Compounding a Tragedy: Anti-gunners dance in VT massacre victim's blood

By Gerard Valentino

The one year anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre was celebrated across the United States by the anti-gun crowd. Yes, they chose to celebrate, and it’s telling to see protesters using the death of 32 innocent people for political gain by planning “Lie-ins to Protest Easy Gun.”

Nobody should be surprised that the anti-gun left is capable of inconsiderate actions since in the aftermath of the murders they seemed to take joy at the chance to exploit a spree killing for their own gain.

Their joy was short lived however, since the media and politicians quickly downplayed any increase in restrictive gun laws. It was the first time a spree killing perpetrated with a gun didn’t lead to deafening calls for more gun-control by the establishment media. One year later, the anti-gun schemers are again compounding the Virginia Tech tragedy by using it to push their misguided political agenda.

For years the pro-gun community has reminded the establishment media that the anti-gun movement was built on emotion based arguments. The demonstrations that took place on college campuses on the anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre are a perfect example of the anti-gun groups using emotion, instead of logic, to make their case.

The basis of the protest was having 32 people lay down for three minutes, the time they claim it took the deranged killer to buy the guns he used in the killings. As usual, they have their facts wrong since Virginia has a one gun per month law. So, the protesters would have to “lie-in” for at least 31 days. The truth, in this case, was an inconvenience to them. Which is something they should be used to since they rarely have the truth or facts on their side.

Since most of the pro-gun community refused to take part in demonstrations on the anniversary of a national tragedy, word never got out that the anti-gunners had it all wrong.

Even counter protesting at the demonstrations seemed to be exploiting the untimely death of some American’s best and brightest for political gain. It was an easy decision for the pro-gun community to simply turn the other cheek in this case.

Such feelings didn’t stop the anti-gun movement, however, and the establishment media went right along for the ride. A sad turn of events that should further prove the anti-gun movement will do or say anything to achieve their misguided goal of total gun confiscation.

Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, a grassroots organization with over 25,000 members, is planning an open holster protest to help achieve their goal of concealed carry being allowed on college campuses. But in consideration for the families of the people killed at Virginia Tech they refused to do it on the anniversary of the murders. Even the college students attached to the pro-gun community have enough sense to not play politics on such a solemn occasion. The administration at Virginia Tech also deserves credit for not letting anti-gun organizations hold a demonstration on campus.

The anniversary of such a horrific event should be left to celebrate the life of the victims and mourn for the lost without being encumbered by groups willing to use a tragedy to promote their cause. To say the anti-gun movement’s action on April 16th were despicable is an understatement. Their “lie-ins” were not representative of the victims at Virginia Tech and instead were sad reminders that the anti-gun schemers will do absolutely anything to push their false hope of total gun confiscation.

Everyone involved in politics should clearly see that there seems to be people among us who will lower the debate to such a disgusting and logic defying level. That isn’t the case on the pro-gun side of the equation. In keeping with the belief of the pro-gun movement that life is sacred, most pro-gun groups simply stayed out of the limelight. Doing so didn’t benefit their side since the message reported by the establishment media was largely based on the ravings of the anti-gun leadership.

Their shrill cries about how easy it is to buy a gun in America should not be the message people take away from the one year anniversary of such a tragic event. The debate over gun-control can wait a day so the people damaged by the actions of a mentally ill murderer could mourn.

Nobody has a right to subvert their grieving process. That is exactly what the anti-gun gang did by planning their “lie-in” protests for a day when the dead should be commemorated. By inserting their political agenda into what should be a time of mourning the anti-gun left stooped to a new low.

As usual, just when you think they can’t get any worse, they do.

Virginia Tech was in the process of healing and tried to do so in a way of their choosing. That means it was beneath contempt to have misguided political operatives insert themselves into lives already torn apart by a madman.

The inconsiderate actions of the anti-gun left are worthy of scorn, and what is worse their blind hatred of guns probably means they don’t even realize the error of their ways.

Gerard Valentino is the Buckeye Firearms Association Central Ohio Chair, writes for the ValentinoChronicle.com and teaches the Ohio concealed carry class through CenterMass LTD.