Virginia Tech Tragedy Raises New Concerns
By
Relationship Advice Expert April Masini
Q: Dear April Masini,
The Virginia Tech shootings definitely bring the gun control debate to the forefront of hot topics. The killer bought the guns illegally, and so far those opposed to gun control have been hush-hush following the tragedy. Will gun control advocates use this incident to enact stricter gun laws?
Sincerely,
Game for Gun Control
A:
Dear Game for Gun Control,
Will gun control advocates point to this college campus incident (where the shooter purchased guns legally) as a need to enact stricter gun laws?
You bet!! And while they aren't wrong, the reality is that this particular gunman, Mr. Cho, didn't have anything in his background to really call attention to himself as an unfit gun buyer. All speculation about his emotional and psychological well being was just that -- speculation. If he was taking anti-depressants as is alleged, he was in good company. He didn't have a criminal background and creating a disturbing presence or wearing sunglasses in class or even writing "disturbing screenplays" that don't hold a candle to what Hollywood considers disturbing (Mr. Cho's screenplays were child's play compared to Hollywood's reject pile of porn, violence and wannabe scripts) is not enough to keep anyone from buying a gun or adopting a child.
Gun advocates who point the finger at stricter gun laws are not necessarily wrong, but this incident is not because Mr. Cho had a gun. He would have found a way to murder and mass murder without a gun. There are many, many ways to kill and harm people. This guy was determined and committed to carrying out his crimes. Guns or no guns.
Will right-to-carry supporters question whether the rampage could have been stopped if students were allowed to carry guns?
No. Students are allowed to carry guns if they are properly purchased and registered, and if they are kept in dormitories or campus areas where guns are allowed -- which includes non-campus owned off campus housing. I'd bet that there are other students on the huge campus who do have guns. But that didn't stop this tragedy.
Right-to-carry supporters will turn to the criminal's family, medical doctors and school teachers and administrators who knew Mr. Cho well enough to report him and intervene if they suspected a security breach or a crime or suicide or murder. If these people knew and did nothing, they are responsible to some degree. If they didn't know, then the responsibility falls solely on security -- both on campus and local law enforcement for not stopping the rampage that occurred in the second part of the shooting spree, hours after the first shooting spree.
While it's noble to want to prevent future crime and tragedy, violence, weapons and mass murder and suicide are complicated and the fixes aren't quick ones.
April Masini -- nicknamed "the new millennium's Dear Abby" by the media, is author of the best-selling books Date Out Of Your League and Think & Date Like A Man, the two (just released) step-by-step dating and relationship manuals, Ideas for a Fun Date and Romantic Date Ideas,
and the critically acclaimed dating and relationship online magazine www.AskApril.com.
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