Virginia Tech students working to prevent violence and promote peace
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Virginia Tech students working to prevent violence...
Virginia Tech students for non-violence and the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention held a screening for the documentary titledThe issues of gun-violence and the dangers of firearms hit close to home for Lori Haas and Andrew Goddard.
Their children were injured in the Virginia Tech shootings.
“It came out of nowhere,“ said Goddard. “One day we were talking to him and two days later we were sitting next to his hospital bed.“
“We have lax gun laws,“ said Haas. “We need background checks.“
They, along with dozens of others, gathered at Virginia Tech inside of the Haymarket Theater in the Squires Student Center to watch the documentary titled “If I Only Had a Gun.“
It was produced by ABC 20/20.
It looked at the issues of gun violence in America, especially on college campuses and the “so-called gun show loophole”. It’s something Omar Samaha put to the test.
His sister, Reema, was killed in the April 16, 2007 shootings.
In the documentary, Omar bought ten guns in one hour without showing his identification. “I just walked in, gave people cash for guns and walked out,“ said Samaha. “It’s one of the easiest things I’ve ever done…like buying a candy bar.“
Virginia Tech Students for Non-Violence and The Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention hosted the screening of the documentary. They hope it will make people think…“more about the dangers of owning a hand gun and the dangers of other people owning handguns,“ said member John Welch.
“From personal conversations with the survivors…not a single one of them thinks they could have done anything had they been armed,“ said Haas.
Samaha added “It’s about preventing that situation from occuring in the first place. It’s not about having a gun and pulling it out…it’s about preventing someone from having to carry a gun to class at all.“
Meanwhile, members of the Virginia Citizens Defense League peacefully protested the event.
They handed out stickers to about half a dozen people in the audience that read “Guns Save Lives.“
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They handed out stickers to about half a dozen people.
Who made that up? There were FAR more than 1/2 dozen.The press bending more facts.
PS - nobody on the panel suggested “banning all guns.“ That was pretty clear if you were actually there.
The panel was wonderful, and gamely, patiently, and graciously fielded the same question over and over and over.
Of the 90-odd attendees brought in by the students for concealed carry, how many were actually students, or even from Blacksburg? It looked like only a handful, most were older out-of-towners. Also, how many of the “VT students for concealed carry” club are actually VT students? Again, it looked like a pretty small percentage.
I wish everyone would understand that criminals do NOT have to go to stores or gun shows to get their guns. I have worked in the criminal system. Most of them buy them off the street or get them from someone else. The gun has changed so many hands at that point of the game. Taking guns away from law abiding citizens will NOT make the killings go away. They will and do find ways to get guns. Guns will NEVER COMPLETELY DISAPPEAR! However, if people who believe that by banning all guns then the only ones to gain any ground will be the criminals. Oh an I am a professional and I own a gun. I also have a concealment permit. So I have abided by the law to own my gun. With my concealment permit I have had a background check.
I have to inject my experience here… I love guns, will always have them, but I must say, that when I bought one at a gun show it WAS as easy as buying a candy bar. I walked up to a private dealer, no ID, no questions asked and handed him cash for a gun and walked away with it. It took about 10 seconds. I agree with background checks I hope you all do, too. But the shooter in this case didn’t get his gun from a gun show, AND he would’ve passed a background check. So, that’s not the issue, the issue here is that a mentally ill person was court ordered to receive counseling and somehow slipped through the cracks.
In this day and age, I think it’s easy for someone to be biased against guns and think that everyone agrees, and that’s just simply not the truth. Honest, hard working Americans want their guns, be it for protection, sport, or collecting. The hard part is convincing “the mainstream” that gun lovers aren’t crazy.
In amendment to my last post, the comment to Ken should have read “I commend you and HIGHLY respect what you do.“ Not HOGHLY. It is early and aparently my proof-reading is not at its peak at 7AM. I apologize to Ken.
I have to say to “Ken”, “PWRose”, and “Grape”...WAY TO GO! It is rare that I find others with whom I share the same views.
Ken, I respect that you are a police officer and that you believe that guns don’t kill people, irresponsible criminals with guns kill people. While very sad yet true, that is still NO reason to take away from the rest of us our only means of protection. I commend you and HOGHLY respect what you do. Please keep up the good work and THANK YOU for what you do!!
PW Rose, THANK YOU!! I would like to offer up the same challenge to WSLS or ANY other media outlet. SHOW US what you report so that your stories are at the very LEAST a bit easier to swallow. Leave out the emotion and the same pictures you have shown of April 16, 2007 a MILLION times and give us something other than a sad parent holding a candle or teddybears and hokie stones. That is not to say that we don’t feel for the families who lose loved ones every day nor that we want to forget what happened. What it does say is that if there is such a call to action over gun ownership and the ease with which criminals can get their hands on a gun, show us how it works. Show us proof that you know these facts. Don’t just say you heard it from someone who heard it from a 20-20 shockumentary.
Grape…I don’t know how they got from 100 to 1/2 dozen but I think 94 is quite a significant number don’t you? If these are the calculations of channel 10 I think they need to hire a math tutor. I wish I could get my hands on about 100 or more of those sitckers myself. I would be SURE to get every one of them out to people I know (sweet_tater_28@hotmail.com if you happen to know someone who can help out with that).
Also, to answer your question, I would MUCH rather have a gun than a direct line to 911, for myself or anyone in my family. I have had to call 911 before, I was put on hold…BEFORE I was asked what my emergency was! What do you do in that case? “Don’t shoot yet Mr. Gunman, I’m on hold with 911.“
Many people, especially those who are calling for stricter gun control, don’t understand that by making it more difficult for a person to own or purchase a firearm we would be doing nothing but limiting and, in some cases, completely removing the ability of law-abiding citizens to protect themselves. Yes, it may make it slightly more difficult for a criminal to get his/her hands on a gun but not impossible. What is a criminal? A person who BREAKS the LAW correct? How then will we stop CRIMINALS from accessing firearms by creating more laws? Afterall, it isnt their access to the guns that place people in danger, it is their will to use them to do harm.
Declaring that “GUNS KILL PEOPLE” is like declaring that alcohol causes accidents or that cars kill people. NO!! The idiots who drink and then drive cause accidents and the nut-jobs behind the wheel DRIVING the car kill others. When are we going to quit putting the cart before the horse and realize that?
For those of you who still refuse to see, one thing is for certain, you can rest assured that while you are at home in your bed the big bad gun you DON’T have is probably nestled snug (and loaded) in the pocket of the criminal hiding in the bushes behind your house. Oh, and by the way…the number is 9-1-1….sleep well.
Having a weapon has it advantages and disadvantages. First, I would make sure I have a conceal weapon’s permit from the circuit court judge.And second, if I were to use that weapon, I would make sure beyond a reasonable doubt that I was defending myself, legally.
It is too late after you pull the trigger because you cannot reach out and take the bullet back.
A lot of individuals in society should not be allowed to have weapons. It is too much killing going on now. In the last week or two fifteen people have been killed in Virginia, Flordia, and Illinois.
I stopped a drunk driver one night and requested his operator’s license. Instead he stuck a pistol in my face. Thank God for the excellent training I received in police school. That and God help save my life that night.
So that proves you will never know who you will meet coming down the street or road. Look what happened to those to Tech students. They drove up and got killed by someone who has no repect for other members of society.
Yes, guns in the wrong hands are very dangerous, that is the person is very dangerous not the gun. People kills not guns.
I just listened to your broadcast that quoted some Bozo saying buying guns was as easy as buying candy bars.
I challenge that. Show me some PROOF.
I challenge you that you quoted someone without substantiated evidence of the fact. I want proof of his claim. Either you show us proof of this person’s testimony, or, fess up and say this is all HEARSAY.
I am sick-and-tired of the propaganda that you, and other stations, use to distort the truth.
I am extremely weary of the innuendos that all the mainstream ‘journalists’ use to shape the minds of men.
You seem to think you are so clever. You seem to think the ‘great unwashed’ won’t know what you are doing.
Maybe you are so brain-washed, YOU don’t know what you are doing.
Are you Journalists, or are you just puppets?
I challenge YOU to be true to your vocation.
If you are indeed a Journalist, then you need to be OBJECTIVE.
If you are, indeed, an agent of the regime that wants to destroy America, keep up what you’re doing.
If you are a true Journalist, then just report the news, not distort the news.
BTW, I’m passing on my rant to all my friends, and hope they pass this on to all their friends, etcetera, etcetera, ....
Why is it that simply reporting the facts is so difficult? Only passed out 1/2 dozen Guns Save Lives stickers? Really? Shame on you for demonstrating your bias. Can you spell 100?
When faced with an active shooter, which would you want to have in your son/daughter’s hand - an effective tool for self-defense or a direct connection to 911? No argument, no debate - just a simple one or the other.
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