KEY POINTS:
Here are earlier views:
Ian Johnson
A doctor was quoted as saying that the injured had no less than 3-4 bullet wounds each. Multiply that by 60-odd dead and wounded and that's an awful lot of bullets. The right to bear arms is controversial enough - but the right to bear arms that hold so much ammunition? Or enable such quick reloading? How can that possibly be justified?
B Spence
Firstly it is disgraceful that the American media were quick to label the accused as being a Korean National, been that he has been in the USA for 15 odd years, pointing the finger just shows how arrogant you are and does less to quell anti American sentiment. Secondly to own a gun should be a privilege to only those whom specifically need them for their workplace, and or for sport in which case for sporting shooters should have their guns locked up in gun clubs, hunters clubs and should also undergo a annual registration/licence fee to determine if the gun user is fit to use that appropriate weapon. It is at a sad cost at what has happened that the American Government needs incidents like this to happen to spawn debate.
Wayne
Everyone seems to have missed the point. No Asian immigration and this tragic incident would not have occurred.
Ian
'The Right to Bear Arms' Nearly as out of date as the Ten Commandments. Laws change to fit the times but because this is in the Constitution it will never change. When a dog bites someone laws are reviewed to see that all is being done to minimise the possibility of it happening again. When someone shoots 32 people the NRA and their supporters are the first to stand up and say 'it's not the Gun's fault' in a complete lack of respect to the families of those who have died. The fact of the matter is that if the rules governing buying a handgun in Virginia were more strict with background checks, waiting periods and the like, it would make it a lot harder for idiots to get guns. You people in here talking about your right to bear arms... at least let the blood dry before you parade your ongoing and undying right to walk around ready to murder in front of those affected.
Kelly Boyle
I think it is very shameful of you to print what Italy thinks of the shooting, being as American as Apple Pie. It is outrageous! We have 300 million people here and 8900 deaths from firearms, equals about .000029 per cent. Not everyone here owns a gun, actually about 60 million do. We do not think this crime as casual, like apple pie. We are heartbroken that someone would be so uncaring in his ways to take others lives. Do you even know why we believe in the right to own a gun? Do you know our history? What about country's that are communistic and just take people off the streets and do away with them, just because they disagree with their government? Not everything is easy to understand, but you should have compassion for others in their moments of sorrow and grief at the least, instead you make light of the situation with your quotes.
Bob
Again the gun lobby tells use that if the other students were armed to protect themselves that less lives would be lost. But arming everyone is a recipe for disaster. In the US how many lives have been lost when access to a gun has made an argument a gun-death? Years ago TIME magazine ran a cover story which investigated every gun death in one 24-hour period across the U.S.A., and on that particular day around 78 people died, the vast majority were domestic arguments, not shooting bad guys. The truth is that those who advocate carrying weapons live in constant fear of a supremely rare event, such as the tragedy at Virginia Tech. What kind of society exists when trust is replaced by fear, violence and retribution? Ironically if the gun lobby argument was applied to global scale, the argument would be that all nations, ethic groups, political movements should have nukes for 'self-protection'. Whether another student would have gunned down the shooter impossible to determine. However I don't think 20 other shooters trying to get the bad guy in the confusion of what might end up as a gun-battle is too smart. Who of the 20 is the bad guy? How would anyone know whether there isn't more than one bad guy? Who do you shoot?
Incidentally I enjoy shooting and have used handguns both in NZ and the US a secure pistol club ranges. But I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would want to carry one in public.
Robert Sinclair
Like many who woke up to the terrible news yesterday, my first reaction was - well there ya go, easy access to guns equals this sort of out come i.e. Virginia Tech massacre. But on reflection I think the argument is a little more subtle. I am beginning to believe that the American lawmakers are taking the easy road here. George Bush said this morning that the victims were in the "wrong place at the wrong time". Excuse me - what utter crap. He is lowering this shocking event to the level of an accident. They were in the right place at the right time - just going about their business of getting an education. If the US staunchly defends their citizens right to carry arms, then why can't students and the public expect to be protected from the loonies that can get easy access to these weapons. Surely this is the price ($), the government must pay to allow this right to easily access guns. To continue on and not provide security for those not toting guns is criminal. People should be searched and screened before entering these establishments. "It will cost the earth" you may say but I say this is the price to pay for supporting the gun laws. But then maybe the US government are prepared to carry this risk. Maybe they have measured the risk and believe that occasionally some innocent people will be in the "wrong place at the wrong time". We are truly blessed to be born and live here - in NZ.
