Some things I realised this week...
This week I realised all the things I love about America, and some of the things I don't. The Virginia Tech shooting was probably one of the worst things I have seen broadcast on the TV. The scale may not be as large as 9-11, but the waste of life is the same. My heart goes out to all the families involved, I can not begin to imagine what they must be going through. Despite the tragedy, the stories of heroism and the way the school is pulling together remind me of all the things great about the country.
In the aftermath of these events, it is obvious to question what could have been done differently and how this could have been prevented. Campus lockdown after the first incident.... probably.... More notice taken of the student and his sadistic writings.... maybe.... Ultimately, the person responsible turned out to be of loose mental fiber, and one can argue that he would snap at some point or another. There is no preempting of that.
But I have also listened to a lot of people talking about the gun laws in this country and the 2nd amendment. Whilst I don't agree with gun laws, I know a lot of people do. Something around gun control needs to change in the wake of this. It doesnt have to be the extreme, but there has to be ways to minimise the possibility. I think the weakest argument I heard this week in favour of the gun laws, is that if those students/teachers had had guns themselves, they could have defended themselves, and that would have not been possible without the 2nd amendment. Can you imagine, everyone having a gun just in case something like this happens? I can see the 'Mad Max' society developing!
As a visitor to this country, I am not going to call into question the rules and amendments from way before my time. In fact this week, I just realised how important this issue is to many people. The day after the incident I was in my office, and I made a comment similar to the above, that something (I dont know what) needs to change. I was than basically chewed out by a colleague (a supporter of the gun laws it seems) who basically told me that I didnt understand what the American people wanted, needed or had the right to have.
Maybe I dont, I am not an American by birth, so maybe I dont understand what 'Americans' want. But I can guarantee the Americans I know, do not want, or need another incident like the ones at Virigina Tech.
In the aftermath of these events, it is obvious to question what could have been done differently and how this could have been prevented. Campus lockdown after the first incident.... probably.... More notice taken of the student and his sadistic writings.... maybe.... Ultimately, the person responsible turned out to be of loose mental fiber, and one can argue that he would snap at some point or another. There is no preempting of that.
But I have also listened to a lot of people talking about the gun laws in this country and the 2nd amendment. Whilst I don't agree with gun laws, I know a lot of people do. Something around gun control needs to change in the wake of this. It doesnt have to be the extreme, but there has to be ways to minimise the possibility. I think the weakest argument I heard this week in favour of the gun laws, is that if those students/teachers had had guns themselves, they could have defended themselves, and that would have not been possible without the 2nd amendment. Can you imagine, everyone having a gun just in case something like this happens? I can see the 'Mad Max' society developing!
As a visitor to this country, I am not going to call into question the rules and amendments from way before my time. In fact this week, I just realised how important this issue is to many people. The day after the incident I was in my office, and I made a comment similar to the above, that something (I dont know what) needs to change. I was than basically chewed out by a colleague (a supporter of the gun laws it seems) who basically told me that I didnt understand what the American people wanted, needed or had the right to have.
Maybe I dont, I am not an American by birth, so maybe I dont understand what 'Americans' want. But I can guarantee the Americans I know, do not want, or need another incident like the ones at Virigina Tech.
posted by MarinaDazza at 10:37 AM
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