This is inauspicious timing for Obama, and represents an unforced error by Democratic ideologues. Concealed carry laws have been a huge success. But Amanda Carpenter noticed that Barack Obama is not interested in results, he’s interested in keeping his liberal base happy:

Obama’s tough talk on gun control may be prompted by Philadelphia-based Democratic leaders who are pressuring Clinton and Obama to adopt harder stances on gun control. This issue is expected to come up in ABC News’ Democratic debate on April 16 in Philadelphia. 32 people were shot to death on the campus of Virginia Tech by Seung-Hui Cho April 16, 2007.

Obama’s new hardline liberal position differs from his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and GOP candidate John McCain, who both are for concealed-carry.

Here’s his explanation to a Pittsburgh paper yesterday:

Rather than create a national registry, “I do think we have to do a better job sharing information between local and federal officials,” Obama said yesterday. He differs with McCain and Clinton about whether people should be allowed to carry concealed guns. Clinton and McCain oppose outlawing it.

“I am not in favor of concealed weapons,” Obama said. “I think that creates a potential atmosphere where more innocent people could (get shot during) altercations.”

Don’t get too excited, friends, because there’s some stuff a little farther down that article about McCain. Among them:

That time he spent out of step with the nation’s gun lobby concerns Stolfer, 53, of South Fayette, who said McCain’s campaign finance reform bill nearly banned the group he leads, Firearm Owners Against Crime, from advertising in political campaigns.

“He’s got some things to account for,” said Stolfer, a firearms instructor and former Marine. “We’ve tried to contact the campaign, and they’ve basically said, ‘Don’t call us. We’ll call you.’ ”

This sounds like a good opportunity for McCain to pick up the phone and reassure conservatives it’s worth showing up in November.

________________

P.S. It’s one of many odd and inconsistent things you have to believe as a doctrinaire leftist these days:

A: The police are evil, racist, and fascist, but
B: Individuals cannot be trusted to protect themselves, either.

P.P.S. Amanda and Captain Ed will be on CNN at 8:00 PM Eastern. I hope this comes up!

Then there’s the fact that Oklahoma’s Attorney General, Drew Edmondson, is going about his job with an Eliot Spitzer-like dedication. Not the hooker thing, I mean, but the thin-skinned touchiness thing and the throwing his weight around gracelessly thing. When Paul Jacob, a Townhall.com columnist, went into Oklahoma to agitate for term limits, Edmondson (Democrat, of course) indicted him under an obscure and unequally-enforced statute. Jacob and his fellow petitioners face up to ten years in the pokey, for…political organizing!

So: those are lame. But my Okie friend, Ol’ Shootin’ Buddy, sends along some good news: the Oklahoma House of Representatives passed a law yesterday that ought to allow more trained, qualified Oklahomans to respond quickly to school shootings with force:

Today, Thursday, March 13, by a bipartisan vote of 65-36, the Oklahoma House of Representatives passed an amended version of House Bill 2513, authored by State Representative Jason Murphey (R-31).

HB2513 will now allow for military veterans who possess a valid concealed carry permit to lawfully carry a concealed handgun on Oklahoma’s public college and university campuses.

Sounds like a plan. I think faculty and graduate students should have that right as well, but this is a step in the right direction. The bill now goes to the State Senate. Here’s a link to the State Senators’ contact information. (Tell them where you heard about it!)

P.S. Thumbnail picture, which really has nothing to do with this post other than involving guns and Oklahoma, adapted from these German bloggers who came through Oklahoma City this fall. I blurred out ol’ Rex’s phone number a bit.

Today has been designated “Hokie Hope” day in honor of the VTech victims.

Bells are ringing at noon across the country to remember. Americans are wearing orange and maroon to show solidarity with the VTech campus.

Here’s a running list of memorial services for the students and professors killed on Monday.
PJM Tel Aviv editor Allison Kaplan Sommer reports from the funeral service for Professor Liviu Librescu.

A plea from Peter Read, father of one of the VTech massacre’s victims, Mary Read, to stop broadcasting the VTech killer’s videos, manifesto, and photos:

“I want to issue a direct personal plea, to all the major media,” he told The Associated Press. “For the love of God and our children, stop broadcasting those images and those words. Choose to focus on life and the love and the light that our children brought into the world and not on the darkness and the madness and the death.”

Click for profiles:

_ Ross Abdallah Alameddine, 20, of Saugus, Mass., according to his mother, Lynnette Alameddine.

_ Christopher James Bishop, 35, according to Darmstadt University of Technology in Germany, where he helped run an exchange program.

