Post mortem on the Virginia massacre

Up until 1975 there used to be something called the "House Un-American Activities Committee", a title that tended to occasion mirth this side of the pond.

I'm trying to imagine how it would have dealt with Cho-Seung Hui.

Possibly as follows ?

Committee chairman: According to this indictment before me, Mr.Hui, you have been harassing and frightening your fellow students, writing violent and disturbing essays, been considered suicidal to the extent that you were referred for psychiatric evaluation and counselling. What can you say that will persuade this Committee that your continuing presence is conducive to the interests and welfare of this great nation of ours ?

Cho-Seung Hui: Mr.Chairman, I have lived in this great nation of yours for 15 years now, and for most of that time have nurtured a single ambition that lies at the heart of the American Dream.

Last week I drove a few blocks from where I live and entered what for me was truly an Aladdin's Cave. It was a firearms store, where I purchased my very first weapon, a Glock, none of your cheap stuff, for which I have been saving for many, many months. Allow me please to describe to you the capabilities of this weapon ....

Chairman: Sorry, but I shall have to interrupt you there, Mr.Hui. Well I'll be darned, just whose idea was it to file a complaint on this fine young man ?

Mr. Hui, or Cho-Seung if I may address you as such, I can only apologise profusely on behalf of this Committee that such a fine specimen of American manhood as yourself should find himself arraigned before us today. The system has failed you grievously, Mr.Hui, and America must hang its head in shame. Case dismissed ! God bless you, Mr.Hui. God bless America. Oh, before you go, what kind of Glock was it? Did you get a good price ?


ed: the above was submitted to Daniel Hannan's blog on the Telegraph, and went up about 2 minutes later !

Update 12:00 midday:

Returned from an errand to find the following from the increasingly unpleasant "James N."


Colin - Laughing at Death

Colin Berry demonstrates above just how much amusement he's getting out of this story. He should be ashamed of himself.

James N. at 19 Apr 2007 08:26

Replied with the following:


"No, I'm not laughing at death, James N., and it is characteristic of your moral humbug that you should suggest as much.

There is sadly nothing we can do now for the 32 dead or their grieving friends and relatives. But until America sees sense on gun control, then these atrocities will continue, and I will not be intimidated by you or anyone else into maintaining silent vigils for the dead, when for all we know, there are other disturbed individuals walking into US gun shops right now, free to commit copy cat crimes.

True friendship can mean telling folk things they don't want to hear."

Update Thursday 14:24 Comment from "Maddie" (aka Boadicea of the Blogs):


They're Still Smarting

Colin Berry, who continues to exhibit the failures of British society, using a deranged murderer to further his dislike (projection?) of America. Maybe it's the pain of looking at their history, and seeing how far they have fallen, or maybe it's the pain of looking at their future and seeing what is coming. With their tiny island, gloomy skies, and lost sovereignty, they look at the great and vast land of America and think, "if only those Yanks hadn't whipped our a**". Instead, they've been relegated to an insignificant, goodie-bag taking, yob-cultured, Eeeewwwer.It would be sad,...if it wasn't so damn funny.

Maddie at 19 Apr 2007 10:39

My reply:

"You're so right, Maddie. It is damn funny - I refer to your last comment. In fact, it's hilarious in the extreme. It seems that we have touched a raw nerve somewhere under that carapace of yours.

Is it because chickens aplenty are coming home to roost on America's failure to introduce a few commonsense gun controls ?

It must be really tough for you right now, watching reality wreck that American dream - based on the idea that your New World can get away with doing/not doing things that would be considered madness in our boring Old World.

But please accept one thing. I'm not interested in trading insults or debating points, and never have been.

What's at issue right now is the perception abroad of American society, which reflects more broadly on Western society in general. It's to do with your approach to the prime function of government, namely the protection of public safety.

How many more Virginia Techs are you prepared to tolerate before you take the simple steps necessary to stop loonies from slaughtering your children ?"

