Monday, April 16, 2007

Virginia Tech Shootings


On a sad day in which a lone gunman wielding only two handguns killed 31 people and wounded 29 others at Virginia Tech today. The shootings took place at 7:15AM in a dorm and 9:00AM at a classroom building. Not to make light of the situation but how were classes even in session two hours after a shooting if the gunman/gunmen were still at large? Could the families of anyone who died at the classroom sue the school for wrongful death due to their failure to close classrooms with a gunman/gunmen on the loose? The reason I say gunmen is how could one guy who is not in an action movie hit 60 people with shots from two hand guns? Even firing on unarmed moving targets I feel as if a Navy Seal would have difficulty performing such a feet. Why else would VTech students be instructed to stay indoors for the rest of the day and away from windows if police do not believe that there is still at least another gun man at large?


What also should be taken into account is if college campuses and schools will become more like airplanes as a result of this tragedy? Will government take such severe steps as not allowing former criminals to attend schools? Will everyone entering or leaving a campus have their IDs checks, be searched, and not allowed to bring containers of fluid over 4oz into a dorm for fear of a explosive liquid? All of this and more is possible if lawmakers and the media jump the gun on passing laws in response to what happened. We could be becoming more of a police state, giving up freedom in the name of safety. Maybe one day criminals won't be allowed in sports arenas either? But one thing most people fail to realize is any legitimate terrorist threat will not have any sort of criminal record to allow him to pass through any background checks, making these measures essentially pointless. All in all a sad day whose aftermath is sure to be even sadder when its effects on government, privacy, and freedom are fully realized.

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