Do guns really make us safer? The National Rifle Association has suggested that tragedies like the one at Virginia Tech could be prevented if students were allowed to carry guns on campus. They argue that guns give "good" the ability to defend against "evil."
Having lost several close friends to the shooting at Tech, including the girl I love, it is my responsibility to correct this notion. As I've struggled with Maxine's death, I have thought more about the circumstances of that massacre than the vast majority of people on this planet. I have spoken extensively with survivors and with first responders. I did not only witness the aftermath; I was part of it.
If Maxine had been carrying a gun, she would still be dead today. I learned through conversations with police that she was never even aware there was someone with a gun in the room.
A favorite talking point of those advocating guns on campus is that continuing the campus ban will attract so-called bad guys in droves. What they forget is that the shooter at VT was already on campus: he lived there. He purchased guns under a similar background check system to the one employed in Texas for issuing concealed handgun carry permits. Although his purchases were illegal, a loophole in Virginia law allowed him to slip through the system undetected. The NRA consistently opposes the closing of similar loopholes.