You New Zealanders are an ignorant bunch, quick to point fingers at the US. New Zealanders are stuck between trying to find their own identity and role in the world and in particular the South Pacific, while at the same time trying to keep up with the Aussies. You're quick to judge but lack the true experience of a free modern day society. You remain neutral and have faced neither glory nor downfall throughout the history of your existence, so your negative views are pointless and baseless anyways. This massacre could easily have happened in your own backyard, make no mistake about it.

How long before something like this happens in NZ? Maybe not long based on the attitudes coming from this thread. The insensitive and repugnant comments prove what people suspected of NZ citizens all along. When someone in NZ pulls out a gun and starts shooting, I hope there isn't a bullet with your name on it.

Where on earth do some of these "armed" kiwis living in the US reside? We have lived here in NY for over 10 years now and during that entire time have never felt safer. Our kids play outside leave bikes on the grass without being stolen. Even our patio plants in tubs remain ours. In Auckland we would awake to find anything let outside had vanished. In Cockle Bay Auckland we were burgled three times threatened on several occasions and I was mugged twice. Come on guys pull your head out of the sand NZ is no longer the Paradise it once may have been and has its major issues just like anywhere. My husband is an ex Marine..there are no guns in our house. So the rather ignorant perception of some in here that most Americans are gun toting population is totally misguided.

If America is hated so much, then why don't you squids just stay in your own cesspool you call New Squealand. We don't invite your squiddy asses to come over here. So stay home and drown in your gun laws. As for the constitution, you're just jealous because your government drags you around like the pathetic wimps you are.

I read the "American response" to your editorial with some interest. I'm disinclined to agree with my fellow Americans who staunchly point to the importance of upholding the Constitution as justification for rampant and largely uncontrolled gun ownership. Where is their outrage at an administration that has consistently and willfully ignored freedom of speech, civil liberties, rights to privacy, and the co-equal branches of government? I am tired of the violence and hypocrisy. We're moving to New Zealand.

First of all I want to say,look to Jesus for your strength and how sorry I am for you all.I have not read what was said about America from someone from New Zealand but I will say this if it was not for the US you all would be speaking German or Japanese. I live in Nova Scotia, Canada and I am very very proud to have the US as my friend. People seem to forget what the US has done to help this world,they give more than any other nation and when they get attacked by spineless cowards they act and if they didn't act people should know that the extremests want to set up a Global Islamic State and my friends the US have the guts to stand up and say NO.I Love You America and I will stand with you America through this terrible time. Your true friend and Canadian....

Ya know whats the most funny part of this, after reading the first page, I found out why I love being an American so much. The simple fact is that this is the best country in the world to live in...Idiots like you NZ'ers are what truly frighten me, you have let your government brain wash you into thinking you're safe, when now when they enact a law, what are you going to do to stop it, they have nothing to fear, but hey, I'm quite sure you're a fan of Hitler also, since he disarmed his people before killing them...yeah, such a great guy. Oh yeah, stat for 2000, last I could quickly find for violent crime rates, NZ, 551.1 per 100,000 people, US 506.5 per 100,000 people...yeah, I'll stay here where its safe thank you very much, and you can just keep bitching because you are more likely to be a victim then I am.

As an American, I am embarrassed and ashamed at my country's utter disregard for the safety of its citizens. The Virginia Tech tragedy is the latest consequence of unfettered access to firearms. I find it interesting (and appalling) that a law abiding American must be treated like a convicted felon to board an aeroplane, yet a handgun can easily be purchased at a bazaar or flea market.

Bula, after reading what kiwis have said I dont find it very surprising. To my American brothers and sisters my prayers are with you and as for your gun control laws that is your business and only Americans will be able to solve them, as for the kiwis well they are only your friend in peace time but when you need them for war they resort to dialogue as an excuse for not joining the fight against terrorism. The Australians know what it means to stand by your mates. God Bless America and thank you for fighting for countries that cannot fight for themselves.

I seem to remember some complications with New Zealanders and the way they assimilated native people not so long ago. Oh wait, there still is tension? Racism outside of the US? Funny. Well, despite your problems with accepting other people, I sincerely hope that none of you ever face a shooting spree, from a foreign born citizen or otherwise.

OK, bash if you like the country of my origin. It is your opinion. Lets ban guns, knives, bottles, swat teams, all weapons etc. Lets ban everything. I have many guns. It is legal to own guns here you know why?

