Yesterday, literally before the blood was cold at Virginia Tech, I heard some university official telling the press that they planned to import a phalanx of psychologists and counselors so that the "healing" could begin. Sorry, but this is unnatural. When something so monstrous happens, you need time for shock, rage, even for numbness. A decent interval is required before you can or frankly should think about "healing." The therapeutic instinct, so ingrained in our culture, feels almost indecent.

Some in the world press are feasting on this story, enjoying the opportunity to assail America's "gun culture." Such massacres, reports Italy's communist newspaper Il Manifesto, "are as American as apple pie." Much as one might wish to slug the communists on general principles, in this case they have a point.

The Embassy of South Korea issued a statement after it was reported that the shooter was a native of that country. "We are in shock beyond description. We convey deep condolences to victims, families and the American people." An embassy spokesman went on to express the hope that the murderer's identity will not "stir up racial prejudice or confrontation."

Hardly. We've spawned so many mass killers that we can't even recall their names or all the places they've struck. Columbine still resonates. But who recalls Paducah, Jonesboro, Savannah, Red Lake, Lancaster, Long Island, Killeen or Jacksonville? Those are just a few of the American communities that have suffered mass shootings in the past 20 years, often at schools. All were perpetrated by entirely homegrown fiends. In fact, it looks like we have to take "credit" for Cho Seung-Hui as well, for while the Virginia Tech killer was born in South Korea, he seems to have been in America since the age of 8.

It would be so tidy to believe that gun control or the lack thereof explains this epidemic of ravenous violence. But there are a couple of problems with the reasoning. In the first place, as a practical matter, it's impossible to imagine that we can now disarm the criminal and/or unstable people in our society. A 1994 survey (http://www.ncjrs.gov/txtfiles/165476.txt) estimated that as many as 192 million handguns are privately owned in the United States. Even if we passed a gun law confiscatory enough to satisfy the most ardent gun control advocate, only the law-abiding would comply. The black market would continue to supply the demands of criminals. But just as important, the suggestion that we restrict gun ownership does not address the matter of the conscience.

For centuries, guns have been plentiful in the United States. Young men, and often young women as well, were taught gun safety and how to shoot before they were old enough to drive cars. Yet your chances of being gunned down by a total stranger at your local school or bank or church in 1644, 1744, 1844 or 1944 were exactly nil. Yes, we had some spectacular political assassinations, but to suggest that the easy availability of guns accounts for the grim social realities we've created in the 21st century is simplistic to the point of foolishness.

No, something else is at work. Our culture has been all about disinhibition for the past generation or more. We've lost our inhibitions about sex (and we celebrate this as liberation), about eating (we've gained an average of 50 pounds over the past century, and we blame it on genes) and about violence. We marinate our children in the gory stuff starting just after the teddy bear phase.

Glorification of gun violence in particular is the mainstay of the video game world, movies, television and popular music. Pornographic images of violence, such as those in movies like "Kill Bill" and "The Matrix," are not even controversial anymore. If you protest, a thousand letter writers will point to Westerns or Shakespeare and sneer that there's nothing new under the sun.

Perhaps. But the murders in great literature and old Westerns were morality plays or character studies. The murder was an evil act. In today's entertainment, it's more like a fashion statement, and, instead of featuring one or two victims, requires a death toll of dozens or hundreds or thousands. For all of us, but especially for the borderline types, this is pure poison to the soul.

