This story broke during the day on Monday. Briefly:
Two shooting incidents on the Virginia Tech campus today have left 33 dead. Thirty-one, including the gunman, died at Norris Hall; two died at West Ambler Johnston Hall. Fifteen other victims from Norris are being treated at area hospitals.
The VT campus is beautiful. I was there about 12 years ago on my way home from Tennessee. The buildings are beautiful grey stone that they call Hokie Stone, which is a variety of limestone that they have been using since 1901. It is quite striking against the green Virginia landscape. Until today, it was the most memorable thing about the school.
When I got home from work, I switched on the TV, and up came the BBC News, which is on one of the cable outlets here. The reporter seemed incredulous that such a thing could happen. As a journalist, I could tell that he was challenged, both by Great Britain's attitude toward handguns and his own. He was professional enough to allow it to be a mere distraction, but I could tell he found the whole thing senseless and completely "American", when he started talking about how "many Americans see it as their Constitutional right to bear arms", or something like that. I was starting to seethe and my blood pressure was a little above normal, so I am not sure I was hearing him correctly.
At that point, the story cut to a video clip of Charlton Heston, celebrity spokesman for the National Rifle Association, telling an assembled crowd of like-minded gun nuts that they could take his gun "from my cold, dead hand" as he thrust a rifle in the air.
All I could think was "deal".
Then, just like Sunday's post about Governor Corzine being "lucky" in his accident, up steps an idiot with a comment to bring everything into an illogical perspective:
"The president believes that there is a right for people to bear arms, but that all laws must be followed." White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.
As usual, the White House has it ass backwards. Laws cannot be followed, which is precisely why we cannot continue to allow guns to be in the hands of citizens.
I wondered to myself about the logic of such an act and such a statement, and I continue to be at a loss. One thought continues to come to the front of my mind, blocking out all others.
The thought is that I cannot find anything that guns do that is positive. They kill people, animals and generally destroy anything that wanders into their path. Nothing positive comes from destruction. Not war, not death, not destruction. Nothing. People who like guns tell me that we have a right to bear them, own them and use them.
All that guns do is undo everything that people do, and I cannot think of anything that is "right" about that.
We all have that moment where we decide, like Popeye, that "I've had all I can stand, and I can't stands no more!" That's where he grabs the can of spinach and squeezes hard, his biceps and forearms grow and he gets an assed-up attitude about whatever is going wrong in his life and sets about to change it by pummeling Bluto. It's the same as that Network moment when Howard Beale shouts out the window, "I'm as mad as Hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!"
That moment came for me today with guns. It's about time, really. I don't want to hear about the powerful gun lobby or all the money they throw at politics to keep things the way they are. I don't want to hear their nonsense about how people kill people, not guns. I don't want to hear about guns as a hobby or guns for hunting for food. Buy a dead animal and eat it the way the rest of us do. It isn't "sport" to kill a deer with a telescopic sight - it's murder - just like it is with people.
I want this country to do the right thing and not the politically right thing. Just once.
Now, I challenge my readers to tell me one thing ... one thing that guns do that is positive. Just one. Not ten or five ... Or even three. Just one. One positive fucking thing. This post will be up for a long time, and I will be here a while, too, so I will wait as long as it takes for someone - anyone - to tell me something that guns do that benefits society.
Take all the time you need.
.
15 comments:
I'll be checking back to hear that one thing too. I for one am scared to death of those that carry and support the use of firearms. (not meaning those that serve and protect)
I'm always afraid when my children go to some families house that I know but don't "know" and I wonder if they have guns.
This was very sad.
Kimmyk: Even those that "serve and protect" are killing. In no way do I consider it a positive.
I am sacred to death of guns. This is the one subject that Chad and I fight on!! He being from a hunting family and grew up around them.
Whats even more amazing to me is how easily they are gotten....no phyc evaluations...barely any background checks!! I mean look how easily the UNDERAGE killers of Columbine got ahold of them.
You are right the adm. has it back wards.... We live in a society that we know not all abide its laws...thats evident of the over flowing jails in this country!!!
Peace.
This is from CBS News:
"It’s much too easy to get guns in the state of Virginia," said Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Center.
That’s in part because there's no gun registration, no mandatory waiting period to purchase weapons. The only major restriction: a limit of one gun purchase per month.
It remains unclear where the shooter purchased his pistols, CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian reports.
But CBS News discovered there was a gun show just 25 miles from Blacksburg last weekend where 405 guns were sold.
While I agree with Kim that law enforcement should be allowed to carry guns, I see zero reason why anyone else should be allowed to carry one just for the hell of it.