Who would dare to attack the usa. We have more guns then our own army as well as yours. Our laws are our laws not yours. I respect any laws when I travel to other countries. You most respect ours. If other people from other countries do not like our laws on guns move here and become a citizen and vote. By the way we have 300 million people. divide 300 million by 32 and you get something like .000000001 per cent.

look at the recent hit on the mayor in japan by their mafia. And guns are outlawed there. Lets get serious. If the guy used a car to mow down those same 32 people would we outlaw cars? I think not. If you look at the real statistics of the USA and take out the drug murders and killings we have a good system even with guns. And how about drunk drivers killing innocent people. More are killed everywhere then guns but do we outlaw booze. Of course not most people drink. Gun debate is a real easy issue to get people mad and crazy about. Look at the numbers people before you bash us about guns. How many people died on the highway in NZ from drunk drivers. Let me know maybe I can move there and become a citizen and help get rid of booze.

Nobody needs automatic assault weapons...rights or no rights. Rifles for shooting/hunting as sport, but not automatics. Too many guns out there and too many nut-jobs too. Horrible tragedy at VT, but that many innocents, and more, are dying daily in George Bush's Iraq 'tragedy'. Where is the outrage?

Yes I totally agree with what Andrew has said. While we do all very sorry for those that lost their loved ones, it the way that the media (esp CNN) keep on showing over the same pictures over and over again.

I also wanted to find out more about the 200 people that died in Iraq, but we are subject to sit through more of this tragedy that happened 3 days ago.I think that's why people over in NZ are upset, it's not that we are anti-American; we just feel that the world hasn't stopped and we would now like to see other news through the media.

Yet again Americans attack and belittle "insignificant" New Zealanders daring to question their gun control laws and insistent that the world owes them and therefore we have no right to question them. Stop acting like we owe you anything.And your pathetic mantra that if it wasn't for the US we'd all be speaking German is getting tired (in the South Pacific we'd actually be speaking Japanese).America was dragged into WWII only once they were attacked by Japan, otherwise they would've maintained their isolation policy. The USA only participates in world events if it's in their best interests, otherwise they would intervene in Sudan and Zimbabwe - but they don't have oil. Yes, thank you to the USA for invading Iraq, the world is a better place.

Dear American readers that don't like the comments in Your Views, get over it. Honestly I am sick and tired of hearing Americans bitch and moan about other countries, then the moment anyone makes a comment on America you don't like it is American bashing. Please build a bridge and get over it. And now if you don't mind, I am going back to my life in NZ, where we have strong views on guns and violence and freedom, and where we don't have to worry about kids being shot in schools, or the daily gun shootings that occur in your country. Perhaps if you got over your own prejudice to decide everything is anti American you could look at how other countries don't have to go through the constant violence that exists within your society.

Following the arrogant argument that only "People kill people not guns", why we ban drugs? Drugs don't kill only people that take it kill themselves. Why American ridiculously ban harmless tools and liquid from airlines? Why Americans keep looking for a nuclear bomb in Iraq or Iran? They should give every country one instead as "Nuclear bombs don't kill people". I don't think there's any appropriate term to describe the intelligence of those self-serving pro-gun Americans.

I am a New Zealander and can not believe some of the things that have been said here. I have nothing but sympathy for all those involved. There are always going to be crazy people and they will acquire guns whatever the law is.

These Yankee Doodles don't seem to get it. The reason why you need a gun to defend yourself in America is because everyone else has one. I don't know of any Kiwi that would want to trade NZ gun laws for America's.

As a kiwi living in the US I feel much safer here than in Auckland. I can walk around local streets at any time of day or night. New Zealanders should clean up their own back yard before throwing mud.Unlike Auckland , when the police are called here they actually come.

Well Well! All sympathy to the family and friends of the victims. I personally feel that now is the right time for US govt. to look into their own homes and issues rather than trying to be a Global Cop. Such incidents do prove that US needs to do radical changes within its own society rather than marching out to change the whole world. Hope lessons are learnt now and hope this incident dont just end up being a chapter in US history.

Mine is a very simple viewpoint... No anti-American invective, no "shitty little islands" that "no one cares about"... Thanks for that by the way. How relevant. Before those of you waving the red white and blue get all up in arms regarding criticism levelled at America's gun laws, perhaps you would do well to focus on the big picture. Nowhere else in the world are children shooting each other (isolated incidents aside). Something is seriously and disturbingly wrong at the very root of American culture when young people are committing these seemingly quite regular acts of such breathtaking brutality. I don't think that any balanced person in New Zealand, or here in Australia, truly believes that the US "had it coming".. I am truly sorry for America's loss, but somewhere in the fabric of the American dream, theres is a very dark loop-hole.

