Tragically, although it may be arguable that "guns don't kill people," can anybody seriously deny that, in cases of random violence like this one, the availability of guns -- more than any other factor --determines the number and the identity of the victims?

Horrible, horrible, horrible. What motivates a person to walk into a classroom and just kill a bunch of people? I'll never understand it. It makes me want to home school my kids, and then have them get their degrees online. I know it's one college campus in a sea of thousands, but it is still scary.

This is just horrible! Obviously the story will be unfolding for a while to come, but the latest I am hearing is it was a student or at least student-aged, and he was looking for his girlfriend. It seems that this guy was far from stable, and it makes me wonder how easy it was for him to arm himself to the teeth and start shooting up the campus. My heart goes out to the families and friends of the victims today.

What could cause someone to lose control so bad that they are willing to wreck such tragic destruction. How many people's lives will have been destroyed because one person could not come to terms with their own life. My thoughts and prayers are with all the people involved in this devastating incident. I think it's time that the NRA pay for campus security for our schools.

I didn't want to go with the availability of gun route, but I'm glad someone did. How many people need to be killed in the 'crossfire' of gun owners? Yeah, yeah, yeah, criminals usually steal their guns, but hey, if legal gunowners didn't have guns,then there would be none to steal. No arguments with me about the Second Amendment, as it was useful in the time it was written, but not necessary now. I've lived in other countries where guns are NOT legal-at least not outside of the military and law enforcement, and incidents like this rarely, if ever, happen.

Too bad when I posted my earlier comment I didn't yet know that the gunman was looking for his girlfriend. Guns and domestic violence -- what a great recipe for senseless tragedy. All that may be missing here is the ubiquitous (and usually useless) restraining order. When is society going to wake up?

CatyZ, Manley Hot Springs, Alaska - Amen!! That post took courage my friend. I am so sick and tired of the NRA and their abuse of power!! Yes, the 2nd Amendment, which gives us the right to bear arms. Many argue, "It’s to protect my home and family" and the NRA abuses it’s' power in my opinion. An example of the "protect my home and family" excuse was never so arguably defeated several years ago in my home state of California. Residents were required by a new law to register guns previously not required under law. Two of my friends, who own a "cash of weapons" obviously not intended to "protect their home and families", promptly shipped all of these weapons to Nevada for storage, where the law did/does not apply. Can anyone please tell me, as these friends couldn't, "how can you protect your home and family in California with a gun located in Nevada?" Not only was their speech as incoherent as George W. Bush's, they couldn't answer the question. Some people, for whatever reason, feel a cash of weapons is perfectly acceptable, no matter how many statistics prove - over and over again - that tragedies such as this horrific one, are the result of their over zealous use of the 2nd Amendment. The NRA, in my opinion, is the guiltiest of them all. My prayers are with each and every family of the victims today.

IRS auditing the working classes is our own fault. We have allowed our public servants to create a reality in which they serve only the wealthy. How could any of us reasonably ask them to bite the hands that feed them - the wealthy corporate interests that fund their election campaigns? --- Also, the protection of the super-wealth-dynasties through the elimination of the death tax and increased focus on the taxation of the working poor and middle class is a cornerstone of the neocon domestic agenda. The communists focused on taxing the rural farmers in China and Russia. It’s only natural that the neocons focus their attack on the working poor here.

I agree that easy availability of guns played a role in this tragedy. Unfortunately, it's probably easy to predict the NRA response, which will be something along the lines of "If people had more guns, someone on the campus would have been in a position to return fire and reduce the loss of life." Pathetic.

Actually, (maybe predictably as a veteran) I support the 2nd Amendment. It’s meant to keep the government afraid of overstepping its bounds and running rampant against the populace. It might be the only thing keeping bush from invading our living rooms; thereby limiting him to only invading our private moments. This president’s actions have proven that he believes himself to be above mere human Law.

I'm am not posting here to get into an arguement about gun control or the NRA. I am posting to extend my deepest sympathies and prayers to those victims and the victims families of this tragedy. I am also extending my sympathies to the family of the person or persons who committed this terrible act. They too will suffer. Any death of a human being by the hands of another is a tragedy. And such tragedies have their origin in the darkness that envelopes and takes over those persons committing such acts no matter the means used to end another's life. This is a sad day, as are most days in this world when considering the loss of life initiated by those who live in darkness.