_ Brian Bluhm, 25, a civil engineering graduate student, according to an announcement by the Detroit Tigers and friends. He had previously lived in Iowa, Detroit and Louisville, Ky.

_ Ryan Clark, 22, of Martinez, Ga., biology and English major, according to Columbia County Coroner Vernon Collins.

_ Austin Cloyd, an international studies major from Blacksburg, Va., according to Terry Harter, senior pastor at First United Methodist Church in Champaign, Ill., where Cloyd and her family lived before moving to Blacksburg.

_ Jocelyne Couture-Nowak, a French instructor, according to her husband, Jerzy Nowak, the head of the horticulture department at Virginia Tech.

_ Daniel Perez Cueva, 21, killed in his French class, according to his mother, Betty Cueva, of Peru.

_ Kevin Granata, age unknown, engineering science and mechanics professor, according to Ishwar K. Puri, the head of the engineering science and mechanics department.

_ Matthew G. Gwaltney, 24, of Chester, Va., a graduate student in civil and environmental engineering, according to his father and stepmother, Greg and Linda Gwaltney.

_ Caitlin Hammaren, 19, of Westtown, N.Y., a sophomore majoring in international studies and French, according to Minisink Valley, N.Y., school officials who spoke with Hammaren’s family.

_ Jeremy Herbstritt, 27, of Bellefonte, Pa., according to Penn State University, his alma mater and his father’s employer.

_ Rachael Hill, 18, of Glen Allen, Va., according to her father, Guy Hill.

_ Emily Jane Hilscher, a 19-year-old freshman from Woodville, according to Rappahannock County Administrator John W. McCarthy, a family friend.

_ Jarrett L. Lane, 22, of Narrows, Va., according to Riffe’s Funeral Service Inc. in Narrows, Va.

_ Matthew J. La Porte, 20, a sophomore from Dumont, N.J., according to Dumont Police Chief Brian Venezio.

_ Henry J. Lee, also known as Henh Ly, 20, a first-year student majoring in computer engineering from Roanoke, Va., according to Oakey’s Funeral Service in Roanoke.

_ Liviu Librescu, 76, engineering science and mathematics lecturer, according to Puri.

_ G.V. Loganathan, 51, civil and environmental engineering professor, according to his brother G.V. Palanivel.

_ Partahi Lombantoruan, 34, of Indonesia, civil engineering doctoral student, according to Kristiarto Legowo, a spokesman for the foreign ministry.

_ Lauren McCain, 20, of Hampton, Va., international studies major, according to a statement from the family.

_ Daniel O’Neil, 22, of Rhode Island, according to close friend Steve Craveiro and according to Eric Cardenas of Connecticut College, where O’Neil’s father, Bill, is director of major gifts.

_ Juan Ramon Ortiz, a 26-year-old graduate student in engineering from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, according to his wife, Liselle Vega Cortes.

_ Minal Panchal, 26, a first-year building-science student from Mumbai, India, according to foreign ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna.

_ Erin Peterson, 18, of Chantilly, Va., an international studies major, according to her father, Grafton Peterson.

_ Michael Pohle, 23, of Flemington, N.J., according to officials at his high school, Hunterdon Central High.

_ Julia Pryde, age unknown, a graduate student from Middletown, N.J., according to Virginia Tech professor Saied Mostaghimi, chairman of the biological systems and engineering department.

_ Mary Karen Read, 19, of Annandale, Va. according to her aunt, Karen Kuppinger, of Rochester, N.Y.

_ Reema J. Samaha, 18, a freshman from Centreville, Va., according to her family.

_ Waleed Mohammed Shaalan, of Zagazig, Egypt, a doctoral student in civil engineering, according to the university.

_ Leslie Sherman, a sophomore history and international studies student from Springfield, Va., according to her grandmother Gerry Adams.

_ Maxine Turner, 22, a senior majoring in chemical engineering from Vienna, Va., according to her father, Paul Turner.

_ Nicole White, 20, a junior majoring in international studies from Smithfield, Va., according to a family statement released by the Suffolk, Va., Police Department.

R.I.P.

Related: Fallen students to be awarded posthumous degrees

Related: Official memorial fund

Previous today: Backlash against NBC

***update: TVNewser reports…NBC has announced it will limit usage of the Cho maniac videos to 10 Percent Of NBC airtime…

Mark Finkelstein notes that angry VTech family members canceled appearances on the Today show over the network’s airing of the killer’s videos.

