* Rick B. wrote, On 4/17/2007 2:45 PM:
On Tue, 17 Apr 2007 07:57:46 -0400, Peter Hendra
wrote:

I know that this is off topic but it is very saddening to hear of yet
another mass killing in America.

If the 33 dead people had not been following the VTI policy of not
allowing handguns on campus, less of them would be dead. It is not
illegal to have a handgun in Virginia, but school policy forbade them
on campus. Too bad, one person ignores the policy and 33 following it
are dead.

Life is too short to follow stupid rules.

The real question is, if all campuses allowed handguns at all times,
would there be more or less killing? I know some here believe, as my
swat team friend says, "An armed society is a polite society," but
have have serious doubts that this would really work with kids. I
certainly wouldn't let my kid go to a campus if I thought a
significant number of the students were packing.

BTW, my policeman friend is not against moderate gun control, as a way
of limiting the number and type of weapons out there. But he says
that the strict laws here in Boston don't prevent gangs from simply
taking a road trip to VA and NC anytime they want to replenish their
arsenal.