Blaming the NRA in this senseless tragedy is an exercise in kneejerk stupidity.We will recall that the Malvo/Muhammed sniper shootings in the DC area were committed in a region of the nation that has among the most stringent gun-control laws in the nation.[Nor are these Euro nations where gun-control is 'working' immune.London and Edinburgh are seeing gun crimes skyrocket,and all of its inner-city gangs are packing better heat than the cops].Nor are the MS-13 and Surenos homies in South Central,South San Francisco,or the Central Valley members of the NRA.In LA alone,over 259 have died in the last year in a county which has stringent gun control laws.Quite sensibly,a federal court packed with Clinton-era appointees struck down DCs gun control laws citing the 2nds 'individual'vice 'collective'right to keep and bear arms.[this now-overturned law,in a city with one of the worst gun-murder rates in America today].The adage applies.Only criminals and cops[who are often the cause of overzealous gun usage],will and have,in the case of criminals,keep and use guns in the absence of private ownership by law-abiding Americans.Finally,the idea that shutting down legal avenues to guns will be the recipe for a Pax Americana in the area of gun murders do any good either.Not with a pourous border that no-one has the guts to deal with and not when handguns and ammo are being cheaply made and smuggled all along the Mexican border.Using the 'NRA'as a means to abort the constitutional right to bear arms is not the idea the Founders had in mind.Make no mistake.Allow the Democrats,who were able to win their majority only by the seizure of Red districts whose voters are otherwise gun-control opponants to style Columbine-like legislation,and they will go down crashing in defeat in 08.If these want an even greater litmus test than abortion,they will find it in guns.

As long as driving an automobile and getting a public education is "a priveledge" and gun ownership is an ABSOLUTELY UNQUANTIFIED CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT and ONE OF THE MAIN PARTY PLATFORMS FOR SOCIAL RELIGIOUS CONSERVATIVES OF ALL PARTIES - as long as we love our guns more than we love our children, this is just another day in America. Get used to it or move to Europe, Canada or someplace else where the citizens are more civilized. Now, let's get back to our regularly scheduled program of blaming video games, single mothers, welfare recipients, defense attorneys, rap music and MTV. We have to get busy, desperately pretending that HANDGUNS are IN NO WAY related to HANDGUN RELATED DEATHS. God Bless the NRA

Handguns and assault rifles have no design function but to kill humans. They should be distinguished when discussing firearms in general. Rifles and shotguns can kill people certainly, but they are in many ways utility tools analogous to a knife - they have legitimate non-human life taking functions. I would not own a farm without having a shotgun about. The majority of handguns and assault rifles are useless for hunting for a variety of reasons. While I think that a model where handguns/fully automatic weapons is strictly controlled is by far superior to the gun violence we subject ourselves to in this country (see Great Britain), I am afraid that horse has left the barn long ago. If you had done something after WWI, maybe, but now it is not socially and logistically practical. Just collecting them at this point would do noting but create a stronger market for underground black market weapons. Plus you have a ready made workforce in huge number of trained gunsmiths available that would suddenly be underemployed. See the war on drugs for a corollary. I hate to play Devil's Advocate . . . well, okay, I don't hate it, but Pam let me ask you and the others question. Given the current political climate, do you really think taking weapons from the citizenry and consolidating them under the control of the government and their sanctioned mercenaries is a good idea? Before Bush the Dimmer, I might have argued for more gun control. Now, I suspect the 2nd Amendment and the huge number of well armed citizens is somewhat serving to keep martial law at bay. You know Bush and Cheney are crazy enough to try that, probably under false pretenses, to avoid the prosecution that oh so certainly lies in their future. Just a thought.

Neither do they (the citizens of your European countries, except for Switzerland, where gun ownership is mandatory) have the opportunity to defend themselves against their government (see Hitler, et al), or the deranged idiot with a knife, or the corrupt policeman (say it ain't so!), or the rapist/intruder bent on physical harm, or any of a myriad of other reasons to have a firearm. I am an NRA member, and this crime on the campus of VT is the most abominable thing I can think of. I do not own a "cash" of weapons, or a cache of weapons, just a few hunting guns. Have you any comments about the availability of vehicles to those who would use them as weapons, crashing into crowded markets or street-side bistros, as has happened? Would you blame AAA for those who did just that? The person(s) who did this are nothing but cowards and criminals of the worst sort. To judge many by the deranged actions of a few is a knee-jerk reaction, not well-thought, nor well-spoken. I'm sure a collective groan of despair has come from the law-abiding ranks of firearm owners, first for the deaths and injuries to so many innocent people in such a violent manner, and a second for the inevitable outcry to come for total gun control and registration, to restrict or eliminate the constitutionally-guaranteed right to bear arms. Maybe we should have eliminated all space exploration when the first astronauts died because of mistakes made during construction. I could go on and on, but this life is full of dangers and dangerous people who do incredibly stupid and dangerous things. It (and they) will not stop for any reason. I can envision the Orwellian day when people are imprisoned solely for their beliefs, because of actions such as those today, and the reactions of people enraged with grief and anger. It is not a pretty vision, and one I would not wish on any in this country, as it occurs in many other countries. My heart and soul go out to those families with loved ones who have died today. It is my solemn wish that any who had previous knowledge of the plans of this person (people?) are prosecuted to the fullest extent possible, having had the ability to thwart their plans in advance. My solemn sympathies.......