Byron York notes the hypocrisy of some NBC critics.

Brian Williams via NYT:

In an interview last night on MSNBC, Mr. Williams said NBC had been concerned about the sensitivities of broadcasting as much of the material as it did.

“This was a sick business tonight, going on the air with this,” he said.

A source who works as a Special Justice in Virginia e-mailed me today:

The relevant statutes are at Title 37.2 of the Virginia Code…

…As he was NOT involuntary hospitalized, the following report was not required to be made:

37.2-819. Order of involuntary admission forwarded to CCRE; firearm background check.

The clerk shall certify and forward forthwith to the Central Criminal Records Exchange, on a form provided by the Exchange, a copy of any order for involuntary admission to a facility. The copy of the form and the order shall be kept confidential in a separate file and used only to determine a person’s eligibility to possess, purchase, or transfer a firearm.

Yes, if he had been “committed” he may never have been able to purchase a firearm.

Without more facts, I am not second guessing the decision of the Special Justice. Perhaps the code should be amended to require the report to be filed upon the finding of iminent danger to self or others, not just involuntary hospitalization.

Dr. Helen notes that the decision to release him is all too common:

There is very little liability in this country when it comes to releasing the mentally ill back into the community or not taking dangerousness seriously. I once was doing an evaluation of a man who told me he was going to kill himself years ago. I called the local mental health center and they told me to “drive the guy over in my car.” The level of stupidity and incompetence in the area of mental health is staggering.

Clayton Cramer observes a swinging pedulum.

Bryan Preston notes ATF Form 4473, Question 11f.

***

The Associated Press has decided to hound the VTech maniac’s sister. Why? Is there evidence that she knew of his plans or was aware of his murderous tendencies? No. The AP doesn’t report that. Instead, the entire article focuses on her employment in the Bush State Department. And this is relevant how?

Too.

Ridiculous.

Reader Doug in Colorado writes:

Unbelievable. If there were any consistency, they would be lauding the fact that he made great strides in bringing greater diversity to the ranks of mass murderers, a segment in which the Asian-American community has been historically under-represented.

Yep.

***

A Virginia blogger mourns Ryan Clark, a friend killed yesterday in the rampage.

Allah links to the Daily Mail, which ID’s the woman killed in the first shooting as Emily Hilscher, “who lived on the fourth floor of Ambler Johnston dormitory next door to the RA, Clark. Clark was also killed in the first shooting. They’re speculating that Cho was either involved with her or stalking her.”

Josh Claybourn wonders: What kind of debate is appropriate?

Jim Hoft has a running photo memorial of the victims.

Professor Liviu Librescu: Holocaust survivor and hero, RIP.

This horrific event also left the University of Iowa campus in shock, disbelief and grief.”

WQAD in Iowa remembers.

***

Chicago Sun-Times reports, based on a single anonymous source, that the gunman may have been a “Chinese man who arrived in the United States last year on a student visa. The 24-year-old man arrived in San Francisco on United Airlines on Aug. 7 on a visa issued in Shanghai, the source said.”

Meantime, Chinese media report: “No Chinese students found among victims in U.S. campus shootings.”

He’s not the shooter.

Here’s his LiveJournal page. And his Facebook page.

He’s gloating about making the Drudge Report. Lovely.

Update….He adds:

The purpose of this post was not to gloat, but rather show the sheer ridiculousness of how bad communication can affect one’s credibility. (Read: Duke case) For those claiming that this was a elaborate hoax, my journal has been around since 2001 with over 3500 posts over these past 6 years. Once again, I offer my condolences to all those at Virginia Tech. Go Hokies.

Gateway Pundit has more.

***
Previous:

Blame-the-guns bias watch
Carnage at Virginia Tech; Readers point to campus ban on self-defense; More video, plus student e-mail

Latest:

Like clockwork: NYTimes wants more gun control
Flashback: 1991 University of Iowa shooting

All the latest. (Update: Cell-phone video added, Bush video, more eyewitness reports, and questions about campus management of the crisis)

Virginia bloggers tracking the story here.

Audio of Virginia Tech President Charles Steger’s comments here.

Reader Brian writes:

I am a Virginia Tech alumni and have been following the VT shootings on my blog. Something not covered by the press yet is how far apart on campus the two shootings took place. As far as I am aware, there was no
effort to close school or warn students. The students (and the killer) would have had to cross campus with a shooter on the loose. I have a campus map of the area and commentary on my blog showing how far a distance the killer would have had to traverse.