I agree with the Americans, they have every right to be angry at some comments made here. As a NZ resident I find it embarrassing to read some of these sick "who cares" and "stupid Americans" posts by other NZ'ers. Come on people! Can't you think of something a little more intelligent to comment about?! There are stupid people in every corner of the globe, even (dare I say it) in New Zealand! And judging by some of the comments posted here, I'd say we've found a few of them! In answer to the question: I find it ridiculous that whenever tragedies like this happen, we start "finger pointing". We blame TV, or violent video games, or the music industry. When did we stop being responsible for our own actions?! Sure, I agree the America needs some stronger gun control laws, that possibly could have stopped him from killing 30+ people. But he was going to kill regardless, gun or no gun. In the end the only person to blame is the man who pulled the trigger. If any other Americans read this post, I just want to apologise. Not all of us New Zealanders are as ignorant.

When will America join the civilized world and realize the absolute stupidity of its gun laws? Your leaders are not brave enough to stand up to the gun lobby; therefore, shootings like Monday's will continue to occur. Years ago, we in Australia banned unregistered users and guns after a similar occurrence, despite the gun lobby; it has made for less gun crime and a safer existence for our citizens. I feel very sorry for the parents of the kids who lost their lives in this incident; they will suffer forever.

Comments like this, while well intentioned, simply do not reflect the reality. New Zealand and Australia are no more or less safe than America. Evil happens. In a population of 300 Million more evil happens. I lived in New York and Venice Ca for the past 20 years and never experienced violence, in my first year back in NZ my car was broken into twice, I was abused by school children on the main street of Masterton and my Vineyard was robbed by young local pickers. Finger pointing is not going to change anything, we live in violent times that are reported at levels unheard of in years gone by. School students in Hastings beat up a kid and the resulting video appears on YouTube and gets downloaded by other students. Folks we have a problem. We need solutions, we need a dialogue and we need hard options. We are going nowhere very fast. Climate change, ie, Evolution, is not the problem, we are.

As a kiwi I am very disappointed that so many kiwis seem to hate Americans with a passion that rivals Osama bin Laden. Yes the latest tragedy will dominate the headlines more than the countless killings going on in Iraq. So what? The reason it gets so much coverage is that America is a first world civilised society much the same as NZ, so we relate to the individuals affected much more. While it is sad that so many Iraqis are killed every day in suicide bombings, we must realise that these people live in a war-zone, with ethnic hate and twisted religious motives behind the killings. While it is maybe misguided that the Yanks are there in the first place, at least they are attempting to bring a better future in for the people of Iraq. I think it is very generous of the US to sacrifice its own sons and daughters for this lost cause, rather just leave the Iraqis to it, at least they are suicide bombing each other and not the west. All my sympathy to the families affected by this pointless tragedy in Virginia. All the America haters in NZ piss off back to the Labour and Green parties, you are a disgrace.

I don't think, allowing students to carry guns to campus will alleviate the problem at hand. If anything, it will increase these violent, unacceptable shootings. I think stricter gun controls should be put in place. Calmer solutions to conflicts should be encouraged. By allowing guns to be carried to university, they are encouraging violence to settle violence. Two wrongs do not make a right. This is not the solution at all. People need a wake up call on relationships.

This is an act of a very sick young man. Could there have been more intervention for his health and well being prior to this carnage? OK, America has an easy amendment for citizens to buy and carry a gun. If there was a ban on guns in the US, this young man would have found another way for this massacre - a home made bomb? A machete? Lethal chemicals and acids? What support could Virginia Tech have given more to this man prior to all this, other than his English tutor alerting police about his disturbing scribblings??

I am an American citizen who lived in NZ for a while while attending university. I think critics outside the US need to realize that they are not the only ones who believe the American "gun culture" is problematic. The entire population of the United States is not some mob of gun-wielding, hawkish, arrogant "idiots." It is not fair to judge the entire civilian population of the US based on the actions of our current corrupt government and one crazy individual. There are plenty of people here in the US who feel there should be stricter gun control regulations and are working to make that happen. Perhaps this horrible event will galvanize more people in their support. But in the mean time, this should not devolve into an opportunity to point out the flaws in American society. This is a grievous tragedy, and our hearts and minds should be with the victims.

If what I read is true - I think it is too easy to buy a gun that could be used to shoot people with in the US. My advice to US would be to make it much harder - with the simple long term aim of lowering the overal number of guns in the US. Guns are one of the few item you can get hold of and kill a number of poeple with by moving one of you fingers just 4cm each time. Also death can occur in seconds and cannot be undone (you can at least change your mind as you are beating someone, as I am sure has been done many times), at least with hand to hand or non firearm weapons more people will end up living, which I think would be a good thing because I understand people wanting to defend themselves. Anyway it is up to the US to decide for themselves good luck and thanks for inventing skateboarding! It is a better life making friends than enemies.

