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In answer to the question, “Who killed our kids?” we were ultimately shown a photo of a psychotic — Seung-Hui Cho. But as I looked at Cho, I saw the same thing I have seen when viewing terrorists: pale, shadowy figures behind him, rank upon rank; — facilitators — those who laid the field, smoothed the path, and provided the opportunity for mass murder, those who disarmed the victims in advance of their killer’s arrival, a process akin to de-horning neutered cattle, because it makes butchering so much safer. Only one of the Virginia Tech murderers has been identified. Not only haven’t they been dealt with — they’re still in power, creating more “killing zones.”

Several people advised me not to write this column. They said by the time it reached print, it wouldn’t be “timely.” The horror of the day would have faded, and interest, much less outrage, would have waned. Some said if we — the shooting industry and armed citizens — dodged the bullet of draconian new firearms-ban laws in the immediate aftermath, then I shouldn’t stir up the embers in the ashes after the flames have died down. Considering the general public’s incredibly short memory of events like September 11, 2001, I considered those points closely. Then I began writing.

Catharsis

The reasons are few and simple: First, my condition of iced guts and flaming heart seems to be persistent — it needs treatment, perhaps purging. Second, there’s a lot of work to be done, dealing with those pale figures in the background. The killing zones must be dismantled, and their architects discredited, disbarred and deposed. Third, I’m not talking to the “general public” here — but to friends both met and unmet. I hope you’ll excuse me if I’m not “timely.”

The situation as I see it is this: Our children, friends and fellow citizens are increasingly being slaughtered (given the scene at VT and other “incident locations,” is there a more appropriate word than “slaughter”?) without either the right or the means to defend themselves. This condition has been created by legislation, regulation, policy and public perception. Those creating the laws, policies and perceptions are powerful, corrupt tyrants, psychological cripples, the emotionally unbalanced and the “cognitively challenged.”

In America and much of the world, a great deal of the decision-making power on the issues of freedom to possess and bear arms and the right to effective self-defense, is held by two kinds of people. First, those who, due to their motives, should not have this power — ever! And second, by people who are clearly unqualified on the subjects. In other places, decision-making power has mostly been taken from the people by force — force of arms. In America, it has been slowly and stealthily stolen — or simply given away, abdicated. Those more qualified were too busy, I guess, to pay attention to who wound up dealing the cards in the game of “You Bet Your Life.”

Gun-Free Fantasy

On that fateful morning, Virginia Tech was a model of political correctness. By law, policy and perception it was a “gun-free zone,” a “safe and nurturing environment for young scholars.” Virginia is one of 40 states allowing trained citizens with permits to carry concealed weapons. People of the Commonwealth routinely work, dine and watch movies in covertly armed company, and they do so more safely than the largely disarmed subjects of Chicago, New York City, San Francisco and Washington, DC. But Virginia Tech was not the state of Virginia. It was a state of delusion. And their delusion, like all delusions, collapsed under the weight of reality. It killed our kids.

There is a police contingent on VT’s campus. They did what cops are capable of doing. They took three minutes from the second alert of the day to arrive at the “killing box” building. Then it took them five minutes to enter the chained-closed structure. This time was split between entry efforts and consolidating their forces before entering. Meantime, Cho fired about 170 shots, inflicting over 100 wounds.

When Cho heard destiny knocking, he destroyed his own festering brain. Forensic examiners said there was no evidence to indicate Cho encountered any physical resistance other than that of Holocaust survivor, Israeli-American professor Liviu Librescu, who placed his body as a bullet-barrier between Cho and some students. His 76-year old body was all he had.

Not The First

Cho came to VT to do some serious killing, and he did it. Sulejmen Talovic came to Trolley Mall in Salt Lake City to do the same thing. He brought a shotgun, a pistol and a backpack full of ammunition. He planned on having lots of time. He may have thought Trolley Mall was also a gun-free zone. It wasn’t. Talovic only killed five before an armed, Kimber-carrying off-duty Ogden cop punched his ticket and ended it.
VT offers criminology classes in their sociology program. Military and Naval Sciences are taught in ROTC programs. Many undergrad and graduate students hold CCW permits. How many off-duty cops, experienced combat vets, security professionals and trained permit-holding students and faculty members were present — disarmed by policy — that day, maybe inside Norris Hall? Feel the ice forming again? The heat?

The Bill Was Killed — Then Our Kids

There had been a previous campus incident with mass-murder potential. Unarmed or disarmed students fled and hid. Eventually, police arrived. Graduate student and CCW-bearer Brad Gates articulately protested VT’s disarmament policies. University spokesman Larry Hincker ridiculed Gates snidely and viciously in the press, implying that Gates is paranoid or stupid.

“Guns don’t belong in classrooms,” Hincker sniffed. “They never will. Virginia Tech has a very sound policy preventing same.”

Later, a bill was introduced in Virginia’s legislature which would allow permit holders to carry concealed on campus. VT and Hincker lobbied against it. The bill was killed — and then, our kids. One of them could have been Gates.

Hincker congratulated Virginia’s General Assembly for killing the bill, writing, “… this will help parents, students, faculty and visitors feel safe on campus.” Gun-banning policies are all about feeling safe — not being safe.

And there lies the heart of it. The corrupt would disarm you because powerful people prefer unarmed peasants — it has always been so. Then there are those who would disarm you because, due to emotional or cognitive defect, they do not understand the dynamics or psychology of violence and counter-violence. Neither sort are qualified to decide your fate. Yet they do. They’re still killing our kids.

Larry Hincker is only one of those pale figures standing behind Seung-Hui Cho. So many pale wraiths, so much to do and say — and I’m out of space and word-count. But not out of rage.