Man Who Sold Gun Used in VT Massacre to Speak on Campus

While I agree with Eric Thompson's stance on allowing concealed-carry permits on college campuses, and elsewhere, it doesn't seem to be the brightest idea to have him speak at Virginia Tech.

BLACKSBURG, Va. - The online weapons dealer who sold one of the guns used in the Virginia Tech shootings is planning to visit the campus Thursday, a decision the school's spokesman called "terribly offensive."

Dealer Eric Thompson was scheduled to speak at the school Thursday night as part of a weeklong demonstration in favor of allowing people to carry concealed weapons at colleges.

A school spokesman denounced the visit in a statement Wednesday, saying it was "terribly offensive" that Thompson would set foot on campus.

"The organizers appear to be incredibly insensitive to the families of the victims who lost loved ones and to the injured students still recovering from this horrendous tragedy," said the statement issued by spokesman Larry Hincker.

Andrew Goddard, whose son Colin was injured in the shootings, said it is Thompson's First Amendment right to speak at the school but added: "I think it's rather insensitive of him, though."

Ken Stanton, president of the university's chapter of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, the group advocating weapons on campus, said that he lost a friend in the April 2007 shootings and that it taught him "firsthand the importance of self-protection."

Virginia Tech last week marked the first anniversary of the shootings in a dormitory and classroom building in which 33 died, including shooter Seung-Hui Cho.

Organizers really need to step back and consider the emotional impact of this. It's a noble cause they're pursuing, but the message will definitely be drowned out in the ensuing uproar.

Steyn: Let's be Realistic About Reality

Mark Steyn once again gets to the heart of the matter, this time, they media hysteria over guns in the wake of the Virginia Tech massacre.

I think we have a problem in our culture not with "realistic weapons" but with being realistic about reality. After all, we already "fear guns," at least in the hands of NRA members. Otherwise, why would we ban them from so many areas of life? Virginia Tech, remember, was a "gun-free zone," formally and proudly designated as such by the college administration. Yet the killer kept his guns and ammo on the campus. It was a "gun-free zone" except for those belonging to the guy who wanted to kill everybody. Had the Second Amendment not been in effect repealed by VT, someone might have been able to do as two students did five years ago at the Appalachian Law School: When a would-be mass murderer showed up, they rushed for their vehicles, grabbed their guns and pinned him down until the cops arrived.

But you can't do that at Virginia Tech. Instead, the administration has created a "Gun-Free School Zone." Or, to be more accurate, they've created a sign that says "Gun-Free School Zone." And, like a loopy medieval sultan, they thought that simply declaring it to be so would make it so. The "gun-free zone" turned out to be a fraud -- not just because there were at least two guns on the campus last Monday, but in the more important sense that the college was promoting to its students a profoundly deluded view of the world.

Read it all.

Meanwhile, The New York Times gets in-depth on Seung-Hui Cho. Nobody ever heard him talk, they thought there was a problem, but nobody did a damn thing about it. Cultural differences, blah blah blah.

Thanks for stepping up and taking care of your children.

Imagine If Students Were Armed

Seejanemom, one of my blog favorites, unearthed this item written by Larry Hincker, the associate vice president for university relations at Virginia Tech.

Read it and weep for the lives that could have been spared this week.

After the fear, and dare I say, panic from the events of Aug. 21, it is absolutely mind-boggling to see the opinions of Bradford Wiles ("Unarmed and vulnerable," Aug. 31).

I once worked for an out-of-touch manager who gave rather absurd directions. My colleagues and I would do as directed and dubbed it "malicious compliance," knowing the task to be inane and the manager's foibles would soon be apparent.

The editors of this page must have printed this commentary if for no other reason than malicious compliance. Surely, they scratched their heads saying, "I can't believe he really wants to say that."

Wiles tells us that he didn't feel safe with the hundreds of highly trained officers armed with high powered rifles encircling the building and protecting him. He even implies that he needed his sidearm to protect himself against the officers.

On that fateful Monday, campus was understandably on edge. Elvis-type sightings of the escaped prisoner around campus were rampant. People were legitimately concerned about where he might be. And although the police were relatively confident they had the suspect cornered (they were ultimately proved right), the anxiety level elsewhere on campus was very high.

Panic calls from within the Squires Student Center quickly morphed from facts into rumors, including a frantic call alleging a hostage situation. The police had no choice but to move a massive force from the manhunt site to that side of campus to deal with the hostage rumor.

The writer would have us believe that a university campus, with tens of thousands of young people, is safer with everyone packing heat. Imagine the continual fear of students in that scenario. We've seen that fear here, and we don't want to see it again.

Who among us thinks the writer of the commentary would not have been directly in harm's way if he showed himself to those tactical squads while displaying a deadly weapon? Would he even be here today to tell us the story? Contrary to his position, the writer's commentary actually gives credence to the university policy preventing weapons in classrooms.

Guns don't belong in classrooms. They never will. Virginia Tech has a very sound policy preventing same.

Astonishing arrogance from another pious, yet painfully uninformed "academic". Yes, I can imagine if responsible students were armed.One or more of them may have been able to stop the monster Seung-Hui Cho before it turned into a massacre.

Cho Called NBC During VA Tech Massacre

Things are moving fast.

Rambling communication, video being examined by FBI, network says

Sometime after he killed two people in a Virginia university dormitory but before he slaughtered 30 more in a classroom building Monday morning, Cho Seung-Hui sent NBC News a rambling communication and videos about his grievances, the network said Wednesday.

Cho, 23, a senior English major at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, killed 32 people in two attacks Monday before taking his own life.