Bonnie, Madison, Wisconsin – I love you too my friend. You are so correct about restraining orders, as they are not worth the “toilet paper” they are written on!! I know from first-hand experience!! In one of the most tragic events in my life, one of my close friends was murdered by her then recent ex-boyfriend shortly after we graduated from high school. She had just embarked on her college studies at the University of the Pacific, Stockton to pursue her goal of becoming a dentist. Her high school boyfriend and stellar football player was offered numerous athletic scholarships at some of the most prestigious “football” universities in the country. Upon graduation, my friend broke off their high school relationship. He promptly changed course with his college choice and both applied to and was accepted into the University of the Pacific, Stockton; a college not well-known for “football” stars. Under constant stalking and harassment, my friend’s father purchased her a gun to protect herself from him, as she was only seventeen and scared. Two weeks into her first semester at college, she was murdered by her ex-boyfriend with the very gun her father purchased for her. Her attempts to use the restraining order she obtained were useless in the months preceding her murder. Had police taken her pleas for assistance seriously prior both in San Francisco, and after in Stockton, I don’t believe her father would have ever purchased the gun that killed his daughter. I also believe had police done their job and enforced the restraining order, which they never did; the murdering ex-boyfriend would have been arrested for violating the restraining order. The University did nothing either. Through personal experience, I have come to the strong belief that retraining orders are viewed as a burden by law enforcement. Subsequently, this incompetence results in tragedies such as the senseless murder of my dear friend.

Lee, please understand, I don't oppose the 2nd amendment, and I don't think guns should be banned. However, I certainly think that we should look at licensing guns/ gun ownership / gun use along the lines of a "well-regulated militia". We license people to drive cars - and remove those licenses when people behave irresponsibly. Why not the same with guns? Why don't we have "gun-ed" in the same way we have "drivers-ed"? Why can't we require that people that purchase a gun have a certain level of training (I'm not sure you can buy a car w/out a drivers license, and I know you can't rent one)? Why can't we require that people that purchase guns carry liability insurance (high-powered/expensive cars, and high risk groups like teen boys have more expensive car insurance - why not for guns?)? I'm sure we could find middle ground if it wasn't automatically assumed that people who are pro-gun control want to "take away our guns".

Compare American murder rates to those of other countries and you'll see that we'll fall statistically - and very consistantly - at the top, every single time. We loves us some guns - we hates us some people. We declare war on EVERYTHING from poverty to drugs to war - but we consider it wimpy and unmasculine to settle our disputes in court or by diplomacy. This IS YOUR AMERICA. Love it. Because you CAN'T leave it.

Darrel Sisson, Edinboro, PA - As I stated, I fully support the Second Amendment; however the NRA has been irresponsible in supporting any type of reasonable and responsible gun control legislation. You appear to be a responsible gun owner, so perhaps you can tell me why many NRA members who state they have weapons to “protect their homes and families in California” shipped these very weapons to Nevada to avoid new registration laws several years ago. The NRA assisted these people with mass mailings of literature advising how and where to ship their “weapons used to protect their families and homes”. You appear reasonable, so perhaps you can answer the question that I have posed to numerous NRA members over the course of six years. To date, not one has been able to answer this very simple question. Thank you, as I can’t understand it. In addition I don’t understand why a cache of weapons is required to protect one home.

I guess I need to clear up a few things. 1) I am a gun owner I own several, shotgun, rifels and pistols. 2) I live in rural Alaska and do feed my self with those guns. 3) I have had run-ins with bears (even ones going to my outhouse) but only one time in 15 years have fired a weapon for noise to scare the animal. My problem is with automatic and semi automatic guns. They have no use or point in hunting. The thing that gets me about the NRA is that they have so much money and spend so much money "protecting" americans rights to own these types of weapons. That they need to be the ones now to provide protection from people with the right to own these weapons to the people who may end up being massacured in such a horrible incident as this.

Look, we hung the sexist/racist idiotic comments of a 900 year old country & western cowboy fossil around the necks of rap music artists like Snoop Dog, so we can EASILY blame them for this too! Just don't blame white people, rich people, corporations, churches, conservatives or guns. *WHATEVER you do, absolutely DO NOT blame the guns! If someone starts to talk about how easy it is for a completely insane person wearing body parts as a hat to get an arsenal of handguns & asault weapons, with no questions asked, start showing some more of that Anna Nicole Smith "breaking news" footage. THAT'LL make all the thinking people surrender with their hands up. Hey, has anybody seen Micheal Jackson? Where was HE when this took place. Doesn't OJ Simpson own a gun? Cable-Satellite TV Spin works on us typical American white people - just like the Jedi Mind Trick worked on the Empire's Storm-Troopers. "These aren't the droids you're looking for, move along." (Repeat as Needed)

For any who may suggest that having students armed on college campuses is a good thing, this scenario comes to mind: drunken frat boys, with guns and extra clips of ammo, re-enacting the OK Corral on the campus quad because someone looked at someone else's girlfriend the wrong way, or took the last beer out of the communal refridgerator. I don't think we can put the genie back in the bottle in regards to the proliferation of guns in America, but I do not think arming students is a good idea either.

