Did Virginia Tech respond too slowly to safety threats on campus and thus miss an opportunity to avoid the tragic shooting spree?

That’s the indictment from the US Department of Education preliminary review released recently according to the Washington Post (story here)

I say one student with a handgun would do a much better job of stopping the coward, Seung Hui Cho’s deadly shooting spree.  Do people really believe bureaucracy and more regulation will somehow magically protect us (or our children) better?

Would you put your life in the hands of the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles?) No?  Why?  Because bureaucracies are more concerned with bureaucratic processes and not about thinking and responding in an intelligent manner.

As a matter of fact, bureaucrats by definition, are not allowed to stray outside their rules and regulations.  So, if the scenario or situation is not covered by the massive binder no one has read, then you’re SOL – you’re out of luck.

Now, imagine Seung Hui Cho walking into that same classroom at Virginia Tech brandishing a handgun BUT several students have handguns.  What would happen?

First, I’d argue there’s a good chance Mr. Cho would not even have attempted such a cowardly act.  But if he was foolish enough, within seconds of showing his handgun, several responsible and vigilant students would have eliminated the threat.  Just ask the students at Virginia Tech today who are trying to get the ‘right’ to proect themselves.

So, while all this talk about laws and bureaucratic solutions to a human problem continue, think, has this law or process done anything to empower the potential victims in the future?  Or has it just created more paperwork and expanded the C.Y.A. nature of bureaucracies?