M Rickards
As a NZer living in America for 17 years ,I was very disturbed by the hatred expressed in the E mails. I have spent more time in NZ the last 2 years then America due to family illness so am qualified to have an opinion. Stop saying Americans behave in this way or that. Define an American; Me and my South African husband? the Brazilian, Spanish, Korean, Italian, Persian, Russian, Turkish women I work with? This is a shocking event but in a country of over 300 million people, it is not inconceivable that there would be someone so disturbed to take such action. Think numbers. Let me remind you of a certain shooting in Tasmania, not that long ago. My youngest daughter graduates from college next month, She has friends at Virginia Tech. How dare you say that these bright young beautiful people deserved this because of Americas sick society.Let me make one point, do your selves a favour and forget about America and all its so called ills. I never understood New Zealands obsession with what happens here. Why do you care? Concern yourself a little more with what China and India are currently doing. More in your neighbourhood. Is it sour grapes? Does it bother you that 90 per cent of Americans never give NZ. a thought? The state I live in has more people for goodness sake. The Americans I know are just ordinary decent people, living their lives the best way they can. N.Z has some very serious issues of its own to attend to. And you all know what they are, not the least is an extremely high young male suicide rate. No lack of troubled youth there. I read NZ newspapers constantly and am always disturbed how the press and public relish any negative happening here. People usually put someone else down to make themselves feel better.I guess thats all that is really happening. Interestingly enough in NZ I can read more rubbish about Paris Hilton, Brad and Angelina etc etc,seems a little odd to me, a country obsessed with someone elses culture.
Paul
Dont ya hear all the time "it's people, not guns that perpetrate crime" why don't Australian Universities get shot up or Varsities in England, France, Ireland etc etc. blah, blah 'cos they don't have ...guns... If you Yanks need to defend yourselves so bloody much why don't you take up boxing, or martial arts or knife throwing or even midget throwing. The US constitution is simply too old, some of its philosophy is relevant some of it isn't. The US needs to "Pimp my Constitution."
Gareth Grey
After reading much of the views it would appear the finger is either blamed at American culture, the freedoms to hold a gun and/or the effects from playing too many video nasties. I feel the problem lies with the ways we all live our lives across all boundaries and cultures where we strive above all else for material gain. We seem to forget there is more to life than this. This causes such a tunnel vision approach. The effects of this is well documented when people give little to their fellow person say at Christmas when we fight for the Toy of the Year for ungrateful brats without any spirit of the season. We all need to stand back and say no to a PlayStation, no to the latest car and get back to basics looking after the important things like peoples feelings. If we do some of this then perhaps this gunman might have been spotted earlier seeking professional assistance and/or cared for by his community. It will be interesting to hear from his friends at Virginia Tech whether his sentiment was spotted - if not he was obviously held at arms length??
Peter
No sympathy for America, just the families of the individual victims. If you will not outlaw handguns that can be so easily hidden about your person, then you deserve all you get. Re the people who quote ' the right to bear arms ', does that include nuclear arms?, and if not, where are you drawing the line?
Antony
No one else is to blame other than the gunman! End of story.
Mschuess
Natarajan S. wrote: "It was a shock to me to know those many people were killed by the lack of gun control in USA." Last time I checked, Cho Seng-Hui killed 32 people including himself. Gun laws (or lack thereof) didn't kill anyone.
Paul Nash
I am puzzled that the English Professor thought Cho Seung-Hui's little script was so strange tha t he needed counselling nor why Smoking Gun website called it a "bizarre play". It looks like its just a potted version of Shakespeares Hamlet. The Western Worlds view of the place of violence in its culture is not just an American aberration - it is widespread, deep-seated and taught to all its children from an early age. Why is everybody so blind to this?
