Foreign Policy has the headline: What do the Virginia Tech slayings say about South Koreans?
I’ll tell you what it says: don’t write stupid blog posts.
What a stupid headline. FP might conclude that there isn’t a question in relation to South Korean students, but the whole question shouldn’t have been put in the first place, and certainly the arguments that there’s something wrong with South Koreans shouldn’t have seen the light of day, full stop.
For starters, the chap is suppose to have been in the US for over 12-13 years, since he was a child. Secondly, just because there was a massacre in 82 in South Korea doesn’t mark an entire nation of people as nuts.
If you want to draw any sort of thing from this whole thing, its that US gun laws are stupid, that the proliferation of gun ownership in the United States makes these sorts of things more likely to happen in. That’s the logical conclusion.
I’ll reprint Crikey’s subscriber email from yesterday, judge as you may, I’m right of centre politically, maybe more libertarian than conservative, but when it comes to guns I don’t like them, and I don’t believe every man and his dog should have one:
Virginia state gun laws. Frequently asked questions:
Is a permit required to purchase rifles, handguns and shotguns? No.
Is registration required for rifles, handguns and shotguns? No.
Is licensing required for the owners of rifles, handguns and shotguns? No.
Do you need a permit to carry rifles and shotguns? No.
Is a permit required to carry a handgun? A permit is required only if the weapon is concealed.
Is there a one-handgun-per-month limit on gun sales? Yes
Are there limitations on assault weapons and magazines? No
May police limit the carrying of concealed handguns? No
Must child-safe locking devices be sold with guns? No
Are background checks required at gun shows? No
Are minors restricted from possessing guns? In part
Is a licence/permit required to buy handguns? No
Are all guns registered with law enforcement? No
Is safety training required for handgun buyers? No
Is it illegal for holders of concealed-weapon permits to carry guns into schools? Yes