Network officials turned the material over to the FBI and said they would not immediately disclose its contents beyond characterizing the material as “disturbing.” It included a written communication, photographs and video.

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor of “NBC Nightly News,” said in a posting on the program’s “Daily Nightly” blog that the communication was received earlier Wednesday. He described it as a very long “multimedia manifesto.”
The package, timestamped in the two-hour window between Monday's shootings, was sent to NBC News head Steve Capus.It contained digital photos of the gunman holding weapons and a manifesto that "rants against rich people and warns that he wants to get even," The Associated Press quoted an unidentified New York law enforcement official familiar with the case as saying. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about it. Police said the development might be "a very new, critical component of this investigation.""We're in the process right now of attempting to analyze and evaluate its worth," said Col. Steve Flaherty, superintendent of Virginia State Police.

As early as 2005, police and school administrators were wrestling with what to do with Cho, who was accused of stalking two female students and was sent to a mental health facility after police obtained a temporary detention order.

I wondered Tuesday why he was still in school, let alone not facing charges.

Setting fires?

Stalking women?

And he's allowed to remain there? I guess maybe we didn't want to offend the poor guy.

Based on his writing, I figure whatever Cho sent will be a psychotic rant.

Maybe he'll blame global warming.

UPDATE: More at Michelle Malkin.

Asians in Fear of Backlash?

Here we go.

Asians fear backlash after Virginia Tech shooting (Hat tip Joey Jojo, Jr.)

"It is big news in South Korea. Yesterday they were worried if I'm safe, now they are worried there might be a risk that I'm South Korean," said Yoo.

In Seoul, the South Korean government also expressed fears of a backlash.

"We are working closely with our diplomatic missions and local Korean residents' associations in anticipation of any situation that may arise," a Foreign Ministry official said.

South Korea has the largest number of foreign students in the United States -- nearly 15 percent -- according to the U.S. Customs and Enforcement Web site.

Police say Cho chained doors closed to trap students inside as he gunned them down before killing himself. There were early rumors the gunman was Asian, but his identity was not disclosed until Tuesday.

Some 1,655 students at Virginia Tech, or 6.2 percent, are Asian, the university's Web site says.

Annie Hang Tran, a member of the Korean American Student Association, said Cho did not belong to the group. "I didn't know the shooter," she said, declining further comment.

White students on campus dismissed suggestions there might be a backlash against foreigners at the university.

"It hadn't even crossed my mind," said Andrew Rush, 20, an accounting major. "There is a huge Asian community on campus and we're all together in class all day. It's so integrated I don't think this will change anything."

Perhaps when the dreaded backlash fails to happen, the folks from CAIR can give them tips on how to create bogus hate crimes.

The Evil of Cho Seung-Hui

Now that we know his name, the questions begin. Reports are coming in from all over, one suggesting he was crazed over a girl, leaving behind a note blaming America.

More background on this piece of garbage here.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the note railed against "rich kids" and "debauchery" and "deceitful charlatans" on campus.

The Tribune also said Cho had been behaving strangely lately, setting a dorm room on fire and allegedly stalking women. Other reports said he had been taking medicine for depression.

Setting fires?

Stalking women?

And he's allowed to remain there? I guess maybe we didn't want to offend the poor guy.

A Virginia Tech professor said Cho's work in creative-writing class was so disturbing that he had been referred to the school's counseling service.

Professor Carolyn Rude, chairwoman of the university's English department, said she did not personally know the gunman. But she said she spoke with Lucinda Roy, the department's director of creative writing, who had Cho in one of her classes and described him as "troubled."

"There was some concern about him," Rude said. "Sometimes, in creative writing, people reveal things and you never know if it's creative or if they're describing things, if they're imagining things or just how real it might be. But we're all alert to not ignore things like this."

She said Cho was referred to the counseling service, but she said she did not know when, or what the outcome was. Rude refused to release any of his writings or his grades, citing privacy laws.

Good thing we have those privacy laws. Wouldn't want to infringe upon his rights.

So Rude says they're all alert to not ignore things like this, but admits she did not know when, or what the outcome was.

Wow. Very alert.

Whatever shakes out in the days ahead, let's focus the blame where it should be, on this monster who took at least 32 lives. Let's not be searching for root causes or other excuses to blame America. Focus squarely on the deranged lunatic who thought because he had some problems, it was OK to take out his rage on innocent people in the most violent possible way.

Blame Cho Seung-Hui.

Elsewhere, Michelle Malkin notes the Asian American Journalists Association is upset the killer is being called Asian. An inconvenient truth, I guess.

Hot Air also keeps the updates flowing.

UPDATE: Smoking Gun has Virginia Killer's Violent Writings.

Claudia Rosett has an interesting angle.

When the news broke about the shootings at Virginia Tech, one of the first stories that came to mind was an essay widely read in writing courses at American schools: Jo Ann Beard’s “The Fourth State of Matter.” It’s a skillfully written tale — a good teaching tool for writers, and a story I read years ago with great interest — in which the core event is the shooting spree at Iowa State University in 1991, in which a Chinese physics student murdered five people and paralyzed a sixth for life. In yesterday’s killings, there were so many eerie echoes of that horror that I pulled the story off the web and re-read it.

Now we learn that the shooter at Virginia Tech, Cho Seung-Hui, was an English major. In the course offerings at Virginia Tech this spring semester, there is “English 3724: Creative Writing: Creative Nonfiction,” covering “the works of writers like Jo Ann Beard,” among others. Did Cho take this course? Did he read that story?