Selwyn
I have been teaching English for 7 years in Korea and by large, most Koreans that I know are friendly. However and because of their beliefs, I do believe that a lot of them have difficulty in knowing who they are. This is because of their protective up-bringing and their in-ability to think for themselves, and to socialise with others. They are taught to hate the Japanese and Americans and are always blaming everyone else for their problems, especially foreigners. They are very self-rightous, and if you ask any average Korean about prostitution, unwed mothers and gays, they will tell you that those things don't exist in Korea etc. They are very racist, even unto their own! The student who was responsible for the latest killings, Cho seung-hui showed that it was obvious he was full of hate and was hell bent in seeking "utu." No doubt, I suspect there will be revenge attacks on Koreans and anyone who appears to be Asian.
Jenny
Enough with all the blaming. I'm shocked at level of finger-pointing that I see on this "Your Views." Finger-pointing is exactly what drives people like this to commit these types of crimes. It's quite comfortable to blame society, guns, lack of community, not having friends etc etc etc- for irresponsible actions. If people took more responsibility for themselves and their problems and didn't justify them by blaming them on everything they don't like about the world, then tragedies like this wouldn't happen. I went through the US school system, was different and geeky, got teased and cried a lot, that's life. Life isn't easy, nor should it be. Dealing with our difficulties makes us stronger. It would be nice to see a little bit of sympathy for the innocent students who were killed by this person who used finger-pointing as an excuse to massacre. There is never an excuse for making the decision to kill people, so let's stop justifying him and his actions. Instead of just repeating the tired old "America is rotten" argument, which is always safe from a distance, why not feel a little sympathy for the students, who probably weren't that different from students at NZ Universities, who became this troubled person's victims. There is never any excuse for senseless violence against any people in any country for any reason.
KT
If you have been to America and not just seen LA, Las Vegas or NYC, you'll know that most Americans are no different than the typical New Zealander. As an American living in NZ you get the daily commment from the bitter Kiwi who thinks they were left behind. I could elaborate on the fact that people from Remuera, Ponsonby and Parnell get the same comments you spouted from your mouth from fellow New Zealanders down south. Enacting gun control laws has been a bipartisan issue for a long, long time. I suggest if you have a solution on US Domestic Policy, first tell me what good you have done in NZ on your own domestic policy. Would love to see how much you know about your own government. Or is it like most kiwis...they just don't care.
Guy
A comment made about the Virginia Tech shooting "About as American pie" sums it up in a nutshell.
Don
A real tragedy. I notice the typical foreign reactions about violent Americans; apparently the shooter was South Korean, and English major, an in the USA on an education visa. Since it is legal to own weapons, not just hand guns, in the United States, it would seem absurd to create weapons free zones that only the law abiding adhere to, that can't possibly be policed and secured and remain weapons free from the psychological idiot or the political terrorist, creating helpless sheep for the slaughter. Good gun control is the skill to put six rounds in the bulls eye at ten feet, or the idiot trying to kill you.
Dee
Just after hearing what happened is really sad, but confusing thing though is to come up with "who to blame" theory, I find it disgusting to even think of "who to blame" when peoples lives has been taken..how about a bit of respect!? Wars, poverty, murder, rape, racism..now randomly gun shots at universities? This world aint perfect and it is about time people should wake up and see what this world has turned out to be. No- one is perfect and neither is every country.
Dina
The messages here don't seem to reflect that this student was a South Korean, not an American. He had a residence visa and was studying at Virginia Tech.
Kiwi Lisa
The United States is indeed a most dangerous place to be in, because of its sick and incomprehensible gun laws. So, what just happened at Virginia Tech has happened many times before and is certainly bound to happen again and again and again. Until some sane person in the US manages to convince its citizens that it's wrong for private people to own guns. In actual fact, it was safer to be a US soldier in Vietnam than walk the streets of the USA. Little over 50,000 US soldiers died during the approx 12 years the Vietnam War was going. But in the US some 26,000 people are murdered each and every year by other US citizens with handheld weapons. And they are not even at war with each other, officially, that is. Another sad factor of all the killings by handheld weapons in the USA is the National Riffle Association (NRA), led by extreme right-wing, Charlton Heston. Heston abruptly claims that not guns kill people but people do. So, if that's the case just keep the weapons out of reach from people. Thank goodness that we don't have the same insane cowboy mentality in New Zealand or we'd see daily killings in Queen Street or Lambton Quay and up and down the length and breadth of Kiwi shores. However, sadly so all that the US authorities and its citizens are likely to do after the sad and totally unnecessary Virginia Tech killings is to sit down and wait for the next tearful killing spree. And, believe me, it's bound to happen any day soon again in the US.
