Published in the Toronto Sun
23 April 2007
I am a gun owner and against stricter gun control laws, but that is irrelevant. What does matter ultimately is there is little we can do to completely prevent massacres like Virginia Tech. The Dawson College killer legally bought and possessed his guns.
Background checks only show previous convictions, not future intentions; waiting periods for purchasing guns may only delay the inevitable. Even psychological testing isn’t 100% perfect. Banning all guns isn’t the solution either as criminals don’t follow rules and would just get their guns illegally, much like the gang-bangers in Toronto do. Bottom line, if someone is hell-bent on such a massacre, they will carry it out. We can only hope that we can stop them before they do too much damage.
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The unedited version:
It’s the Shooter’s Fault
I am a gun owner and against stricter gun control laws, but that is irrelevant. What does matter ultimately is there is little we can do to completely prevent massacres like Virginia Tech.
The Dawson College killer legally bought and possessed his guns. Background checks only show previous convictions, not future intentions; waiting periods for purchasing guns may only delay the inevitable. Even psychological testing isn’t 100% perfect. Banning all guns isn’t the solution either as criminals don’t follow rules and would just get their guns illegally, much like the gang-bangers in Toronto do.
Some people are advocating that there aren’t too many guns on the street, but not enough (legal) guns in the hands on responsible, trained owners. I think that the idea of having people with carry permits is a bit of a double-edged sword. While it is undeniable if one gun had been in the right hands could have stopped the Virginia Tech shooter (or any school shooter over the years for that matter), I would feel much better if professionals such as campus police officers were armed instead of a private citizen who may not be properly trained. Besides, if everyone is running around with a gun, how would the police be able to determine the good guys from the bad guys? At least police officers wear uniforms and/or badges. I certainly don’t want to live in a world were carrying a gun for personal protection is required.
Bottom line, if someone is hell-bent on such a massacre, they will carry it out. We can only hope that we can stop them before they do too much damage.