We fall at the top in murder rates? How does one define the top? I was wondering how long it would take the distortionists to politicize this senseless act. Somehow before this is over it will be Bush's fault. By the way, that University campus was obviously a gun free zone, which brings us to the fact that the only one with a gun was the nutcase. If others had guns they could have defended themselves.

Interestingly enough,it is the NRA,that is the most responsible gun organization in America when it comes to training and gun education.Misuse of guns carries with it the predictable penalties,including,the banning of further ownership of guns as an ex-felon.Guns have more laws at the state and federal level than any other product,thing,or behavior,yet they do not prevent these kinds of tragedies from occurring.Lessening gun ownership will not help either.This is not Canada,which has fewer people than a single American state,nor is it England[which is seeing a rise in gun violence regardless],which does not share a gigantic border with a gun-producing neighbor.We should not try to gull ourselves into believing that we can be anything like these other nations when it comes to guns.Many states require licencing in order to purchase guns.Others require that a safety course[ironically for the gun-control advocates,usually run by the NRA],be completed before licence is issued before you can even get a gun.The law-abiding will take this route.These others will plainly not.[and as we saw in gun sweeps in DC and NYC,these measures did exactly zero good in cutting down black market weapons arriving hourly from Asian,European,and South American ports].One thing that is debatable however.A well-trained person with a concealed-carry permit at the right location would have stopped this guy in his tracks.Without such protections,this shooter was as a wolf among sheep.We will expect the rise of plainclothes security in our nations colleges as a result of this shooting and the gun debate to rage on.

This debate on gun control and the NRA is why it is so difficult to govern people and why whoever makes the attempt better be very wise, competent and a good listener. A person's beliefs and principles are crafted by their individual experiences. And many of these experiences tend to validate for each of us that which others should believe as well. But we are a collective, with experiences in our backgrounds that differ. Thererfore, we make up a society with profound differences in our belief system and principles. One person can only assume that their belief is correct based on their own experiences, but they should be careful not to assume that others have been shaped by the same experiences. If gun control is considered a moral issue which I suppose it might be, it is not difficult to understand why those on the right would tend to hold the individual accountable for the inappropriate use of a gun, where those on the left would place a larger emphasis on the tool used to kill another human being. But if someone (right, middle or left) is able to provide a "factual conclusion" as to what came first, the chicken or the egg, then I suppose they just may be able to validate to a greater extent their arguement on the issue of gun control with the rest of us. There is one part of this I don't believe anyone can argue about. Child death due to accidental gun discharge because a parent was not a responsible and safe gun owner has no defense against those opposed to widespread ownership of these weapons.

Pammie, nice try. I bet you talk to NRA members regularly. Perhaps you need to look at personal responsibility. The dems for years have taken responsibility for nothing. No consequences for bad behavior, light sentences for multible offence felonies, have as many babies as you would like cause the government will take care of you. Legalize drugs, civil disobedience , and the list goes on and on. The single answer is this person comitted a horrible crime and he is responsible. The NRA didn't make him do it or even suggest he do it. They did not make it easier for him to obtain guns. Bad people usually do bad things. It will probably come out that this person should have been locked up many times before.

Years ago, a pathetic crazy man shot and killed a whole lot of people he didn't know at Luby's in Waco, TX. Shortly thereafter, a young woman who survived the shootings began lobbying for a law permitting the carrying of concealed handguns. Her presentation to the legislature was to dress up in coveralls and walk up and down the rows of legislators' desks shooting them at random with an imaginary gun. She ran for state legislator and won, and now we have a concealed carry law, but we rarely ever hear of it preventing any crimes or protecting the innocent. I am constantly amazed by the people I know who somehow get off to carrying a handgun. Whether it be no gun control, or total gun control, incredible tragedies like this one will just keep happening.

