I haven’t said anything about the taking of lives at Virginia Tech. It’s not because I don’t care, or because I’m incapable of crafting a response. It’s because the most eloquent possible answer to madness, sometimes, is to take some time to think.

I have seen the police blamed for a sluggish response. Video shows cops outside the building, and the sound of gunfire. They were not apparently running to anyone’s rescue at that moment. I’m reminded of Columbine. I got an e-mail yesterday that read, in pertinent part, “fucking pussy cops.” Well. I think maybe that’s right, but I’m not sure. I’ll let the survivors decide.

The university can’t be blamed for a maniac’s state of mind. It seems that a lot was done to try to help the killer deal. His writings were a cry for help, and people heard and answered that cry. He didn’t much reach for the hands that were extended. However, if I were the president of a college and two people got murdered, I would cancel classes for the day. Enough said.

There is only one person responsible for what happened. May God have mercy on his soul. What he did was evil, but this was obviously a very sick young man, not a demon. I wish he had left school and gotten some good inpatient care.

There is one unequivocal evil emerging in all of this, and that has pustulated forth after the fact, in the ignorant, reactionary, pro-gun, knuckle dragging howls of the bottom feeders of our failed evolution.

Example: One John Derbyshire of nationalreview.com. He blames the students – the ones struggling and dying in the classrooms, for their own suffering and death:

Where was the spirit of self-defense here? … why didn’t anyone rush the guy? …He had two handguns for goodness’ sake—one of them reportedly a .22.

At the very least, count the shots and jump him reloading or changing hands. Better yet, just jump him. …

… if I thought I was going to die anyway, I’d at least take a run at the guy.

Incredibly ironic. Here’s a man who advocates the possession of guns as instruments of intimidation. He’s criticizing unarmed college kids for being intimidated by guns — while they are being fired on. Can you believe the audacity of this shithead? His First Amendment rights notwithstanding, he needs to be soundly Imused, and that right quick. Before the sane among us – who have long since had the sense to put down our six-guns, remember where we stashed the tar and feathers.