Update: Thursday 14:30 This comments has just appeared from "Karen" :


If he's not rotting in hell...

"then what is hell for other than to hold those like him? Colin, Phil, and others can twitter on and on about "how can Americans not ban guns" but you can't ban EVIL. This guy was hell bent on evil. I suppose that cocaine is illegal in the UK and "banned" - would the gun grabbers here claim that cocaine isn't available? If they can't get a drug free island, how do they thing all illegal guns will be kept out of the country too. It's your country to do as you wish....but personally I'm not buying the fairytale that you can grab guns and not have crime rates go UP.I suppose it's beyond comprehension of Phil et al that the campus was supposed to be a "gun free" zone. Yeah...that sure helped, didn't it?Toby IS right about: "Or maybe universities fear getting sued for kicking people out?"Until the ACLU came along you could get people committed a more easily."
Karen at 19 Apr 2007 11:52

My reply: Title: Don't say we didn't try


"It's not about "crime rate going up", Karen. It's about indiscriminate slaughter, aka multiple killings, aka massacres, aka shooting sprees, such as Hungerford and Dunblane here in the UK, and Texas, Columbine and now Virginia Tech in your country.

If you and your compatriots refuse to grasp that simple distinction, then all I can say is "God help you", because no else can, despite our trying."

Update: Thurday 21:40

Comment from Maddie:

They're Still Smarting

Colin Berry, who continues to exhibit the failures of British society, using a deranged murderer to further his dislike (projection?) of America. Maybe it's the pain of looking at their history, and seeing how far they have fallen, or maybe it's the pain of looking at their future and seeing what is coming. With their tiny island, gloomy skies, and lost sovereignty, they look at the great and vast land of America and think, "if only those Yanks hadn't whipped our a**". Instead, they've been relegated to an insignificant, goodie-bag taking, yob-cultured, Eeeewwwer.It would be sad,...if it wasn't so damn funny.

Maddie at 19 Apr 2007 10:39

My reply to Maddie:
Overdue reality check

"You're so right, Maddie. It is damn funny - I refer to your last comment. In fact, it's hilarious in the extreme. It seems that we have touched a raw nerve somewhere under that carapace of yours. Is it because chickens aplenty are coming home to roost on America's failure to introduce a few commonsense gun controls ? It must be really tough for you right now, watching reality wreck that American dream - based on the idea that your New World can get away with doing/not doing things that would be considered madness in our boring Old World.But please accept one thing. I'm not interested in trading insults or debating points, and never have been. What's at issue right now is the perception abroad of American society, which reflects more broadly on Western society in general. It's to do with your approach to the prime function of government, namely the protection of public safety. How many more Virginia Techs are you prepared to tolerate before you take the simple steps necessary to stop loonies from slaughtering your children ?"

Colin Berry at 19 Apr 2007 13:02

Second comment from James N.
Moral Humbug?

"Colin Berry - Look, I've taken your side in the past during your spats with Bill Taylor, but look at what you wrote on this board. You made some sort of bizarre joke about the House Un-American Activities Committee, which is an utter non-sequitur, adds nothing to your argument, and is strong evidence that you're just having a jolly time of it on these boards.
em>
Your purpose here is clearly amusement, and nothing more. I really don't know what's set you off these past few days (you're usually more sensible) but you're making bizarre posts that serve no purpose but to offend. You've obviously said your piece...I think it's time to move on now."

James N. at 19 Apr 2007 18:31

My reply to James N:

Steady on...

"Maybe what "set me off", as you put it James N., is the obscenity of what happened at Virginia Tech, coupled with the certain knowledge that it will happen again and again, until the US takes steps to prevent these lethal weapons falling into the wrong hands. And, in case you missed it, the humour in my Un-American Activities skit was black. If it elicited any smiles, they would have been grim.

Final word of well-intentioned advice, James: try to be less personal with your remarks. The blog is supposed to be a free-market in opinions, not a bear pit."

Colin Berry at 19 Apr 2007 20:18


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