To Pam Bignardi in California: I have read many of your postings over time, on many diferent sites, and you seem, also, to be a reasonable person, so I will answer your question. Those folks shipped their weapons out-of-state because the very first step on the path to confiscation of firearms is the registration of such firearms. The next step after that is making the transfer of any firearm from one person to another, or the inability of the registered owner to produce that firearm on demand by the "authorities", an illegality, punishable by prison time, and who knows what else. The firearms owners in this country have learned their history lessons well, and can point to the many countries of this world where such actions by the government have produced populations subject to the whims and vagaries of tyrants and despotic rulers, usually resulting in great despair and social agony. Several of the above commentaries have touched on the edges of this subject. Questions as to quantity have many possible answers, the most obvious being that, without the ability to carry a firearm with you wherever you go, some feel it necessary to have several in various places, quickly accessible. It is difficult to access protection when lying under a car, for example. Myself, I do not do things like this, but know some who do. I can not blame them, having dealt with some of the general populace who feel that "what's mine is theirs" is the correct mentality, and the hell with everyone else or the laws. There was a place I used to work where several people carried concealed weapons (they were licensed to do so) to work (against work rules), because of the extremely strained work environment coupled with several employees whose mental stability was in question by both management and labor. These ARE tough questions, and the answers can only be made by the person and the situation. I sent my guns out of the house when my ex-wife moved out. I was being a Boy Scout, and was preparing for any move she might have made, including (falsely) accusing me of violence towards her, which would have resulted in immediate (and probably permanent) confiscation of them. As with most things in life, there are no easy answers. Every situation is different, and everyone acts, and reacts, differently to that same situation. I have a great respect for the government of this country, but I have very little respect for those in office at this moment. Several postings above have broached this subject, too. Many have said that, without the Second Amendment, none of the others would exist. I firmly believe that, and do not ever want to experience life in this country without it. Try to imagine government-controlled news of any sort, publishings of any kind, or the "free speech" we enjoy, gone without the ability of the populace to enforce those rights guaranteed to us by those oh-so-intelligent men who came before us. Hope this gives you a little insight.....

Scott - "Distortionist"? Oh, I see that means = "realist". (Just to make the terms & definitions *leap-of-faith* crystal-clear, from the indiginous right-wing mo0nbattery Bushpublican Language - translated into rational logical English. Now, watch as they argue with the purely numerical data, as if 1+1 DOESN'T equal 2 in Bush-World. These Freeper dorks CrAcK Me tHe F uP! The POINT-to-end-all-counterpoints: If you seriously believe that "smaller government", plus "more religion" times "more guns" = "safer and better lives for the citizens", then you belong in Baghdad, Iraq or Kabul, Afghanistan. See you when you get back.

Todd, New Orleans, LA - As usual, your post is brilliant. To answer your question based on your scenario, "Given the current political climate, do you really think taking weapons from the citizenry and consolidating them under the control of the government and their sanctioned mercenaries is a good idea? Before Bush the Dimmer, I might have argued for more gun control." - I do not believe people should be stripped of CERTAIN weapons as for then, "I" would be advocating violating the Constitution just as this Administration has in its use of it in lieu of toilet paper. I strongly agree with your statement, "Handguns and assault rifles have no design function but to kill humans". I also do not believe, based on people I know that own guns that shipped them to Nevada as stated above, that these people own guns to "protect their homes and families". They use this crap as an excuse, and in California, I call them on it. The NRA spent millions in California directing people where and how to ship their "weapons of protection" to Nevada. I don't put anything above Bush/Cheney, to include martial law as you stated. However, I don't believe this very possible scenario should stop us from doing everything possible to push for responsible gun control legislation. Just last week, another 15-month old baby was murdered in Los Angeles by a handgun, registered and legally owned by the shooter - mad at his "girlfriend". When human life is at risk, I must set aside your Bush/Cheney scenario and continue to push for gun control legislation and stop the NRA’s encouragement and assistance in circumventing these laws. Thank you Todd, as I truly enjoy reading your posts.

Pam -- I am so sorry to hear about your friend. Your story says it all and says it best. My heartfelt sympathies.

Excuse my cynisim. But I don't for one minute believe that the NRA cares anything about protecting home and family, the only thing they are interested in is to keep those dollars rolling in. It is all about money, money, money!

"Distortionist"? Oh, I see that means = "realist". I think you're starting to get it. What you see as real is in fact a distortion. Your clear hatred of Bush distorts your world view, just as this nutcase I'm sure had a distorted world view due to hatred. To be clear, I think Bush and his administration has made some horrible miscalculations with respect to Iraq. But these miscalculations were not lies, they were errors as humans are prone to make. The fact that you call yourself an atheist tells me you are far to certain about things you cannot be certain about. As Mark Twain said, "it aint what you don't know that causes the most harm, it's what you do know that just aint true"

My first reaction to today's shooting was shock; the second was anger. When are we as a rational nation going to stop being bullied by the NRA? I would love for some politician to step up and say, "Enough!" Instead, they are tripping over themselves to prove what great hunters they are (at least the men are). I am always puzzled by the Second Amendment supporters who seem to fantasize that they need their guns to protect themselves from some evil empire (sounds a lot like a video game or a story line on "24"). If that is the reality, then we truly are in bad shape. I hope someday we can focus on the insidious nature of guns as much as we do on other harmful aspects of our society. My heart goes out to all the victims' families!

