Campus Killings Will Renew Gun-Violence Debate: The killings at Virginia Tech university on Monday will stir fresh U.S. debate over gun control and what drives people to go on shooting rampages through schools and colleges... http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/4/16/211826.shtml?s=lh --- Here's A Switch (Or Is It?): Sen. John McCain says the shooting rampage at Virginia Tech does not change his view that the Constitution guarantees everyone the right to carry a weapon. "We have to look at what happened here, but it doesn't change my views on the Second Amendment, except to make sure that these kinds of weapons don't fall into the hands of bad people," McCain said Monday in response to a question. http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8OI1GEO0&show_article=1&catnum=3 --- Virginia Rejected Campus CCW In 2006: More than one year before today's unprecedented shooting rampage at Virginia Tech, the state's General Assembly quashed a bill that would have given qualified college students and employees the right to carry handguns on campus. At the time, Virginia Tech spokesman Larry Hincker said he was happy to hear of the bill's defeat, according to The Roanoke Times. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55226 Related Article: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55220 Related Commentary: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55239 http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55227 http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCommentary.asp?Page=/Commentary/archive/200704/COM20070417a.html http://www.lewrockwell.com/roberts/roberts204.html ...And, From Carolyn McCarthy: ...It has been more than a decade since meaningful legislation that would prevent gun violence has been signed into law. This pattern must change. For too long Congress has stood idle while gun violence continues to take its toll. The unfortunate situation in Virginia could have been avoided if Congressional leaders stood up to the gun lobby...(McCarthy is the author of the bill to renew and expand the federal ban on "assault weapons.") http://carolynmccarthy.house.gov/?sectionid=155§iontree=155&itemid=613 --- From VCDL: As most of you know VCDL has been pushing hard to change Virginia law to allow college and university students with concealed handgun permits to be able to carry a gun on campus for self-defense...But the university and college lobbyists swore that crime was not an issue and that the schools did not want students and visitors to be able to defend themselves with a gun or other weapon. They argued that the schools had little boxes with lights that had a button someone could press if they needed the police. http://www2.vcdl.org/webapps/vcdl/vadetail.html?RECID=1702146 http://www2.vcdl.org/webapps/vcdl/vadetail.html?RECID=1702625 --- From The Firearms Coalition: Thirty three dead after shooting rampage at Virginia Tech. All of the victims were unarmed. The murderer killed himself. Virginia Tech forbids students and faculty from possessing firearms on campus, even when they have valid concealed weapons permits. News is still sketchy but it appears that a lunatic went on a rampage at Virginia Tech University this morning killing some 32 people before killing himself. Early reports indicate that the shooting started shortly after 7:00 this morning in a co-ed dormitory housing some 800 students. The gunman avoided apprehension after that incident and it is speculated that the same gunman then walked into a classroom building two hours later and began shooting students in classrooms. Reports indicate that the gunman first chained the doors to the building from the inside and was wearing a vest with numerous magazines attached to it. The only firearms mentioned in any of the reports were two 9mm handguns supposedly carried by the gunman, but those reports are so far unsubstantiated. The campus Police Chief says that officers entered the buildings immediately upon arrival but that there was never any exchange of gunfire between the gunman and police. The Virginia Citizens Defense League has sponsored legislation in the last two sessions of the Virginia legislature aimed at forcing state schools like Virginia Tech to abandon their policy of forbidding students and faculty from possessing guns on campus. Representatives of the colleges argued that their campuses were safe and have little crime... As always happens in incidents like this, the media is casting about for someone or something to blame for this tragedy other than the criminal. Most of the criticism so far has been pointed toward the schools response to the first shootings. They are asking questions like, "Why wasn't the campus locked down at that time?" and "Why weren't students notified not to go to classes?". So far no one in the mainstream media has asked the question we want answered: "Why do you force law-abiding students to disarm when on campus?" When asked what could be done to avert a tragedy like this, the president of the University responded that, "We obviously can't have an armed guard in front of every classroom every day." To which the Firearms Coalition responds: If you admit that you can't protect people, why do you insist on taking away people's ability to protect themselves? Eyewitness accounts of the shooting suggest that the shooter was firing very rapidly, precluding any opportunity for students to overwhelm him with force and numbers. The only thing that could have mitigated this tragedy would have been one or more persons armed with firearms within close proximity when the shooting started. Instead of pointing out this simple, practical truth, it won't be long until the media takes up the cries that have already begun from the anti-gun forces and start blaming the tools and using this tragedy as an excuse to pursue more restrictions on firearms. It is up to the pro-gun majority to bring this back to the facts of personal protection - that an individual's security is that individual's responsibility and it is inexcusable for anyone to ever take away anyone else's right to their chosen means of affecting that protection. We will keep you posted as this story develops. Yours for the Second Amendment, Jeff Knox Director of Operations The Firearms Coalition From John Farnam: 16 Apr 07 Incident in VA: As details of today's murder spree (no, it not a "tragedy" It's a crime!) in VA slowly trickle out, several facts are not in dispute: (1) The perpetrator carried firearms onto a college campus in flagrant and contemptuous defiance of existing "rules" prohibiting guns on campus. Such rules were obviously a "deterrent" only to those who don't commit crimes anyway. (2) Every innocent person who was shot was, at the time, unarmed and defenseless. There were no armed, good people physically present as murders were being committed. No one in a position to stop these crimes had the ability to confront the perpetrator with lethal force. And, nothing less was, or would have been, effective! (3) Armed police responded aggressively, courageously, and about as fast as they're ever going to. Nonetheless, all murders had already been completed by the time they arrived. They did not get there in time to prevent a single one. They never fired a shot! (4) With all recent, similar incidents, the foregoing has been the pattern. The usual "solutions" are predictably being regurgitated by leftist politicians and media socialists, ranging from airport-like security at the entrance to all educational buildings, to a camera on every corner! No one dares mention the only solution that can work, or has ever worked: good people, armed. To naive grasseaters, such a thing is beyond imagination! Real Americans, however, are not waiting for assorted political gasbags to, once again, make their tired case for a Soviet-style police-state. I just talked with a friend who is a large gun retailer in CO. Today was his busiest, single sales day in several years. People flooded his store and carried away nearly every gun and round of ammunition he had in stock! Americans are weary of hearing about government "security plans." They are putting together their own, personal "security plan!" Our Second Amendment, the original "Homeland Security," is alive and well, except in designated "Criminal Empowerment Zones," like college campuses! /John -- Stephen P. Wenger Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .