Tragedy at Virginia Tech

I had court hearing out of town today, so I spent a few hours on the road, listening to the news on the radio about the shootings at Virginia Tech. Here are a few observations, some of which are likely to be offensive to liberals and gun-grabbers. Tough.

But, before I start to give offense, I do want to offer, at least spiritually, my consolation and condolences to everyone affected by this horrible event. Violence of this kind is so distructive, not just in terms of the lives ended prematurely, but in terms of fear, trauma, anguish, and loss inflicted upon the families, friends, and the entire community in which this tragedy occurred. My prayers are quite literally with you.

Now, to my likely offensive observations:

1. The media are total, ignorant, ninnies when it comes to firearms. I listened (and watched on TV this morning) as reporters described with wide eyes and breathless voices how this evil Glock (this is an Austrian firearms manufacturer, for the gun-illiterate) machine of death could be used to fire in a (gasp) SEMI-AUTOMATIC mode as many as eight rounds in just a few seconds, and then reloaded in just a few seconds, and then fired again, which is how this benighted (murdering) soul was able to kill so many people in so little time. Well, gang, I hate to break it to you, but he could have done the same thing with a revolver and a handful of speed-loaders. Until a few weeks ago, I carried a revolver (legally--I have a concealed weapons permit) everwhere I went, along with a couple of devices called "speed loaders" which let you reload by first dumping the spent cartridges from the cylinder of the revolver and then just popping six more rounds into the cylinder with a single motion. The ability to fire rapidly and reload quickly is not limited to the evil semi-automatic pistol. In fact, there are folks out there who can shoot twelve times in under ten seconds with a revolver, including reloading.

The semi-automatic pistol is not some new, devilish technology that has recently sprung upon us and now fueling an orgy of death. Rather, this technology was pioneered in the late 1800's and reached a high level in the very early 1900's. Perhaps the finest semi-automatic pistol ever devised was adopted by the U.S. Army in 1911 (I carry one of its lineal descendants on my person at virtually all times).

Passing a law banning semi-automatic pistols will accomplish nothing, as the same carnage could be inflicted with a revolver. Banning handguns will do nothing because there are millions of handguns floating around out there and being imported, legally and illegally, every year, and someone with enough desire to kill and enough money will be able to get one. Or he can just use household chemicals to blow up a bus.

2. The response of the media and liberal lawmakers to these kinds of events is to look for ways to restrict gun ownership to take the gun out of the hands of the murderer. This is exactly the wrong response. The murderers, gang members, and lawbreakers have had and always will have the ability to lay their hands on the instruments of destruction. The effect of such laws is, rather, to disarm the innocent prospective victims and deprive them of the ability to defend themselves. Virginia Tech was, like so many campuses, a "gun free" zone, meaning that the murderer could be confident that he would not be opposed with deadly force until the official response could be mobilized.

3. We cannot count on the police to protect us from people like this man, or from home invaders, people who wish to kill us for revenge (a particular concern of mine in my business--more divorce/custody lawyers are gunned down than politicians), and random shooters. In the case of killers like the man in this case, they will kill until the police arrive, and then kill themselves, or until they are killed. In other situations, the police typically arrive after the victims are already dead or dying. We can count on the police to tape off the area, gather evidence, take statements, and identify the bodies. If we are actually going to be protected and defended, we are going to have to do so ourselves. No matter how fast the police move, it will take minutes: 3, 5, 10, who knows how many. When one of my clients called me at the office to say that her ex had broken into her house, taken all the family papers and all the money from the safe, punched her in the face, and was going to come back to get more stuff and beat her up if she got in the way again, I got to her house (along with my friends, Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson) and had time to drink half of a coke before the deputies arrived.

4. We never hear of stories such as: "Insane Attacker Kills Dozens at Gun Show" or "Murderer Rampages Through Police Convention" or, historically "Massacre at Longbranch Saloon in Dodge City in 1885" because any such attacker would be met with dozens of armed people who would kill him almost immediately. Murdering gunmen pick their targets--places where their victims are disarmed or, at least, unarmed, so that they can be confident of being able to kill without armed opposition until the police arrive. Remember what happened when the James-Younger gang tried to rob the bank in Northfield, Minnesota? The armed citizenry shot back, and drove the robbers out of town with a hail of bullets.

When you disarm a whole college campus or virtually an entire state (such as Massachusetts and California--in California if you want to keep a handgun in your home, you must keep it unloaded, in a locked container separate from any ammunition, so if your home is invaded, you have to unlock your gun, get your ammo, load your gun, and then defend your home, by which time you are already shot five times and the gang dudes are raping your wife), you create a wolf's playground filled with nothing but sheep for the taking, where a criminal can do whatever he wants free of the fear of being opposed by any one other than law enforcement, who will take several minutes to arrive, no matter how fast, efficient, and prepared they are.

5. A single faculty member or student with a concealed carry permit and actually carrying his or her firearm could have saved dozens of lives in this case. Statistically, absent the campus "no weapons" policy, one could have expected there to be someone in that building carrying legally or within shouting distance. But, my understanding is that this campus specifically elected not long ago ban weapons from campus, even when carried by people who can legally carry a concealed weapon in Virginia. While one would not want campuses to be inundated with weapons, students who meet the state's criteria for carrying a concealed weapon (I am not familiar with Virginia's rules, but in most states it involves being 21 years old, undergoing a background check, completing 8 hours of classroom instruction, passing a written examination, and passing a shooting qualification test) should be allowed to do so.

6. For what it's worth, my wife and I have made our choices. People threaten to injure or kill me several times a year. My wife's ex is an armed, abusive stalker who has told her when she divorced him that he will kill her some day. We will not rely on the police to protect our homes and our lives. My wife has her own revolver AND keeps another one that I have loaned to her within easy reach at home at all times. She practices with both guns weekly. I never go anywhere (except California, Nevada, or places where prohibited by law) without my loaded Taurus PT 1911 .45 automatic and a spare magazine. We will not be victims. I urge anyone who is emotionally, mentally, and spiritually able to do so to make a similar decision and to acquire the hardware and skill necessary to defend yourselves.

During the time between when you dial 911 and when the police arrive, which can be as long as 20 minutes even in the city, you are on your own. In those long minutes, you can defend yourself, or be a victim. The choice is yours.

Update: Former Senator Fred Thompson (I really wish he would would run for President) has posted comments similar to some of my sentiments on the ABC Radio site. You can read his opinions here (no guarantee on how long this column will remain up on the site): http://abcradio.com/article.asp?id=389928&SPID=15663