People Need to Understand Something: Weapons-Free Zones Don't Make Areas Weapons-Free--Closed Campuses and Metal Detectors Do

The recent shootings at Northern Illinois University seems to have exposed some weird thinking. People seem to be shocked that a madman would choose to carry weapons into areas that are declared as weapons-free zones.

Get real, folks.

Just because an area--such as a university campus--are declared as weapons-free zones, it definitely doesn't make those areas weapons-free. Closed campuses, metal detectors, security people and searches of bags/persons do.

And passing more laws to restrict the presence of guns in areas that they're already banned in won't help, unless those laws mandate physical steps to be taken, like the steps mentioned above--with full funding. Preventing disasters like Columbine, Virginia Tech and NIU will be complex and expensive.

As we've learned through bitter experience, the key to stopping a homicidal maniac is to stop them at the point of action...in other words, putting a stop to them at the front gate or front door before they penetrate any deeper and have access to large numbers of people.

Many colleges and universities began upgrading their warning systems after last year's slaughter at Virginia Tech; these are very good first steps. Reverse-911 systems and the like definitely save lives.

But the public shouldn't be all that surprised that the weapons-free zones that politicians push to have made into law fail in practice. People carrying weapons into these zones probably happens more than anyone realizes or would care to admit.

Airing of Killer's Rants Leads to Backlash Against Media

The Virginia Tech community reacted with outrage at the airing of a series of disturbing videos, photos and writings of the perpetrator of Monday's massacre on the VT campus. Some families pulled out of appearing on the Today Show to protest the callous airing of the rant.

And ALL the news organizations played parts of the video; shame on ALL of them for giving this killer air time.

I'm in total agreement with Dr. Michael Warner, who said in an interview "...just listen, if you can take Imus off the air, you can certainly keep [Cho] from having his own morning show."

All these analysts should close their mouths and quit trying to analyze this lunatic killer. They're just adding insult to injury when they play back parts of the trash he mailed to the media to help explain why this evil human being did what he did.

This really sucks.

Virginia Tech Massacre: Remembering the Lost and the Injured

Memorial services were held today for students and professors who lost their lives in yesterday's mind-blowing and horrific attack on the Virginia Tech community.

All of this brings memories of Columbine back anew.

It's all so sad and meaningless. Thirty-two people were murdered by a madman; it emerged that a fellow Virginia Tech student was responsible for the heavy loss of life.

Thinking of all the victims and their families, as well as everyone at VT. May God be with them all.