Andrew’s Dad, noting a recent editorial from Va. Tech’s university relations vice president arguing against allowing students to carry in self-defense on campus, blogs:

Just imagine if students were armed. We no longer need to imag[in]e what will happen when they are not armed.

PJM round-up here.

Reader Kevin e-mails: “Imagine if sensible CCW laws allowed people to defend themselves, this tragedy could have been avoided.” He points to this story from last January:

Gun Bill Gets Shot Down by Panel

Jan. 31, 2006

HB 1572, which would have allowed handguns on college campuses, died in subcommittee.

A bill that would have given college students and employees the right to carry handguns on campus died with nary a shot being fired in the General Assembly.

House Bill 1572 didn’t get through the House Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety. It died Monday in the subcommittee stage, the first of several hurdles bills must overcome before becoming laws.

The bill was proposed by Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah County, on behalf of the Virginia Citizens Defense League. Gilbert was unavailable Monday and spokesman Gary Frink would not comment on the bill’s defeat other than to say the issue was dead for this General Assembly session.

Virginia Tech spokesman Larry Hincker was happy to hear the bill was defeated. “I’m sure the university community is appreciative of the General Assembly’s actions because this will help parents, students, faculty and visitors feel safe on our campus.”

Del. Dave Nutter, R-Christiansburg, would not comment Monday because he was not part of the subcommittee that discussed the bill.

Most universities in Virginia require students and employees, other than police, to check their guns with police or campus security upon entering campus. The legislation was designed to prohibit public universities from making “rules or regulations limiting or abridging the ability of a student who possesses a valid concealed handgun permit … from lawfully carrying a concealed handgun.”

The legislation allowed for exceptions for participants in athletic events, storage of guns in residence halls and military training programs.

Last spring a Virginia Tech student was disciplined for bringing a handgun to class, despite having a concealed handgun permit. Some gun owners questioned the university’s authority, while the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police came out against the presence of guns on campus.

In June, Tech’s governing board approved a violence prevention policy reiterating its ban on students or employees carrying guns and prohibiting visitors from bringing them into campus facilities.

Flashback: Lessons from the Appalachian Law School shooting.

***

Update:

A student e-mails…

Dear Michelle,

I was in Norris Hall today when the shootings took place. I thought I’d give you my account in case you wanted more information.

It was just a regular day in class; the door was open and we heard a pop-pop-popping noise. Sounded like some kind of construction but it was getting disruptive so we went to close the door, and one of the girls stepped out in the hallway to see what it was. She saw the gun and ran back inside the room and slammed the door shut and we all got down on the floor.

We heard pretty much continuous shooting for the next minute or so, and I said, “Shouldn’t we barricade the door,” because we were sitting ducks with no way out inside that room if he opened the door. A couple more people floated the idea that “We need to barricade the door, NOW.” But I was too scared to even move, much less move the teacher’s desk.

Finally one of the guys in the front of the classroom was brave enough to get up and move the desk in front of the door to prevent outside entry. About twenty seconds later, the shooter rattled the doorknob trying to get in. When he couldn’t get in he fired two shots through the door (single solid piece of wood) and left. We heard him go in to 206 (the room across the hall) and shoot the people in that room. If we hadn’t put the barricade up when we did, I and all my classmates would be dead.

When the police arrived five minutes later we heard them call for him to surrender his weapon and some more, irregular shots. Another five minutes later the police knocked and yelled “Police!” and we yelled “How do we know?” and when a second voice confirmed that it was in fact police, we opened the door. An officer came in and told us to line up single file, take nothing with us (I grabbed my coat) and run out the door single file while another officer escorted us.

We entered the hallway. Blood, bullet casings, and empty pistol clips were everywhere; this was definitely the most horrifying sight of my entire life. We ran past quickly. A door to the stairwell had been opened and there was a massive trail of blood; we found out later that a class had tried to escape only to find that the monster had chained the doors shut before starting his rampage. They were all killed.

We all ran to a nearby building and stayed there until we could be processed, and that was the end of it. Thank you all for your concerns and prayers, but please mostly pray for those who were seriously injured or hurt today.

Also, let me say that the response from the campus, local, and state police was exemplary. Within five minutes of the first shots, police were gathering outside. In another ten minutes, the threat had been neutralized and the building was secure. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to the brave men and women who kept us safe today.

–Jacob Simmons
junior, Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech

Rick at Brutally Honest reprints an IM exchange with a VaTech student.

Via Dan Riehl: At “The Lounge” — a Virginia Tech bulletin board — complaints about the press and more.