22 Dead at Virginia Tech

[PitsVtec]

Originally Posted by EvilSteve

Very sad.

I agree....this is the second time for that school....

[Kennedy]

Originally Posted by njf4i

RIP to those innocent people.



I agree with you 100% on this. If i could carry a handgun i would. It doesn't matter what application or test they would make me take.

Maybe NJ will change its mind in 100 years



This is fucking outrageous it makes my blood boil....Two hours inbetween shootings and they didn't put the fucking place on a lock down THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST THING DONE, it would have prevented all of this....why wasn't security stepped up after the first shooting.....fucking people ignorant people

[FigNewTon]

My thoughts and prayers go to all of the families and friends who lost loved ones today. The human race is truly at a sad state.

RIP....

[soda7o]

Why Does Everyone Think I Have Russian Weapons??? Personally I Like Israelie Wepons Like The Uzzi
Altho The Ak Is The Shit!!!!!

[soda7o]

Wow I Wort Ein Cap Lock And It Changed Mypost Ot Normal
Thisis Truely Amazing..

[ZeRo_C0oL]

VT is right down the road...

[Kennedy]

State of VA tried to pass a bill allowing students with CCW permits to carry on campus....it was denied....imagine if it wasn't and they did carry....different outcome? What do you think?



To All,

My heart goes out to the students of Virginia Tech University. It is TRULY a tragedy.

Over the next 6 months you're going to see posturing by University staff, posturing by the police, posturing by the legislature, posturing by the politicians, and posturing by the media.

You're going to hear about the guns, you're going to hear about the fact that he had more then one magazine, you're going to hear about how much ammo he carried. You're going to hear about how we need to restrict firearms, about how we need to ban certain firearms, about how we need to limit the amount of ammo somebody can buy.

There's one thing you won't hear in the mainstream news though. Please take a few minutes read these two articles from last year, and give it some thought.

When you're done reading, please repost.

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Thursday, January 26, 2006

Gun bill targets colleges

A bill being considered in the House of Delegates challenges the authority of public universities to restrict weapons on campus.
By Greg Esposito 381-1675

BLACKSBURG -- Seventy-five guns sit in a weapons storage facility at the Virginia Tech police station.

The guns are secured inside storage compartments in a locked room slightly larger than a walk-in closet.

University policy requires students and employees, other than police, to check their guns there. If they want to take them off campus, they have to sign them out, and a university police officer must retrieve them.

Regardless of whatever permits they may have, those students and employees are not allowed to possess guns on campus.

Tech's regulations are similar to gun policies at public colleges throughout the state, such as the University of Virginia, Virginia Military Institute and Radford University.

But a bill being considered in the state House of Delegates challenges the authority of public universities to create such policies.

House Bill 1572, proposed by Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah County, would prohibit universities from making "rules or regulations limiting or abridging the ability of a student who possesses a valid concealed handgun permit ... from lawfully carrying a concealed handgun."

The legislation makes exceptions for participants in athletic events, storage of guns in residence halls and military training programs.

The issue of guns on campus received attention at Tech last spring when a student was disciplined for bringing a handgun to class, despite having a concealed handgun permit.

Some gun owners questioned the university's authority, while the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police came out against the presence of guns on campus.

In June, Tech's governing board approved a violence prevention policy that reiterates the ban on students or employees carrying guns and prohibits visitors from bringing guns into campus facilities.

Two bills seeking to clarify the issue by giving college governing boards explicit authority to regulate firearms on campus died in committee during last year's General Assembly session.

Philip Van Cleave, a Midlothian resident who is president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, said Wednesday that public universities have no right to tell visitors where they can bring guns. Their authority over students remains a gray area, he said.

HB 1572 was proposed on behalf of Van Cleave's organization.

"The basic intent is to allow students with concealed weapons permits to be able to carry their gun with them on campus just like they can anywhere else in the state," he said. "You can count the number of exceptions on one hand."

But Tech Police Chief Debra Duncan said colleges should be included in those exceptions.

"You can't carry a gun on an airplane, you can't carry a gun in a federal building and you shouldn't be able to carry a gun at an institute of learning," she said.

Spokesman Gary Frink said Gilbert wouldn't discuss the bill until it moved further along in the legislative process. The bill is in subcommittee and Van Cleave said he didn't expect it to be heard for at least a couple of weeks.

While passage of the bill is still a long way off -- with hurdles to clear in subcommittee and full committee before going in front of all delegates and then the Senate -- Van Cleave is confident it could be passed.

"I don't believe we're overstepping any bounds. We get into this magical thing where someone steps on school property and the sky parts," he said. "School is just another place."

But officials at colleges throughout the state argue that school isn't just another place and guns are anathema to a learning environment that should be free of fear or intimidation.

Tech spokesman Larry Hincker labeled it a "guns-in-the-classroom bill."

"We do believe this has grave implications," he said. "Why would the General Assembly wish to legislate to make campuses unsafe?"