Darrel In Edinboro, PA - Thank you for taking the time with such a thorough response. While I understand what you are saying for obvious reasons, I don't understand your statement, "Questions as to quantity have many possible answers, the most obvious being that, without the ability to carry a firearm with you wherever you go, some feel it necessary to have several in various places, quickly accessible. It is difficult to access protection when lying under a car, for example." I believe one is required to have a license to carry weapons wherever they like, in addition to a concealed weapons license. My sister is a police sergeant, and I'll confirm this with her; however, I'm pretty sure I'm right. Also, you didn't really address my questions as to "how can one protect their home and family in California when their weapons are in Nevada?" Also, why would the NRA spend millions of dollars sending mass mailings to NRA member in California clearly instructing them how to circumvent a law? A law is a law Darrel, and if someone who owns a gun is more than willing to break and/or circumvent a law relating to weapons they own, I believe these people should be the focus of those I consider "not responsible gun owners". Your thoughts??

I hold the same sentiment as C A above. I “extend my deepest sympathies and prayers to those victims and the victims families of this tragedy.” As students of history, our founding fathers understood that tyranny is created by a small group holding the majority captive by removing their weapons – free speech that is protected by an armed citizenry. The founders created the 1st and 2nd amendments to prevent tyranny from gaining a foothold in this new country. Every step the government takes to remove our “weapons” should be fought and all should remember Thomas Jefferson’s words, "And what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms.... The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

I look at this tragedy and I can't help but think about gun control. Now,let me start by saying I'm not one of these 'all or nothing' people, I can see gun cotrol that does not violate the 2nd amendment. Personlly I can't see the value of semi automatic or automatic weapons in anything but killing people. That said, as I listed to the reports of what happened just down the road from me, I can't help but think that we should take the 2nd amendment as the framers saw it... ...black powder muzzle loaders only.

As a college student, I can't imagine what a living nightmare it would be to be trapped in one of my classrooms by a psycho and shot at, or to have my friends in the same situation. I'm turned off to the whole blame game for the time being; I understand and share in the outrage, but it's too early and it does nothing to point fingers, especially when all the facts have yet to be pieced together. As dopey as it might sound, right now I'd rather pause and appreciate my health and the relationships I have instead.

Scott, I think the man said "SEE YOU WHEN YOU GET BACK". So peel that made-in-Korea "I worship Jesus W. Bush" sticker off the back of your 1977 AMC Gremlin, enlist and put that sucker on the back bumper of your Humvee. Godspeed, Captain Scotty.

I think we should all thank all the callers today who took advantage of one more -- albeit tragic -- opportunity to remind us that guns are not connected to gun crime. Can we ever get enough of that logic, really? For all the myriad explanations that these apologists offer for gun-related violence, one thing remains crystal clear -- the single common denominator in all gun crime is ... guns.

LOL, now we're blaming THE DEMS?! Good grief, WAKE-UP & LISTEN TO YOURSELVES, will you?! All you Bushovites, Fundies & other subspecies of crazy people, you're MAD, MAD I SAY!!! Uhh... You DO KNOW that the Internet is FOREVER, right? That these words will be here to reference your seemingly infinite levels of brainwashitude - even 100 years from now. ...you ARE aware of this, right? Just say "no thank you" & slowly walk away from the Kool Aid kettle. You're seriously embarrassing yourselves. The things that some of you say are so idiotic that I'm seriously beginning to feel embarrassed FOR YOU. Fellow thinkers and "reality-based" community: (Those who don't question what the word "top" means) Before you hire anyone to make your french fries, sweep your floors - before you MARRY somebody, make sure that they were NEVER a Bush-whacked-SiLLy-a$s right-winger! Go here and look for their email addresses, usernames, etc. amongst the ranks foi the free-range chickenhawk fundamentalist FReeperz cult ~> http://www.archive.org/index.php

I'm an alumnus of Virginia Tech, and I can tell you that the leadership there was always the most competent group of people I've ever done business with. This isn't Katrina, led by some bumbling, unqualified bunch of idiots. I'm not saying no mistakes were made, but the finger pointing is driving me insane. There isn't nearly enough information to judge on at this point, and even when more becomes certain, I want to know how a public institution, especially a large one, could possibly guarantee the safety of its students and employees? I have faith that the school's administration acted in good faith based on the knowledge that they possessed, and I hope that people will not leap to the conclusion that VT administration is equivalent to the Presidential administration.

