<p>You’re right…but again, can you think of anything about Virginia Tech that makes it more likely for these things to happen there than anywhere else? I certainly can’t.</p>
<p>"You forgot the on campus beheading one. That was a first anywhere in the US… "</p>
<p>A couple years ago a kid at our high school lured someone into his grandfather’s garage and beheaded him. The worst crime you see around here is bored high school kids knocking over mailboxes or stealing sunglasses from cars left unlocked at night, so needless to say it shocked the hell out of everyone. This is a very nice neighborhood and there’s really NO reason to think it’s dangerous to be here, but even we are not immune to the occasional freak, as it seems.</p>
<p>The couple dying 15 miles from campus is tragic, but probably unrelated to campus safety.</p>
<p>The beheading in the cafeteria on the other hand… wow. I can’t even imagine that. What was the story with that one? Another mentally ill student, or something else?</p>
<p>It wasn’t really in a cafeteria. It was in a seating area thats next to some food carts. There are actually two ABP locations on campus, one being in a cafeteria area and the one where that incident happened, which is in a graduate housing building. The two people knew each other (the person who killed the girl was the VT assigned ‘mentor’ for the other girl, since they were both foreign students from the same country, China I think) but I’m not sure if we’ll even know why he really did it.</p>
<p>This last incident took place pretty far from campus, and it’s not an area that someone could walk to normally unless theres a long hiking trail I don’t know about. Aside from it involving two VT students it isn’t really related to VT. We’ve had more than our share of tragic incidents over the last three years but I still think that the campus and Blacksburg in general are exceptionally safe areas. To be honest if April 16th hadn’t happened I doubt any of you would have heard about the latest incident.</p>
<p>Also, who said we had a meth problem? I’m from somewhere with a meth problem, and in my 3+ years in Blacksburg I’ve never seen any symptoms of an area where meth is prevalent. It certainly isn’t among students.</p>
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A commonly-heard scenario from those who don’t know how to use one. Such things almost never happen to trained, licensed gun owners. Gun deaths occur in two ways. (1) A criminal uses it to commit a crime. (2) A careless, uneducated person uses it incorrectly, or leaves it where another careless, uneducated person can find it and use it incorrectly.</p>
<p>I consider it heartless for the government to tell law-abiding citizens, “We can’t keep guns out of the hands of criminals, but you are not allowed to have one to defend yourself against them.” How very naive. If you are fortunate enough to live in a country that is able to eliminate dangerous weapons, then good for you. Our government does not have that ability, and I doubt that it ever will.
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<p>Sure, most countries do have that ability–something that isn’t achieved by saying, “oh, our government won’t be able to eliminate lethal weapons, let’s at least carry around our own arsenals so we won’t be caught unaware.” I consider it heartless when a spineless government caves in to a gun rights association who offers rare scenarios of “heroic” citizens blasting a jewlerly burglar through the back door with a shotgun while claiming, “this is why we need guns.” You have to admit, the US would become a safer place if the laws worked towards eliminating civilian possesion of firearms rathers than ineffectively trying to ‘regulate’ it.</p>
<p>And good for you; you’re a ‘law abiding citizen’ with hopefully no mental/emotional problems. For your information, Cho Seung Hi, the perpetrator of the Vtech incident, passed all background checks and purchased his weapons from federally licensed arms dealers. Legally. He was technically a ‘law abiding citizen’ until he murdered all those innocent students.</p>
<p>Isolated extraordinary incidents are a necessary result of freedom.</p>
<p>Ah Suzuki, I’d estimate that undergoing formal training or possesing an appropriate level of skill is not a requirement for gun ownership in most jurisdictions in America. In grad school I walked into a local gun shop out of curiousity and the proprietor asked absolutely no questions about my familiarity with firearms. Incidentally, this gun shop was barely a mile from the campus and employed students as part-time workers. Yes, this event was some years ago but I have no knowledge that things are much different today, given the ease at which a novice can purchase a firearm at a gun show. By the way, it was reported that at a recent health care town hall, some nitwit dropped his gun. Apparently this was in New Hampshire, where it’s absolutely legal to carry a concealed firearm, no permit required.</p>
<p>I live in the western part of Virginia and I honestly don’t want people to think we’re a bunch of meth using gun totin’ hillbillies. The incidents at Tech are unfortunate, to say the least, but I don’t think any of them are the result of actions/behaviors of the students. Yes, the I-81 corridor is known for being a methamphetamine highway. Are students the primary users? Most likely not. I live in a college town along the 81 corridor and we’ve had our share of violence- most recently a young man was killed at an open party held at an off campus apartment. None of the individuals involved were from the immediate vicinity and none were students. </p>
<p>There is no reason to shy away from Virginia Tech. It’s a great school. Just remind your child of the importance of using good judgment and responsible behavior once they’re at the college of their choice.</p>
<p>Just to be clear, I would be happy if no one in this country owned a gun. I’m not a gun nut, militia member, etc. But until we can keep them out of the hands of criminals, I want the right to own one. Sorry, but my right to protect myself and my family right now supersedes my desire to see the world be a better place someday. I’m selfish that way.</p>
<p>I lived in Chicago, where it’s difficult to own a handgun legally, and you can’t even transport it from one place to another without dismantling it (not just locking, but completely dismantling). I guarantee that law was not obeyed by a single person who would use the gun to rob or kill. Only by people like me, who would never think of committing violence against an innocent person. Complete BS.</p>
<p>When guns can be kept out of the country completely, then I’ll be happy to give up my right to own one.</p>
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<p>A good thing to keep in mind when developing policies on guns, drugs, speed limits, and everything else.</p>
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True…I think we have to balance the amount of freedom against the potential damage the free person can do, as well as the likelihood that somebody will, in fact, do that damage. That’s why I like speed limits.</p>
<p>Oh, I didn’t mean we don’t need speed limits. I like them, too. All I’m really saying is that it’s easy to pass laws, but hard to pass wise laws. Wise laws balance the competing needs for order and freedom, erring on the side of freedom.</p>