Ronaldus Magnus speaks to Rep. McCarthy

"There are those in America today who have come to depend absolutely on government for their security. And when government fails they seek to rectify that failure in the form of granting government more power. So, as government has failed to control crime and violence with the means given it by the Constitution, they seek to give it more power at the expense of the Constitution. But in doing so, in their willingness to give up their arms in the name of safety, they are really giving up their protection from what has always been the chief source of despotism---government. Lord Acton said power corrupts. Surely then, if this is true, the more power we give the government the more corrupt it will become. And if we give it the power to confiscate our arms we also give up the ultimate means to combat that corrupt power. In doing so we can only assure that we will eventually be totally subject to it."
---Ronald Reagan

VA Tech

Before commenting on the reactions, it must be made clear that what the VA Tech gunman did was deplorable, reprehensible, and immoral. There is no justification for murder - mass or otherwise, whatever the means used.

Today's comments from the Gun Owners of America are spot-on:

It is also worthwhile to note that Virginia Tech is -- because of
deliberate policies set by its administration -- a victim disarmament
zone, where even those with a state-issued concealed carry permit are
denied their right of self-defense.

In fact, pro-gun forces just last year tried to get the Virginia
legislature to address the problem. The bill to allow permit holders
to carry on state-supported college campuses died, due in no small
part to rabid opposition from Virginia Tech itself.

VT spokesman Larry Hincker put it this way after it became obvious
that the bill would not pass: "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."

The unfortunate irony continues when one recalls that not long ago,
two students at nearby Appalachian School of Law managed to stop a
gunman at that institution. Happily, they were able to dash
off-campus to retrieve their guns from their vehicles.

If a person licensed to carry a concealed pistol were present, and had the will to stop the murderer, many lives could have been saved. That is the bottom line. It isn't gun owners and advocates for all the liberties the Constitution recognizes who have blood on their hands today, it is those who would take away any means for law-abiding citizens to defend themselves against the Cho Seung-Hui's of the world.