"If we can blame guns for shootings, then I can blame spellin' errors on my pencil." Oh goody! Some real, down-home, good ol' boy, southern-fried intelligence. OK, once a member of YOUR family gets gunned down in cold-blood, you can equate that tragedy to a spelling error - if you wish to do so. On the important 'Guns vs. Pencils' debate: Well, I'd say that pencils - and their technological progenitors - have given us the works of Shakespeare, the music of Mozart, the sketches of Leonardo Davinci, the words of Walt Whitman, Mark Twain and W.E.B. Dubois, and the honestly phrased written word has marked the passage of time and events by giants such as Howard Zinn and Angie Debo. Guns? The 2-time Medal of Honor winner and genuine American Hero, Marine Corp General Smedley Darlington Butler once said "War is a racket." Come to think of it, he wrote it too. ...with a pencil.

Larry, Charleston, SC "have as many babies as you would like cause the government will take care of you" Good grief Larry, the Democrats can't win for losing. In case you've lived under a rock for you're whole life, you'd see that a good majority of Democrats (at least politians) are pro-choice. So, if we are pro-choice folks fighting against anti-abortionists, why is it so wrong to want to take care of the babies that are born to people that really can't afford them? Are you one of those that will do anything to protect an unborn child yet nothing for them once they are born? I don't blame the Dems for this or Republicans-I blame people that continue to promote the use of and ownership of guns. Attack me, I don't care. I served my country for 20 years and I know the oath I took all three times, however, that doesn't mean that everything that was written or amended in our Constitution is realistic now. We have a police, we have a military, and unless you or anyone else plans on settling some new land in this country, your gun(s) is/are unnecessary. Unfortunately we can't turn back the hand of time, and I only pray that my children aren't caught in the crossfire of some wonderful citizen that feels he or she has the right to carry a gun. No, a gun won't fire itself, but I find it difficult to imagine that 32 people would be killed by one monster with a knife.

Agreed LV- I just cringed as I watched as the campus olice chief put up with an interrogation by one 'newsman'. It's like these idiots would like nothing better than to be able to write that this was all som big scandal, perhaps they dream that the president and the campus police were in on the plot?

Wow, Scott. You've even stunned ME! So, to sum-up your points, somewhere in YOUR MIND the Bushies and their FaItH-Ba$eD policies are honest - if not 100% RIGHT - and we reality-based people are deluded by our own aversion to having the Bill of Rights edited down to JUST TWO very qualified "sometimes" rights, having the US Constitution declared "just a god-d@mned piece of paper" and the Geneva Convention declared "quaint and out-dated"? What kind of a snake-handling church do you attend there in South By-God Caro-fricken-lina?

1 Fish, 2 Fish, Red Fish, BushFish - Well stated!!Scott never makes sense; and again, he's a fourteen-year-old who either a.) Never attends school or b.) Learns such idiotic views in his home. He still believes Iraq had something to do with 9/11, not the 19 hijackers trained in terror camps in Afghanistan and predominantly from Saudi Arabia; the “war on terror” IS the "war in Iraq", not the "invasion of Iraq”; every word George W. Bush says is "Gospel truth", thus your "Jesus W. Bush” comment is ever so fitting; the liberals and democrats are to blame for every bad thing in the world, though this country was still respected under President Clinton; Dick Cheney has never lied to us, although the "Iraq war would be paid with Iraqi oil revenue" has never come to fruition; the six-month-max time period we were given for the "war" is now in it's fifth year; Halliburton, formerly run by Dick Cheney and awarded billions of dollars in no-bid contracts, continues to steal and/or not held accountable for billions of taxpayer dollars; Cheney stated the "insurgency is in it's final throws" how long ago, yet the insurgency has gotten stronger by the day; democrats like Senator Ted Kennedy was correct from day one about the Iraq "Invasion"; the nightmare in Iraq is now the democrats fault because criminal and murderer George W. Bush refuses to be held accountable via benchmarks and timelines, although he has preached them for more than four years until he is blue in the face via elections, the Iraqi Constitution, etc.; and it goes on and on. Scott, "Sir Lawrence of Arabia/Charleston SC" and Lee Holmes will never see the truth for what it is. Like Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly and Rush they will, like this Administration, continue to spout lies with ease. No, this "Hell" the Iraqis and our brave men and women are living is the fault of irresponsible, incompetent and criminally negligent persons. Beginning with “Commander-In-Chief George W. Bush, to Dick Cheney to Donald Rumsfeld, this group is solely responsible for the destruction of an entire nation, mass murder of hundreds of thousands of innocent people, our country’s complete loss of credibility worldwide, in addition to numerous criminal acts. They must be held accountable, and in some way transported to The Hague and tried for International War Crimes, crimes against humanity and Geneva Convention violations. Anyone who believes one word of what anyone from this Administration spews is incapable of admitting the sky is blue!! I’m sick and tired of hearing nonsense and idiotic remarks that the vast majority of Americans know full well are bold-faced lies!!

