, you will find rifles slung on hat racks in restaurants, and you will encounter men and women, old and young, walking, biking and taking the tram with rifles over their shoulders, to and from the range. They stroll right past the police station and no one bats an eye. (Try this in the U.S., and a SWAT Team might do you in.)

Tourists--especially those from Japan, where guns are banned to all but the police--think it's a revolution. But shooting is the national sport, and the backbone of the national defense as well. More per capita firepower exists in Switzerland than in any other place in the world, yet it is one of the safest places to be."

Why is this so?

Similarly in Sweden. I remember as a boy on a school excursion to a army training site where we trecked around the forests picking up dropped shells from maneuvers and being taught which are live and which are blanks.

Why are guns then used so destructively in the USofA?