EMAIL IT PRINT IT TALK ABOUT IT Font Size: A A A Today's Opinion Today's Opinion Michelle Malkin Wanted: A culture of self-defense Ben Shapiro The Racist Press Jacob Sullum Virginia Tech's Gun-Free Zone Left Cho Seung-Hui's Victims Defenseless Walter E. Williams A Minority View: Exploiting Ignorance Kathleen Parker Curtains for the Al and Imus Show Mona Charen Poison to the Soul Megan Basham Feminism’s ‘extreme’ solution to the opt-out revolution Townhall Columnists: Adrian Dove Adrian Dove Adrian Dove Alan Reynolds Alan Sears Allison Kasic Andrew Tallman Ann Coulter Anne Yasmine Rassam Armstrong Williams Ashley Herzog Austin Bay Austin Hill Ben Shapiro Bill Lauderback Bill Murchison Bill Sali Bradley Smith Brandon Lerch Brent Bozell III Brian Fitzpatrick Bruce Bartlett Burt Prelutsky Cal Thomas Cam Edwards Carl Horowitz Carol Platt Liebau Caroline B. Glick Carrie Lukas Charles Krauthammer Charles W. Dent Chip Pickering Chris Stovall Chuck Colson Chuck DeFeo Chuck Muth Claudia Rosett Cliff May Clinton W. Taylor Colleen Carroll Campbell Congressman Jim McCrery Congressman Paul Ryan Congressman Thomas Price Craig Shirley Dana Joel Gattuso Dana Joel Gattuso Daniel Simmons and Michael Keegan David Keene David Limbaugh David Strom David Yerushalmi Dean Barnett Debra England Debra J. Saunders Dennis Prager Diana West Dick Morris and Eileen McGann Dinesh D'Souza Don Kroah Donald Lambro Doug Giles Doug Wilson Douglas MacKinnon Dr. Charles Dunn Dr. Elizabeth Kantor Dr. Paul Kengor Ed Feulner Eliot Peace Emmett Tyrrell Flagg Youngblood Floyd Brown Frank J. Gaffney, Jr. Frank Pastore Gary Aldrich Gary McCaleb George Marlin George Will Glen Lavy Gregory Koukl Harry R. Jackson, Jr. Henry Edmondson Herb London Herman Cain Horace Cooper Howard McKeon Hugh Hewitt Isaac Post J.B. Smith Jack Kemp Jacob Sullum James Bowman James J. Kilpatrick Janet M. LaRue Janice Shaw Crouse Jason Mattera Jay Sekulow Jeff Emanuel Jeff Jacoby Jennifer Biddison Jennifer Roback Morse Jerry Bowyer Jerry Newberry Joel C. Rosenberg Joel Mowbray Johannes L. Jacobse John Andrews John Ashcroft John Campbell John Cornyn John Hanlon John K. Hall John Kline John Leo John McCaslin John Noonan John Ostrowski John Shadegg John Stossel John Zmirak Jon Sanders Jonah Goldberg Jonathan Garthwaite Jonathan Medved Jonathon Burns Josue Sierra Karin Agness Kathleen Parker Kathryn Jean Lopez Katie Favazza Ken Blackwell Ken Connor Kevin McCullough La Shawn Barber Larry Elder Larry J. Sabato Lawrence Kudlow Lee S. Wishing, III Leslie Carbone Linda Chavez Lindsay Boyd Lorie Byrd Lt. Col. Scott Rutter Lyle H. Rossiter, Jr, MD Lynn O'Shaughnessy Maggie Gallagher Marjorie Dannenfelser Mark M. Alexander Mark Mix Marshall Manson Marvin Olasky Mary Grabar Mary Katharine Ham Matt Barber Matt Kibbe Matt Lewis Matt Lewis Matt Margolis & Mark Noonan Matt Towery Megan Basham Melanie Phillips Michael Franc Michael Barone Michael Fumento Michael Johnson Michael McBride Michael Medved Michael Zak Michelle Malkin Mike Bober Mike Bouchard Mike Gallagher Mike S. Adams Mona Charen Nathan Tabor Neal Boortz Nick Loris Nick Nichols Oliver North Patrick Hynes Patrick Hynes Patrick J. Buchanan Patrick K. O’Donnell Patrick Ruffini Paul Weyrich Paul Driessen Paul Greenberg Paul Jacob Peter J. Wallison Peter Wehner Phil Harris Phyllis Schlafly Rabbi Hanoch Teller Rebecca Hagelin Rich Galen Rich Lowry Rich Tucker Richard Mgrdechian Rick Amato Rick Santorum Robert Bluey Robert D. Novak Robert Knight Roger Schlesinger Ross Mackenzie Roy Blunt Ruben Navarrette Jr., Rudy Giuliani Rusty Shackleford Ryan Kruger and Mike Catalano Ryan Zempel Salena Zito Scott Garrett Star Parker Stefania Lapenna Stephen Roberts Steve Chapman Steve Forbes Suzanne Fields Taggart Romney Terence Jeffrey Thomas P. Kilgannon Thomas Sowell Tim Chandler Tim Chapman Tim Walberg Timothy Lee Todd Manzi Tom Borelli Tom DeLay Tony Blankley Tony Snow Val Prieto Victor Davis Hanson W. Thomas Smith, Jr Walter E. Williams Wayne Grudem Wayne Winegarden William F. Buckley William F. Buckley William Perry Pendley William R. Maurer William Rusher Wynton Hall The Talk About This Article The Talk About This Article Well Now TruLib 4/18/2007 Sound bytes Elisabeth 4/18/2007 Dramatic violence partsmom 4/18/2007 I was listening to Rush Peppermint 4/18/2007 PURE PAP. Well, now 4/18/2007 anyone wish to discuss bryce 4/18/2007 I have violated gun laws... Jimmy Carter 4/18/2007 The power of an armed citizenry BrianR 4/18/2007 One wrong assumption, Mona BrianR 4/18/2007 Do you have something to say?

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