Scott Henderson NV: You can not be serious, you believe that college student's, if they had right's to carry gun's on campus & in classroom's this would not happen, or be in some way less violent! Don't worry i will in know way blame Bush for this, it's the extreme on your side the aisle that play's the blame game when all else fails. I in know way want to divert attention away from the administration's scandles they are beeing investigated for already, good try though! I believe in the right to bare arm's, i just don't have the need to bare arm's, just knowing i have the right has been good enough for me right now.

1 Fish, 2 Fish, Red Fish, BushFish – What amazes me are those who still believe Iraq had something to do with 9/11, not the 19 hijackers trained in terror camps in Afghanistan and predominantly from Saudi Arabia; the “war on terror” IS the "war in Iraq", not the "invasion of Iraq”; every word George W. Bush says is "Gospel truth", thus your "Jesus W. Bush” comment is ever so fitting; the liberals and democrats are to blame for every bad thing in the world, though this country was still respected under President Clinton; Dick Cheney has never lied to us, although the "Iraq war would be paid with Iraqi oil revenue" has never come to fruition; the six-month-max time period we were given for the "war" is now in it's fifth year; Halliburton, formerly run by Dick Cheney and awarded billions of dollars in no-bid contracts, continues to steal and/or not held accountable for billions of taxpayer dollars; Cheney stated the "insurgency is in it's final throws" how long ago, yet the insurgency has gotten stronger by the day; democrats like Senator Ted Kennedy was correct from day one about the Iraq "Invasion"; the nightmare in Iraq is now the democrats fault because criminal and murderer George W. Bush refuses to be held accountable via benchmarks and timelines, although he has preached them for more than four years until he is blue in the face via elections, the Iraqi Constitution, etc.; and it goes on and on. Like Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly and Rush some people will continue to spout the lies of this Administration with ease. No, this "Hell" the Iraqis and our brave men and women are living is the fault of irresponsible, incompetent and criminally negligent persons. Beginning with “Commander-In-Chief George W. Bush, to Dick Cheney to Donald Rumsfeld, this group is solely responsible for the destruction of an entire nation, mass murder of hundreds of thousands of innocent people, our country’s complete loss of credibility worldwide, in addition to numerous criminal acts. They must be held accountable, and in some way transported to The Hague and tried for International War Crimes, crimes against humanity and Geneva Convention violations. Anyone who believes one word of what anyone from this Administration spews is incapable of admitting the sky is blue!! I’m sick and tired of hearing nonsense and idiotic remarks that the vast majority of Americans know full well are bold-faced lies!!

Capturing All the Words of the Far-Right - Great post!! As I posted on another thread, there are "those" who still believe Iraq had something to do with 9/11, not the 19 hijackers trained in terror camps in Afghanistan and predominantly from Saudi Arabia; the “war on terror” IS the "war in Iraq", not the "invasion of Iraq”; every word George W. Bush says is "Gospel truth", thus the above "Jesus W. Bush” comment is ever so fitting; the liberals and democrats are to blame for every bad thing in the world, though this country was still respected under President Clinton; Dick Cheney has never lied to us, although the "Iraq war would be paid with Iraqi oil revenue" has never come to fruition; the six-month-max time period we were given for the "war" is now in it's fifth year; Halliburton, formerly run by Dick Cheney and awarded billions of dollars in no-bid contracts, continues to steal and/or not held accountable for billions of taxpayer dollars; Cheney stated the "insurgency is in it's final throws" how long ago, yet the insurgency has gotten stronger by the day; democrats like Senator Ted Kennedy was correct from day one about the Iraq "Invasion"; the nightmare in Iraq is now the democrats fault because criminal and murderer George W. Bush refuses to be held accountable via benchmarks and timelines, although he has preached them for more than four years until he is blue in the face via elections, the Iraqi Constitution, etc.; and it goes on and on. Scott, "Sir Lawrence of Arabia/Charleston SC" and Lee Holmes will never see the truth for what it is. Like Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly and Rush they will, like this Administration, continue to spout lies with ease. No, this "Hell" the Iraqis and our brave men and women are living is the fault of irresponsible, incompetent and criminally negligent persons. Beginning with “Commander-In-Chief George W. Bush, to Dick Cheney to Donald Rumsfeld, this group is solely responsible for the destruction of an entire nation, mass murder of hundreds of thousands of innocent people, our country’s complete loss of credibility worldwide, in addition to numerous criminal acts. They must be held accountable, and in some way transported to The Hague and tried for International War Crimes, crimes against humanity and Geneva Convention violations. Anyone who believes one word of what anyone from this Administration spews is incapable of admitting the sky is blue!! I’m sick and tired of hearing nonsense and idiotic remarks that the vast majority of Americans know full well are bold-faced lies!!

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