David, I watched the opening session of the Virginia Tech Review Panel, and it opened with comments from Gov. Kaine and Vir. Tech President Charles Steger. This doesn't look good for gun owners. The Governor asked the panel to look at all aspects of the shooting and the subsequent response by the college and State, he made no mention of VT's ban on concealed carry. Steger spoke briefly and about how vast the campus was and the huge task of protecting VT's staff and students, again no mention of the college ban on concealed carry. He was then given an incomprehensibly gushing kudos from the panel chairman, how objective could anyone on the panel be after hearing that?
Maybe you could let your readers know about this site and ask them to post their comments there.
UPDATE--Here are my comments:
Why don’t you consider the fact that Virginia Tech policy prohibits firearms on campus—even for concealed weapon permit holders—important enough to discuss?
Why do I watch and listen in vain to find any reference to a bill that never made it out of committee that would have changed that? Why did Virginia Tech Associate VP of University Relations Larry Hincken say the death of the bill that would have allowed adult students and faculty the means to defend themselves made him “happy”?
Why did Hincken pen an editorial reply on The Roanoake Times ridiculing the concept of peaceable people keeping and bearing arms on campus?
Why are these hearings silent on these matters?
We all know the only thing that stopped Cho was a bullet. That no one was able to stop him sooner is on your consciences, or should be.
Thanks for the link, I've posted my comments as well.
ReplyDeleteYeah, thanks, David. I let them have it with both barrels, letting them know what I think about Hinker. I also asked if they were going to do as Hamline did, and go Soviet on anyone who disagrees with the "Official Position".
ReplyDeleteBut why can't we see others' comments? Why will they not show those?
Here's mine:
ReplyDeleteI will pose this question to the panel that I posed to Mr. Hincker, which he has never answered. I would especially like to hear the governor's defense of helplessness as a "security measure".
Further, I take deep exception to fact that to date you are ignoring the university's part in enabling such an atrocity. Shame on you.
The question:
Are you still pleased that your Defenseless Student policy was not overturned by state law? Are you pleased that so many have died and been wounded because you and others at Virginia Tech decided that the purity of how you think it should be was upheld and these people died and suffered grievous injury, but did not escalate the violence? That is the next spin on your stance isn't it? "At least the violence was not escalated by some horrid displays of old west gunfights in the streets. " Of course, we must remember that it wasn't stopped either, because you made that monster the most powerful man everywhere he walked that day on the environs under your care.
Will you get an award for such a forward looking progressive program? Maybe the A. Eichmann Award for Societal Solutions?
Shame on you and the entire administration and all who push the lie that helplessness makes one safer.
(signed with my name and email
Here is my second comment:
ReplyDeleteHave you enough soap and water?
No, I know you don't. I supect that this review is your version of Pontius Pilate, but you can never wash your hands clean enough to absolve you of your share of the blame in providing helpless students for a madman's murderous spree.
But, you're going to try, aren't you?