Obama gets it wrong on Virginia Tech

We shouldn't be surprised that politicians use tragedies like Virginia Tech to giddy-up their high horses. But some remarks by Barack Obama on Monday seem remarkably dumb. He gets a good drubbing at Reason for comparing the violence of Cho Seung Hui to the "violence" of outsourcing.

Robbie Millen

Comments

[Ibrahim Pelesic]

As a stranger in this Country, I don't understand, how cops couldn't do better job? Hundreds cops and SVAT tim and even students couldn't stoop only one person who wasn't professional soldier or trained to kill? He killed 33 people in front of higgle trained Home land security professionals? And what could happened if there wasn't only one shutter, if he didn't kill him self, or he was enemy solder trend to kill. I think, a lat of mistake are made here and a lat of question must be answered.

- "THEY WERE AT WRONG PLACE AT WRONG TIME" president Bush set speaking about 33 people dead at Virginia Tech.

- How "COLLEGE" can be a "WRONG PLACE" and "STUDYING" at " WRONG TIME"?
It is just shameless cowering of failure of this administration to make americens safe in there homes. Innocent people are paying price for that.
Do something. America.
Just changing politic, the leaders, and way of interacting with rest of the World after WWII, made Germany the most prestigious country at World today.
Wake up America. "COLLEGE" newer was "WRONG PLACE" and " STUDY " NEWER WAS " at "WRONG TIME" (except in middle age) , but "OUR KNOWLEDGE" can be late, and price what 33 fallen heros at Virginia Tech payed, is to high. But, like all heros, they tried and they succeeded, living this world with powerful message : Coexistence and Peace at Earth.
Make your choice. You have so many good choices in next presidential election, and I hope, your choice will be "Peace". And do not forget, I am telling you from refugees experience: only truly democrats can build democracy and make Peace work.
White, black, women,.. Doesn't matter if Country or peace is in question.
- "Let America be America again"...

My condolences to You, to fallen American Heros families, and to all Mankind. It is really planetary tragedy for all of as. Ibrahim Pelesic

[Barbara Taylor]

Thanks, Ibrahim,

It's nice to know of the kindness of strangers. I just read another site where they are blaming the VT students.

Bless you for sharing your kind thoughts. May you and your loved ones always be well and prosper.

[Ryan]

What a boob this Ibrahim is, to blame politicians or police for the actions of a killer. It is this kind of thinking, that voting for any one group or person will stop tragedies from happening, that is going to lead this country down the toilet....

[bernardo]

IT ALL HAPPENS OUT OF ISOLATION.
ISOLATION MEANS OUT OF LOVE. LOVE BRINGS PEOPLE OUT OF ISOLATION.
LET US TEACH OUR CHILDREN TO LOVE PEOPLE NOT TO ISOLATE.

[Dr. J. Davis of Australia]

Sounds like the massacre in Australia last decade. The two armed cops present fled the scene ("waited for backup"), while the interstate police wouldn't shoot at the criminal at 100 yards distance, because it was too hard (are we paying these idiots to enforce the law, or what?)

So over $500 million was spent, on what the PM himself admitted would probably not work.

Meanwhile, the murder rate hasn't changed since the newer laws (www.abs.gov.au), most suicides (95%) don't use guns and most gun deaths (78%) are suicides.

Yet there are calls lately for us to toughen our laws again in response to a shooting on the opposite side of the planet.

Einstein is credited as saying that insanity is where you do the same thing over & over, expecting to get a different result. By this logic, the anti-gun mob's push for more laws is insane.

[Bob]

Assuming the police (SWAT, other response forces) will protect you before the crime is, at best, uninformed. The police are usually very good at doing things after the event. There will never be a sufficiently large police force to make everyone safe from attack. Who would want a cop in your home at all times? That idea is Orwellian.

There are numerous points of debate in the Virginia Tech tragedy. One point is the sheer folly of the idea of "gun-free zones" such as the one established by law. As seen in this tragedy that translates to the innocent have no way to protect themselves from the criminal. Banning guns from the populace simply prevents those who wish to avail themselves of self-protection from legally doing so. It does not prevent the criminal element from illegally possessing firearms. I believe that has been shown in the UK and in Australia, where cross-border shipments of firearms are a bit difficult. Virginia Tech's "gun free zone" tragically made it a "killing zone."

Yes, I suppose I'm one of those right-wing, cowboy nuts you read about. By definition of the gun-control crowd, I have an arsenal and I've stockpiled ammunition. I've owned firearms for four decades. I shoot paper targets for sport. I have several firearms and I buy ammunition in rather large lots for economy. I've used a firearm once 40 years for self-protection. That was after running away from a potential attacker three times. After the third time, I brandished a firearm and the attacker decided to look for easier prey.

[J. Rhinehart]

No one here has mentioned that Cho was being given mind-altering drugs when he went berserk. I know from experience that every antidepressant has a different effect on me. I've taken 3. I don't take them any more. Since he left no detailed record of the progression of his mental change, and since in this country doctors dole out meds without close followup, I doubt we will ever know for sure what happened in his mind. I do know that one antidepressant made me think negative thoughts - Zoloft. I pity Cho, that he didn't have any close person he felt he could trust to talk out his problems to instead of acting them out. I believe that Cho might turn out to be a poster child for how not to treat mental problems. He definitely did NOT get the treatment he needed. And he very well may have gotten something he shouldn’t have.