Prayers for Virginia Tech

My goodness Virginia Tech, you have been through so much. Today was not a repeat of the 2007 massacre, but instead a notable disaster that continues to remind me what a difficult job policemen have. Today, December 8, 2011 a Virginia Tech policeman pulled over a man. Instead of getting his registration and license, he was shot to death. Then the man got out of car started running, shot another, and then himself. Why?

This spurred much conversation about gun control and self control at Cathay Pacific. Most murders in the U.S. are done with illegal weapons. And we all agreed that guns don't kill people, people kill people. Before guns, it was with swords and knives.

But what about accountability and self control. We can't blame this on stress for final exams, which it looks like Virginia Tech canceled. What about family values? It seems so premeditated to me. Like who just on a whim buys a gun, takes it with them loaded, and then jumps at the first impulse to unload? Can we blame it on a shitty upbringing where kids are not taught to respect the value of human life? I think that really is a part of it.

I don't think stricter gun laws need to be put in place, but with a background check, do they do a psychological assessment? I am a veteran and I do not own a gun and as a child who came from a hunting family, my brother and I were never allowed to have any type of toy gun--no nerf or swirt gun--because guns are not toys. I personally think we should ban some of the gore video games like Grand Theft Auto or the many shoot 'em and kill 'em games. Killing someone is not a game and it is not funny when the blood splirts everywhere.

I think the Virginia Tech did a good job reacting to the situation. The alarms were sounded and the campus when on lockdown. Students were encouraged to stay inside and wait out the situation. Email messages went out immediately to inform students that this was not a drill, but the real deal.

What makes someone snap like that? Should be looking at our friends, neighbors, and classmates more stringently? I know these attacks are rare, but can we find a way to prevent them altogether? I think it would over the top to do background checks on potential students, but we may get to a point when we have to.

If someone is applying to go to school and has priors like armed robbery, maybe that person shouldn't be admitted. A school is not that different than a business. New laws and procedures are put in place, only after a disaster happens. I suppose we will just have to see what the future entails. So sorry Virginia Tech. You have been through enough. You are a good school and people should not be afraid to enroll in your classes.