VIRGINIA TECH AND THE WAR ON TERRORISM

While we all grieve at the violence committed by one very unbalanced individual terrorist at Virginia Tech, many seem immunized to the very real possibility that global terrorists will do the same thing anywhere in our country. It happened on 9/11 and it will likely happen again. After the uprising by the passengers in the fourth terrorist-controlled plane over Pennsylvania, many thought Americans weren't goiong to take it any longer. The answer seems to be to go to SCHOOLS. These are allegedly gun-free zones, so the odds of a terrorist being brought down are slim. Many have rightly commented that even one officer or teacher who was armed could have drastically reduced or even eliminated the carnage. The idealism fails when tested, and this bucolic campus failed the test. These are my thoughts:

1) Students are largely isolated from the real world of risk.
2) Students are not taught that there are good people and there are bad people, only people.
3) Students are taught not make value judgments.
4) Students watch and partipate in graphic video violence, weakening their perceptions of horror.
5) Students think by disengaging the enemy, the enemy will go away. Enemies NEVER do.
6) Studnets are not taught to give their life for another. They could learn much from police and firemen who put their lives on the line daily. The Biblical injunction applies. He who tries to save his life will lose it.

We need a wake-up call - Iraq is becoming very unpopular, but why? Iraq is FILLED TO THE BRIM with a multitude of people just like the Virginia terrorist. And who can deny he WAS a true terrorist - one who spreads terror - he doesn't have to represent anyone else. Yet many Americans want to deny that these irrational hate-filled people exist and that they want to kill, kill, and kill some more. They want them to get counseling such as was recommended for the Virgina killer. They want us to lay down our arms and stop confronting them. Over thirty dead is a tragedy. Over 3,000 dead in New York on 9/11 was a tragedy. How many more tragedies do we need to simply apply common sense and stand for what is right. We must stop evil WHEREVER it is found.