Lance
This is a sad event in whichever light you look at it. Gun law does help and that is a fact you make it harder for people to get guns and you simply wont get the amount of deaths by guns as the USA has .Nz'rs dont carry guns. It is illegal to carry a gun in public it is not in America , we have to sit a test to get licence to get a gun licence ,these are all things that help prevent violence by firearms .The USA is a society built on being scared everybody carries a gun of fear of each other , easy access of guns and licences make it easier for gun violence in the USA. Canada has more guns per person than the USA yet it doesnt have the same problem. It all comes down to society and the values. It's a fact USA is made up of a society of fear Its a push from every angle. To those who say there is to many America haters, well USA is it own worse enemy . Why is it that people need to carry a gun it's in defence from the other person that has a gun , take the gun from the question and you have your answer.
David
I am a dual US/NZ citizen and I currently live in Seattle Washington. I attend the University of Washington, and I am also a daily carrier of a pistol. In most states in the US you can legally obtain a concealed pistol permit as an extension of the civil liberties that we hold. I abhor gun violence, but I am very well prepared to resist any attempt that is made on my life or the lives of those around me. I believe that self defence is an inalienable right of any person on this Earth and that it is not exclusive to a military of police force. Murders in the US are a problem that I have no solution for, but I offer a thought concerning gun control or gun bans. In the past 100 years the number of people murdered by other citizens pales in comparison to the number killed by governments, and almost exclusively these were unarmed populaces. The cost of banning guns is too high when you consider the possibility of tyranny and oppression in the future. Governments should fear their people, and people should never be forced to entrust their lives and freedom to a government. We live in a civilized society, but how short is our collective memory that we can't conceive having to fight for freedom in the future? Trade not your essential freedoms for temporary safety.
Dean
Everyone has the right to bear arms. This right shouldnt be lost cause of a one incident.
Natarajan.S
It was a shock to me to know those many people were killed by the lack of gun control in USA. The political system is created to relieving the fears of citizens. Your editorial rightly pointed out that fear is the reason for use of guns. There will always be x number of depressed people and accusers of civilized Society, wanting to express their disgust and anger in public. If the usage of gun is not strictly controlled, it becomes top weapon for them in their expression rather than words and other democratic means. US Government acted immediately thinking weapons of mass destruction were in Iraq. What will it do if they found guns in the hands of Citizens is a weapon of mass destruction at their backyard? Previously debates, and political campaigns followed without much action. Your editorial points out that the National Rifle Association will argue as always that people, not guns, are the problem, and that a disarmed population cannot be "free". So far successive Governments bought those ideas. At least with this scale of murders in one incident,now, Hey America, wake up to peaceful living, shed your fears and create an atmosphere to make your citizens gun-free, and follow it to your international relations too.
Toastsixoh
This tragedy has turned into an excuse for people from around the world to express their anti-American sentiments. How many of you have actually been to the United States? How many of you have seen a gun in the hand of an American? Your ignorance is nothing but a perfect display of the hypocrisy. I am an American. The only guns I have ever seen in my life are either carried by law enforcement or the hunting rifles my father in law uses to hunt pheasant. Perhaps you need to be reevaluating your own assumptions. The reason why incidents such as this make the news is because of the rarity at which they happen.
Sarah Kieran
That's easy - Cho Seung-Hui is to blame.
Ben
Such idiocy. This is not the result of lax gun control, this was enabled by gun control. It is illegal to carry a gun on the Virginia Tech campus. If some of the students had been carrying, they could have put and end to it quickly. Even the knowledge that there would likely be some people carrying would have been a powerful deterrent. When you disarm law-abiding citizens, then the only people left with the guns are the cops and the criminals.