However, in this society, even if they took away all the guns, we would just find another way to kill people.
Baby, I got no reason why any of us need a gun... most people that carry are pretty much the wrong people...they cling to the second amendment such as, some protesters hid behind the first amendment....am I wrong or can we have these amendments ... amended??
bananas: The 2nd amendment was drawn up during a time when militias needed to be formed. When was the last time we had to form one? Bearing arms is an antiquated notion.
FS5: I'm fine with finding another way to kill people. Animals have been doing it for millions of years. That wasn't the point, really. Nevertheless, we don't need guns to embellish the idea.
I am a pistol holder. I never thought I would be until I came across a situation at one point in my life......as well as being around a man who has many. I don't throw around the "right to bear arms" shit. I really wouldn't have had one except for above referenced incident. I have only used it (thank god) for bowling pin practice. I cannot say that I "like" guns. I don't think it makes me different. I bought it out of what I felt was a need for me (I am a single white female living alone who does many things alone, especially travel). I am not physically strong and probably can't outrun someone, so I need the extra help.
I think a lot of things are antiquated yet they still abound or are abused or changed to serve someone's own selfish purposes. I think that people read the Constitution the way they want it to read, just like people do the Bible, take what the words are and make their own meaning for this day and age. I do believe in hunting, but not for sport. If I fish or hunt (which I haven't done in so long) I plan on eating it and using what I could. I prefer to go to the store to get my venison or buffalo or ostrich or turkey, but if some people want to hunt, fine by me. It's not something we need to do anymore (um think that went out with the advent of grocery stores). I don't see how looking down the scope at an innocent animal to shoot it and stick its head up on the wall is a sport.
I know this is long but bear with me. I went to Australia for my off-campus trip and I was a little scared. Being all the way across the world, with people I didn't know or know well, knowing I wouldn't fit into the "big young group", I was a bit nervous. I toyed with bringing my pistol but didn't want to deal with the red tape and reviewed their customs, they don't have guns, or not many anyway over there. So I left it. When I told my teacher I thought about bringing it she couldn't believe I even owned one. She, being from New Zealand, doesn't understand the American craze with guns. I told her my reason. But after being in Sydney, even in the red light district, sometimes by myself, I didn't feel scared at all after a bit. Not to say crimes don't happen there, but I felt safer over there than I do walking around down here. Except the beach, I don't feel so good walking around downtown, even by the mall, where it's apparently a "nice area". But I would walk around the cities of Melbourne and Sydney by myself and not feel afraid to do so. I of course didn't do anything stupid like walk around at 3am in the bad areas.......
As for positives, I can only think of one for me: my pistol made an awesome still life photograph for my class.
For the record, I offered the same "tell me someting good..." challenge at our lunch table at work today [without the flowery language] and got no takers.
red: I visited an Australian blog last night that had a similar attitude toward guns that the BBC reporter had.
"Still life" is OK. It's those action photos that get to me.
I'll offer a very good reason why you and I should be allowed to own a firearm:
Every five years when I fill out my carry permit renewal form, I give the same reason for needing a gun.
"A government that fears its own citizens enough to arbitrarily disarm them cannot be trusted and should not be defended at risk to one's own life. Owning a gun legally is my way of testing the value my government places on my life."
I've had a carry permit since about 1980 and not once has any of the various policemen accepting my application commented on my reasons. Maybe they simply don't read it.
Besides, I can kill more people at lower risk to myself without a firearm than with one. My latest weblog post explains that one.
Well, "very good reason" is a subjective term. I would say that the reason there have been no comments is probably because they aren't allowed an opinion. Besides, you're submitting a gun permit to someone who is carrying one.
Whether they read it or not is irrelevant for the purposes of this discussion.
When I applied for a carry permit at age 19, I was not yet allowed to carry a gun. No one seemed to think I was much of a risk then either.
Blaming guns isn't the answer.
They were wrong to allow a 19 year old to get a permit. Not thinking you were a risk was a risk.
Blaming guns is AN answer, and I'm willing to start there.
I just find it interesting how the talk differs from place to place. I was listneing to talk radio on the way home and in NY, its still guns are the right, whether the speaker agreed with using guns or not.
in Philly, where guns and gun violence is out of control, its a common theme that guns should just be gone.
Some people should walk in the shoes of people in Philadelphia then decide.
um, guns, um, guns are good for, um, err, crap you had to know i wouldnt have anything.
This is a wonderful post Anthony. Very passionate and articulate, and I simply can't agree with you more.
There is no useful, purposeful reason for everyday Americans to arm themselves.
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