But National Rifle Association head Wayne LaPierre, who was in Roanoke on Wednesday to speak to a Kiwanis Club gathering, pointed out that guns can actually make campuses safer.

He cited the fatal shootings at the Appalachian School of Law in which several armed students subdued the gunman.

Van Cleave pointed out potential safety problems facing women going to night classes.

"You never know when evil will pop up," he said.

Van Cleave said his group has heard from several students who want the right to carry guns on campus.

Stephanie Harmon, president of the Radford University Student Government Association, said she would bring the topic up at a student senate meeting Monday before the student government took an official stance on the bill.

But she opposes it.

"It's not that I'm opposed to gun rights, it's just not necessary," she said. "It's taking an increased risk of something happening when you allow a gun in the classroom."

Staff writer Laurence Hammack contributed to this story.

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Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Gun bill gets shot down by panel

HB 1572, which would have allowed handguns on college campuses, died in subcommittee.
By Greg Esposito - 381-1675

A bill that would have given college students and employees the right to carry handguns on campus died with nary a shot being fired in the General Assembly.

House Bill 1572 didn't get through the House Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety. It died Monday in the subcommittee stage, the first of several hurdles bills must overcome before becoming laws.

The bill was proposed by Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah County, on behalf of the Virginia Citizens Defense League. Gilbert was unavailable Monday and spokesman Gary Frink would not comment on the bill's defeat other than to say the issue was dead for this General Assembly session.

Virginia Tech spokesman Larry Hincker was happy to hear the bill was defeated. "I'm sure the university community is appreciative of the General Assembly's actions because this will help parents, students, faculty and visitors feel safe on our campus."

Del. Dave Nutter, R-Christiansburg, would not comment Monday because he was not part of the subcommittee that discussed the bill.

Most universities in Virginia require students and employees, other than police, to check their guns with police or campus security upon entering campus. The legislation was designed to prohibit public universities from making "rules or regulations limiting or abridging the ability of a student who possesses a valid concealed handgun permit ... from lawfully carrying a concealed handgun."

The legislation allowed for exceptions for participants in athletic events, storage of guns in residence halls and military training programs.

Last spring a Virginia Tech student was disciplined for bringing a handgun to class, despite having a concealed handgun permit. Some gun owners questioned the university's authority, while the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police came out against the presence of guns on campus.

In June, Tech's governing board approved a violence prevention policy reiterating its ban on students or employees carrying guns and prohibiting visitors from bringing them into campus facilities.

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Stay safe, take courses, carry often. We owe it to our family, our friends, and our community. When the chips are down, all the moral high ground in the world will NOT save you.


Justin "RealFastV6"
NRA Instructor - CT Pistol Permits
ASAA Advanced Defensive Handgun - Distinguished Grad (90%+)

[ZeRo_C0oL]

I know one of the students that was killed

[Kennedy]

Sorry to hear Cool, RIP.


Video taken by a student via cell phone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALKWV9t0mYI

[Mack]

Kennedy are you actually saying that students should be a loud to carry on a college campus? Just curious....personally I think if you want to carry a gun on a college campus and the school doesn't allow you then find a new school....just my opinion.

[Kennedy]

I believe that those QUALIFIED AND MATURE ENOUGH to carry should be allowed to carry on campus. There are alot of people even older than college students who I would NEVER trust with a weapon of any sorts.

I just posted those articles to show that this atrocities could have been prevented if they passed this legislation just a year earlier to allow people to carry on campus.....ironic.

[Lucky7]

Originally Posted by Kennedy

I believe that those QUALIFIED AND MATURE ENOUGH to carry should be allowed to carry on campus. There are alot of people even older than college students who I would NEVER trust with a weapon of any sorts.

I just posted those articles to show that this atrocities could have been prevented if they passed this legislation just a year earlier to allow people to carry on campus.....ironic.

The problem with that is there is no metric out there that measures how mature people are. Sure your can make sure people are qualified to carry but how do you measure maturity? Do you make any person that owns a firearm also take a psychiatric evaluation in order to carry? Also, what's to stop people that are legally able to own a firearm from walking around with it despite not having a concealed weapon license.

I'm not for gun control at all. I wish the US went the way of Switzerland but I just don't think it would work here at all.

[High_Revs_17]

I think we all know if the students were able to carry firearms the killer would've been dropped much earlier with less loss of life. The other thing that bothers me is when he was in the process of executing them why didn't they rush him and take him down. If I knew I was going to get shot I'd go out fighting, and maybe I would still get shot in the process but might have a chance to survive it. I would think after 9/11 everyone's minds would be on a different level regarding defense, but then again most of these students were only 12 years old at the time unfortunately being a victim of their own immaturity, too much book-smarts, not enough street-smarts.

[Lucky7]

Everyone wants to live but no one wants to take the first bullet. Going towards the gunfire goes against natural survival reaction.