Jackie
I'm amazed at how the gunman was able to purchase his weapon over the counter paying some 500 bucks through a credit card! It didn't occur to me just how easy it is to obtain a gun in Virginia like that! In that kind of system, guns are bound to fall into the wrong hands! Of course it's fair to put the blame on the gunman as obviously he had some severe mental issues which is out of anyone's control, but it shouldn't have been that easy for him to get a gun! It's ridiculous.
Ure Kismet
You gotta laugh at the Virginian who dropped by to tell us he she didn't support the imperial wars her country had been engaged in. Therefore we can't blame the slaughter at school on Americans or American culture. That this event wasn't payback in it's most basic form of violence begetting violence. Because she doesn't like it the fact her country has murdered over 600,000 Iraqis in four years, 80,000 Afghanis and the new one Somalia where the US Air Force supported Ethiopian mercenaries by bombing anything which moved and the body count hasn't been totted up yet, it's not her fault. This from a culture that spent 50 years saying "Why didn't ordinary Germans do something anything to stop the murder of Jews, gypsies and mad people?". The fact is that America has gotten into this hole of violence at home and abroad precisely because the ruling elite has convinced them that all they have to do is tick a box once every couple of years. Oh or pull a lever and not only will it all be jake, they'll be committing a good deed, an act of democracy. Participatory democracy requires a good deal more than that I'm afraid but no one wants to make the sacrifice that standing up to the sleek and shiny corporate killers requires. Consequently the gun companies use a front called the NRA to bribe and intimidate their elected officials and the people stand around complaining but do nothing to stop it. Oil companies and a few crooks portraying themselves as zionists do the same to keep America killing people in the Mid East and the same happens. The one is directly related to the other and until Americans stand up and take their country back these 'unfortunate incidents' storms in a teacup really when you consider the tragedy that is Iraq, will continue to recur.
Emmeline
This is such a sad thing to have happened whether it was in the USA or anywhere. My heart goes out to everyone that has a connection there. I'm unsure that it is true that he is been branded being Korean and thats the reason. That he is not an American I do think it is rude that he was branded a Korean alien as said in the Herald video clips that is just rude! There is no 1 country that consists of a certain race anymore and it's best realised that that is what makes of our world now different races. The laws of guns should be harder no matter what. Only able to buy 1 gun a month what a load of crock! Thats only a start tho and it better late than never hah!! There are too many things in life now that could be the reason or could of been the fix but the main thing was his state of mind that place in his head that made him snap!! Their is to much violence in this world that has been made into games we buy to play and that we live around in every day life it's ourselves that make the choice to change or to live those lives. It is just sad that there are hundreds of people that have now been affected of this with no choice! Gun rules need to be harder but people are right then all that does is make a blackmarket for them so when and will it ever be harder to get one! To all the family and friends, be strong, Kia Kaha.All the ones that have lost their lives R.I.P What a sad sad thing to have happened.
Nigel
I am a Kiwi who has lived in America for the last 25 years. I do not own a gun here - but in NZ I had several. To coin a phrase I hear here often "It's not guns that kill people, it's people who kill people". NZ has a certain amount of gun control (no hand guns etc) but that does not stop people from being murdered by guns there. Japan has some of the most stringent gun controls in the world, but yesterday the mayor of Nagasaki was shot dead. I do agree thats it's pretty absurd that you can own AK47's here but this guy in Virginia used only hand guns so that doesn't count. There are a lot of shootings here that you don't hear about in NZ, but these are usually done by gang-bangers who would be able to get guns even if they were illegal here. The fact that here are over 300,000,000 people here means that there are more crazy people here who will always find a way to kill if they want to - gun control or not. Luckily my kids have always played sports video games rather than the violent ones, but with the number of kids here who do play violent games it is surprising this kind of massacre doesn't happen here more often - if you are to believe those that blame all violent crime on video games.
Andrew in Dunedin
I think the best response to such a tragedy is to be introspective instead of taking the easy road and criticising Americans. NZ has also had its own multiple murderers (anyone remember Aramoana?). Just banning guns doesn't solve the problem of alienation and hostility towards society that some people build up. What really amazes me is that the outrageous number of guns easily available in the United States doesn't make such events happen much more often. The reason the Virginia Tech mass murders (or the Amish school shooting last year, or Columbine) make the news world-wide is because they are novel. People blowing themselves up in an Iraq market becomes less newsworthy because it happens all the time. The news has to be about something that grabs people's attention and makes them want to read about it. The media present this kind of news because they want ratings.
