Who is to blame for Seung-Hui Cho’s killing spree?

Clearly the question on everyone’s mind. Why would a former mental patient with a history of stalking go on a killing spree? Personally, I blame the ‘Joooooos’, but I’m old-fashioned that way.

Others are more predictable.

The Red Chinese say it was guns. And if you agree with them, then you support the occupation of Tibet, you don’t support the occupation of Tibet do you? Personally, I do, but I hate the Dalai Lama…

Virginia shooting has triggered worldwide criticism of U.S. gun-control laws…, with politicians and media unanimously insisting that access to weapons increases the probability of shootings.

Some say it was gun control. See my posting below on that.

Olbermann blames Bush, and Olbermann is ‘an honourable man’.

At least one of the weapons used by the shooter is believed, as we said, to be a nine millimeter semi-automatic pistol […] with a clip designed to hold more than 10 shots. Clips like those were banned under the Assault Weapons Law of 1994, but Congress and President Bush allowed that law to expire more than two years ago.

Others think it’s Hollywood.

But Pilgrims? Really?

“With human and ethical consideration that denounces such bloody violence, one can only remember the United States itself had been established on the remains and blood of its original inhabitants.”

Then again, maybe it was drugs.

Right thinking people know it was really Al Qaeda.

Only the wrong-headed deny North Korea’s hand in this.

This guy blames ‘authorita’ and the lack of respect for it.

This guy blames ‘authorita’, specifically an English teacher.

Those secular humanists over there, where were they when the bullets were flying?

Then again, it just feels right that it should be muslims. Especially when they act like this:

According to Aafaq, the dean of student affairs at American International University, Abu Hamza Hijji, responded, writing that Allah the Most Merciful forbids praying for mercy for the non-Muslim dead, or even for the non-Muslim living, and that it is only permitted to pray that they be rightly guided [DS: convert to Islam]. He added that what happened was a sad occurrence, but that does not give Muslims the right to transgress the laws of Allah the Most Merciful.

My favourite wild conspiracy theory is here.

But as I said above, I blame the Joooooos.

N.B. I don’t really blame the Jews.  But I bet this guy does.

Slate magazine comes out in favour of bomb control

It’s about damned time really. But wait, I know what you’re saying – it’s not ammonium nitrate that kills people, it’s people who kill people. But take away the ammonium nitrate and all he’ll be left with is a gun and you can’t kill nearly as many people with a gun. From the article:

Do you know how many people got blown up in Baghdad on Wednesday? More than 170. A single bomb killed 140 of them. This happened at the same market where a bomb had killed more than 125 people two months ago. That’s four times the body count at Virginia Tech, in a flash…Do you know what happened in Baghdad after today’s bombing? According to the New York Times, “As rescuers thronged the site, a sniper opened fire on the crowd, killing at least one person and wounding two others.” A single fatality. I feel awful for that victim. I feel even worse for the other 139.

Good point, actually. He goes on to say that automatic weapons and high-capacity clips/magazines are part of the bomb world because they have the same effect as a bomb. When I think about it – if I were to go loco and start killing people, I’d do a lot more damage with a sharp axe than with a hunting rifle – you don’t need to reload an axe or chamber the bullet or what have you.

The rest of the Slate article is here.