In the aftermath of a tragedy such as the Virginia Tech massacre, it is inevitable that politics will come into play.
People all over the nation are touched by this event. Many lives are affected, and many views will ultimately change.
Many views may also stay the same.
The shootings at Virginia Tech have been used as a political “hook” to get the country to focus on the bigger issue at hand.
The bigger issue in this case is gun control and what to do about it.
The two main views on the issue of gun control and the Virginia Tech massacre boil down to this:
“If everyone had a gun, the Virginia Tech shooting wouldn’t have happened,” vs. “If no one had a gun, the Virginia Tech shooting wouldn’t have happened.”
“While no amount of foresight – or legislation – could ever completely prevent a tragedy like the one Virginia Tech witnessed last Monday, more effective gun controls can at the very least make such an event more difficult to execute.
“We believe that the stricter control of firearms is imperative,” said the staff of the Harvard Crimson in an editorial released April 24.
Politicians, along with newspaper columnists, television talk-show hosts and online bloggers are all resurrecting the issue.
Students and faculty members around ETSU were polled by the East Tennessean with this question: Did the Virginia Tech shootings change your view on the issue of gun control?
Several students replied “no,” stating that their views on gun control remained rigid.
“Gun control is hittin’ what you aim at,” said senior Nick Andes, a criminal justice major. “It just goes to show that a gun-free zone is not necessarily a safe zone.”
Those who take a stance against gun control often cite that if someone else on the Virginia Tech campus had a gun they might have been able to stop Cho Seung-Hui.
Dr. Lindsey King, a professor of anthropology, responded negatively to the idea of guns being allowed on college campuses.
“I would not teach in front of a group of students who were packing,” King said.
One student also responded negatively to the idea that her peers might be allowed to carry weapons on campus.
“I would not want to sit in a classroom if I knew someone had a gun in their backpack,” said Sophomore Emily Elliot, a journalism major.
ETSU Senior Caty Kidd was disgusted with the debate altogether.
“I don’t think a tragedy like this should be made into a political affair,” Kidd said.

Author