Virginia Tech - The Blame Game Begins
I’m sure that most of us were horrified with last week’s shootings at Virginia Tech. While we’ve grown accustomed to hearing about some nut job somewhere shooting a fellow classmate or teacher in school, the shear death toll number at Virginia Tech by a single gunman was overwhelming. It’s because of this body count and lack of a clear cut reason for the rampage that now has gun control advocates taking center stage again blaming current laws or lack thereof for these deaths.
For the record, I believe in our right to bear arms as provided in the Second Amendment of the Constitution. I believe that if you take away that right you strip the law-abiding citizen of his or her ability to protect him or herself whether it be from a foreign enemy intruding on our soil or some criminal threatening bodily harm. Don’t tell me to take a self-defense class or to just comply with the perpetrator’s demands and “survive” the ordeal. I’m so tired of hearing that survivor crap. None of these alternatives would have saved those individuals that were gunned down at VTech. The only thing that would have stopped the carnage, and ultimately did, was a bullet aimed at Cho Seung-Hui.
It must have been the day after the shootings that I first heard the rumblings of the distant stampede of gun control advocates when every media outlet reporting the incident mentioned “the guns were purchased legally”. Oh boy, here we go again: It’s not Cho’s fault… it’s the fault of Virginia’s gun laws that made it so easy for him to purchase a firearm. Maybe if he couldn’t have bought a gun we would have had time to get him the counseling he so desperately needed. GIVE ME A BREAK! If he couldn’t take out his anger by arbitrarily shooting people, he would have found another means like building a homemade car bomb. Should we then blame the fertilizer companies because he chose their product to achieve his intentions? Point the finger of blame where it belongs and that’s only at Cho Seung-Hui.
When did we stop holding people responsible for their own actions? We blame gun manufacturers for pulling the trigger, tobacco companies for putting smoke into our lungs, and fast food outlets for making us obese. Have we forgotten how to use our own common sense? I will agree that there are those that lack that component but don’t take away my ability to make my own decisions just because a few can’t or because their choice is flawed. When a person’s decision to carry out a particular act brings harm to another individual then hold that person accountable but don’t take away my liberties.
The gun control issue is not the only accusation being thrown out in the frenzy. Law enforcement is being blamed at their slow response and the school should have acted on reports that Cho’s English writings were disturbing and that there were past complaints of him stalking other students. I don’t know if any of these statements are true, but I’m sure someone will be given up as the sacrificial lamb in all this because we all know that it wasn’t poor Cho’s fault.
Bret’s 2-Cents:
We live in a blame culture these days. When something goes wrong, it’s always the fault of this thing, or that thing. Blame seldom falls on the obvious choice. In the case of the VTech incident, the blame falls squarely on Cho Seung-Hui’s shoulders. How can I say that? Simple, take Cho Seung-Hui out of the picture and the incident never happens. Let’s move beyond the blame game and start dealing with the hurt left behind in the wake of this tragedy.
Technorati Tags: Virginia Tech, VTech, Cho Seung-Hui
on April 24th, 2007 at 10:28 am
I agree that the anger was so great and overwhelming that Cho Seung-Hui would have found another destructive way to harm others. Since the 9/11 disaster, the public has learned a new heightened awareness of our surroundings. Now here is another ingredient to add to it.
Hopefully, as good things evolve from this tragedy, the news media will bring them to us as loud and as long as they did of the tragic event itself.
on April 26th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
I think Cho Seung-Hui was able to slaughter so many of our kids because we have taught our kids to “just comply with the perpetrator’s demands and “survive†the ordeal.” We hear this mantra preached from almost all of our elected and appointed officials on a constant basis. “Don’t resist and you will not get hurt.” This concept just will not work in today’s society of blamelessness.
on April 29th, 2007 at 9:35 pm
I never looked at the whole event that way but now that you mention it I totally agree. I mean kids are always taught to take responsibiltiy for their actions and when they reach their adult years it doesn’t mean that, that rule doesn’t apply any more! THE RULE DOES APPLY, ALWAYS AND FOR EVERYONE!
on April 30th, 2007 at 9:32 am
Tommy — Yes, we’ve been taught to just comply and we’ll survive; however, we’re seeing more an more that this approach just doesn’t work. I wonder how long we’ll have to wait before this advice is corrected? Not long I hope.