I was thinking that I would not comment on what happened at Virginia Tech because afterall, what could I say that hasn't been said already. Not only that, but I think it was just the day before the Virginia Tech massacre that over 180 people in Iraq were killed by bombs. So I would feel bad about writing about just 32 people unless I also had something to say about the scores or even hundreds of people who are dying every day in other parts of the world. But the following article just really bugs me:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070422/ts_alt_afp/uscrimeshootingguns_070422195959
In the article a gun nut, I mean to say, the president of the Virginia Citizen's Defense League says that what happened at Virginia Tech is "a big nail in the coffin of gun control. They had gun control on campus and it got all those people killed, because nobody could defend themselves."
So, this rather immature individual believes that if the law allowed everyone to walk around armed they could gun down people who go on shooting sprees. He and others like him would like to see the law allow anyone over 21 be able to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon for self defense.
Now, that might be true. Apparently Virginia does allow people with permits to carry concealed weapons for self-defense, but apparently they cannot do so on college campuses (and of course college students are all scrupulous about obeying campus policies - that is why you never find college students drinking if they're under 21 or doing illegal drugs). So the theory is that if all states allowed concealed weapons and if all campuses and businesses allowed it then everyone would be able to shoot the bad guys when they show up. Maybe it would work that way on some occasions. Maybe there would be fewer massacres like Virginia Tech. But what about Columbine? Should high school students arm themselves? How about grade school students? Maybe teachers should all be required to pack heat as part of their responsibility to protect their students?
I have a different point of view however. Perhaps massacres would end up simply becoming shoot outs with only a few victims instead of a few more. But in their place would be lots and lots of other shootouts between people who may qualify to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon but who otherwise don't have the mental stability or emotional maturity or self-control to not blow away a friend, family member or complete stranger in a moment of panic, outrage, roadrage, heated argument, or fit of peevishness. And with so many guns floating around in purses, handbags, brief cases, backpacks, coat pockeets, and so on (and if everyone has to defend themselves at these gun nuts argue then there will have to be guns floating around everywhere within easy reach - you never know when you'll have to defend yourself) I wonder how many more accidents will happen with children getting ahold of them? Or how many more people will successfully commit suicide with such easy means at their disposal. Would more easily available firepower make us safer? I think Jesus said it best: "Those who live by the sword will die by the sword." The same goes for guns. And it should come as no surprise that a Buddhist minister would agree with this.
Sorry to say the world is not divided into good guys and bad guys. It is made up of who are more or less sane and rational and who may or may not show the degree of their sanity and rationality. And even the sanest and most rational among us has moments of irrational blind rage and frustration. A Zen teacher, who I highly respect spoke about this last week and admitted that when he had been bullied in jr. high he fantasized about gunning down his tormentors. There are lots of people I would gladly have gunned down back when I was in high school. One bully in particular who threw my Spanish books out of a school bus window on the night I had to study for an exam. Thank god my home didn't have guns, because I would have shot him. As it was I beat him up in the hall the next day - and the teachers even gave me some time to do it before stopping us because they knew what this kid was like and what he had done. If Buddhism has taught me anything it has taught me that ALL of us have ALL ten worlds within us - and they come out in varying degrees depending on causes and conditions. Better not to have guns around when we manifest the lower worlds. The more guns around the LESS safe I feel, no matter who is packing them. There are no good guys and bad guys - there are only people who may or may not be sane and rational and even the most sane and rational may have their moments. And no permit or licensing is going to make people more sane, rational, or mature - nor can they even check for that.
It seems like the rest of the world recognizes this, but we Americans seem to have a blind spot. Here is another article:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070417/ap_on_re_us/virginia_tech_world_view_4
In that article is this important statement:
"While some focused blame only on the gunman, world opinion over U.S. gun laws was almost unanimous: Access to weapons increases the probability of shootings. There was no sympathy for the view that more guns would have saved lives by enabling students to shoot the assailant."
Well I agree with that, and I think it is a rather obvious observation. It disturbs me that in this supposedly Christian culture people so readily argue that safety requires that people have access to deadly weapons, whereas in post-Christian or non-Christian countries they seem to have realized that by prohibiting easy (or even any) access to guns, they have very minimal numbers of handgun murders.
Now here is a helpful article:
http://library.med.utah.edu/WebPath/TUTORIAL/GUNS/GUNSTAT.html
In particular I noted this paragraph:
"The issue of "home defense" or protection against intruders may well be misrepresented. Of 626 shootings in or around a residence in three U.S. cities revealed that, for every time a gun in the home was used in a self-defense or legally justifiable shooting, there were four unintentional shootings, seven criminal assaults or homicides, and 11 attempted or completed suicides (Kellermann et al, 1998). Over 50% of all households in the U.S. admit to having firearms (Nelson et al, 1987). In another study, regardless of storage practice, type of gun, or number of firearms in the home, having a gun in the home was associated with an increased risk of firearm homicide and suicide in the home (Dahlberg, Ikeda and Kresnow, 2004). Persons who own a gun and who engage in abuse of intimate partners such as a spouse are more likely to use a gun to threaten their intimate partner. (Rothman, et al) It would appear that, rather than beign used for defense, most of these weapons inflict injuries on the owners and their families."
There are of course statistics and counter-statistics on both sides. But for me it is just common sense - guns are tragedies waiting to happen. I accept that we need police and even a military. I am not necessarily looking for an all out ban on guns. But where to draw the line? In any case the laissez faire attitude that gets its way in this country strikes me as insane, irrational, and immature. And even if guns are allowed for home or self-defense, I still do not think things work out the way people imagine in their heroic daydreams. As the paragraph above indicates - for every anecdote of a heroic self-defense there are many many more tragedies.
As a parting thought I will share what the Buddha said about those who take up the Buddha Dharma:
"And how is a monk perfected in morality? Abandoning the taking of life, without stick or sword, scrupulous, compassionate, trembling for the welfare of all living beings. Thus he is established in morality."
Something tells me that is a better way to live and go through life - rather than nuturing our fears and heroic daydreams of winning a shoot-em-up to cultivate compassion and a peaceful heart. If more people did that, rather than rushing to carry concealed weapons or keeping handguns under their pillows, we would probably all be a lot safer.
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei