Commentary: Virginia Tech Massacre

Dennis Prager

Within hours of the massacre of more than 30 people at Virginia Tech University, the president of the university issued his first statement on the evil that had just engulfed the college campus and concluded with this:

"We're making plans for a convocation tomorrow at noon in Cassell Coliseum for the university to come together to begin the healing process from this terrible tragedy."...

I believe that this early healing talk is both foolish and immoral.

It is foolish because one does not speak about healing the same day (or week or perhaps even month) that one is traumatized — especially by evil. One must be allowed time for anger and grief. To speak of healing and "closure" before one goes through those other emotions is to speak not of healing but of suppression.

 Joseph Farah

Either no one dared say what I am about to say or no one who believes what I am about to say was invited to participate in the free-for-all on 24-hour tragedy TV....

Here it is: It's time to abandon the totally failed plans of turning our schools and campuses into "gun-free zones," which, when they are invaded like Virginia Tech was invaded yesterday, become shooting galleries with live, captive, helpless, human targets.

Phil Harris

One thing is certain in the aftermath of today's sorrow. There will be blame masters oozing out of every mouse-hole, gladly lapping up camera time for whatever their agenda might be. Those who believe that guns are possessed by the devil will use today's horror as another obvious reason why America must melt down all of her guns. Others will blame violent video games and movies, claiming that this individual is but one more example of the desensitizing effects of violent entertainment.

Andrew Longman

First, it is not a tragedy. Tragedies are sad things that occur naturally. A friend dying of cancer is a tragedy. This, instead, is an act of evil and of infamy. It is an act of terror and sabotage. The murders at Virginia Tech are willful malevolence, but they are not tragedy.

Second, the White House temporary press secretary just showed she is an amateur. Dana Perino: "The president believes that there is a right for people to bear arms, but that all laws must be followed."

That is a really dumb remark....

All of these massacres, these terrorist attacks, have genuine possibilities for being stopped dead in their tracks if they encounter a well-armed, well-trained, educated public vigilant to defend their freedoms. The proper private response to this evil is to share the emotion and inestimable losses with the families. But the proper public response is to promote the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Posted by Danny Carlton at April 17, 2007 7:32 AM