Apatha Singhular
Just a few interesting facts. The gunman had the word Ismail AX written on his arm. If you read the plays that the gunman had written one was called 'Mr Brownstone' which is a name of a Gun'n'Roses song. Also the fact that Axle Rose (lead singer of Guns'n'roses was molested by his father and stepfather and the stark similarities between the gunmans wikipedia review and Axle Rose shows that this was his idol. Also axle rose was a voice over on the game grand theft auto (the game that you go on shoot em up rampages) is a little weird. Anyway just a view.
Ed from the US
I was sadden to read: "America leads the world in stupidity, and gets the society it deserves!" You are talking about 33 people killed for a no better reason than they went to class and tried to better themselves.
I too love free speech and this dope has the right to say what ever he wants but so do I. This is the same type of Hate the USA crap we get all the time, stupid people think they now better than others when the US but the issue is about 33 young people killed by a loser who as its final act of a coward it took its own life rather than facing the punishment and responsibility for its actions. It is pathetic that all the we hate America countries complain and blame my country for everything that can think of but who do everyone call for help the US and who gets yelled at and complained about if that free aid is a little slow in coming the US.Again very sadden to think in such a "perfect country" you still have stupid people.
Andrew Roberston
As tragic as this is and the huge loss to so many families we have to consider what could really have been done to prevent this. Guns are guns it is people who shoot them that cause the problems. The US society fights for it rights to arm oneself against all foes, so until that changes then you cannot blame gun laws. They are the laws because of the democratic rights of the people who live there. After living in the USA I know what there solution will be to this problem - armed guards at all Universities. They fight violence with violence - or the threat of it. There would be thousands of people who one could term at risk, mentally unstable etc but how many would crack and do this? Sadly this is just what happens when someone does crack and they have easy access to firearms.
Laura
Hurt people, hurt people. Ultimately it was the shooters decision to go on this awful rampage - but can you imagine the lack of hope, the helplessness the despair this person had to have felt to follow through on that decision? No one reached out to this young man, no one showed him any love.. so in a sense it is ALL of our responsibility. We truly need to change how we live our lives so that no one is in that state to cause so much tragedy.
Markus
Can't be all bad, few less idiot Americans - what's all the fuss about! That's what you get if you let every man and his dog have a gun from the age of twelve - no sympathy sorry. get hard, that's what you get. It'll happen again and probably worse unless you look carefully at the freedoms you allow and accept in your social community. Probably more people died in Iraq today, more people died on US roads, good time to face reality if you feel cut up about this particular event! :)
Michael McGehan
I was unsurprised to see the plethora of messages on here regarding the issue of gun laws in America and once again its the same old line 'take the gun out of the equation and you wont get any killings'. When are people going to wake up to the fact that this will not make any difference? After the 9/11 attacks on the WTC buildings did anyone seek to ban aeroplanes due to the fact that terrorists could learn to use them to fly them into more buildings, no I think not. Should we start banning knives, cars, and petrol that can be used in Molotov cocktails as well just in case, no because there will always be something. After travelling the world and seeing that in a large number of countries it is far easier to buy weapons than in the US, take Asia or parts of the Middle East, etc, how many mass killings do you hear about in these countries? Thats right you don't because it is not happening there with even laxer gun laws.Its time people woke up and smelt the coffee over these issues and dealt with the social problems which have lead to such a tragic event and stop blaming inanimate objects who dont have minds of their own.
Colin
The person to blame for the killings is the shooter. His mind snapped for whatever reason. What the US really needs to be asking is why his mind snapped and what they can do to prevent it from happening again. Having guns far less available would certainly help. To those who think that having all of the people armed would have prevented this. What do you really think would have happened when several hundred untrained people decided to pull their gun to defend themselves? I personally think the death toll from such chaos would have been much higher. Having gun control laws do help but it needs to be universal control and not just gun free zones surrounded by everybody and their dog carrying guns.
Andrew
Guns should be outlawed in the USA, except for where they are truly needed. Yes, a lot of people will kick and squeal and say they have a right to have a gun; but the USA, as a nation, also has the right to prohib