Terrific Essay on Virginia Tech

by Liberty and Power

In the Chronicle of Higher Ed, no reg nec. Really spot-on analysis that affirms the concept of personal responsibility.

More Comments:

Jonathan Dresner - 4/20/2007

Would gun control have prevented him obtaining the guns?

That depends on the gun control. Here in Hawai'i you have to undergo a background check, including certification of mental health and wait 14 days.

I'm sure there's illegal ways to get guns around here, but it's not clear that Cho would have been competent to access them -- you need to know somebody

Mark Brady - 4/20/2007

Yes, of course, Cho Seung-Hui was responsible for the shootings. And we should not forget that.

That said, a number of necessary conditions had to hold in order for him to commit his crime. He had to buy a couple of guns, and he had to be able to proceed in his plan without interference. Hence the questions that people are asking. Would gun control have prevented him obtaining the guns? (And, if it had, would the other harmful consequences of gun control outweigh the undoubted benefit of preventing him obtaining firearms?) Would the right to carry a concealed weapon have meant that other individuals could have stopped him. I'm not persuaded it would have done. Did the university police force, enjoying the privileges that it does, assist or detract in tracking him down? And, of course, there are many more legitimate questions we can ask without denying his responsibility for his crimes.