You have Americans with their freedom and need to have guns, which is pretty foolish but what about NZ? NZ Government has done nothing to prevent avoidable deaths or injuries, increasing the drinking age back to 20 would instantly lower alcohol related violence, drink driving and would make it harder for the under age to get access to alcohol. Banning texting/talking on cellphones would instantly cut down on needless crashes. But no the government votes and none of these bills are passed, both would be easy to implement and you would see results immediately. Instead the government wants us to stop smacking our kids. Why complain about the Americans when we have our problems here. We should be very sympathetic to the families and friends of those that lost their lives.

Ben you sound as if you're just waiting for the perps to burst through the door, just be aware shooting a person, even an enemy, is not nearly as easy as a target. You'll also have to be the most accurate as well as the fastest gun in the West. Be careful what you wish for.

I found the following bit of info interesting. Thought you might too. Note that the original article is from Jan 2006. 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 Defence 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." [my emphasis] So, fifty-odd dead and wounded students later, it appears as though the current law does not, in fact, do anything to protect students from someone who wishes to do them harm. They might have felt safe on campus? but they weren't. This horrible incident is not a rationale for more gun control; it is a case study of the effects of gun control: providing a murderer with unarmed, helpless victims.

This young man was obviously experiencing some psychological problems. I think blame lies with all the exclusionary ways in which people in society behave. If this boy felt accepted, loved, a valued part of the circles in which he mixed, then perhaps he would have found support and healing in his isolation and mental illness. Such people are not easy to be friends with - so it takes the efforts of everyone in the community to be friendly, caring and inclusive - then it's not too big a load for any one person to carry. Obviously, this was not his experience. No-one person is to blame - but we all need to think about the care we show to 'loners'.....which makes them less of a loner, and more connected to the common good.

You all need to stop with the ignorant racist and nationalist remarks. As a matter of fact, Anglo/European males engage in this sort of behaviour far more than any other ethnic group in the U.S.. And, the worst serial killers in the US history have all been Anglo/European males, with the rare exceptions here and there. Therefore, the shooter being of South Korean descent had absolutely nothing to do with his actions. Cho, the shooter, was, obviously, very disturbed. It's unfortunate that he had to go to such lengths to relieve his suffering though and had to take 30+ lives with him in the process. I can't even begin to imagine what would drive someone to do that. US gun control law does need to be revised so that someone so obviously disturbed can't get handguns easily. Perhaps, mandatory psychological profiling of all potential gun owners would help. I'm American - although I've been a permanent N.Z. resident for 8+ years - and, I can say from my upbringing there, that nearly everyone I knew had a gun. And, they all thought it was quite normal to have one. Some of them would even proudly display their guns as if they were objects of art. "Oh, look at this beautiful Colt 45, Glock 9, or whatever, I picked up over the weekend." WTF!?!?! In all honesty, I always thought it was very weird, and very, very disturbing, that most Americans I knew felt that way. That's the sort of gun culture the US has.

As is usual with the press, editorial or just news reporting, the real truth seldom is talked about. What is front page 'news' is really what is most dramatic. What well sell the product. Certainly the loss of life at Virginia Tech is a tragedy, but it is a knee-jerk reaction to talk about how dangerous America is because of guns. As Lou Dobbs (CNN)reported: "But we will be also unlikely to report that mass shootings in this nation's elementary schools, middle schools, high schools and colleges, as horrific as they are, number just over 200 over the past 80 years. Unfortunately, we'll also not be likely to report that on our college campuses, 1,100 students each and every year will commit suicide. The rate of drug overdoses among teens and young adults is now more than doubled over a recent five-year period. And each year, on average, there are 1,400 binge drinking related deaths among our college students nationwide." This is always the problem with the Press. Run your mouth without knowing all the facts, or worse yet, knowing the facts but not reporting them accurately. This nzherald editorial is a prime example...all noise and few real facts. Shame on you.

Well after hearing about the rampage, and seeing some of the videos of the Virginia Tech shootings, it is time that the people in United States have to really think of having strict regulations on owning the license for guns. We are always talking of terrorist attacks, sending our soldiers to wars, with an intention to keep the nation safe. But it is the internal system which allows such easy access to a gun, that has to be regulated. This is not the first time such an incident has happened. There has been similar events even before, this one being the deadliest among them all. This is not due to any external people, but by a student from the same school itself. How secure are we today? Does owning a gun for ones safety answer that question? No. In my opinion, the congress has to make its rules/ regulations on access to guns more stringent. Today, any person above the age of 21 can get a gun from a local sports store. How ridiculous can it get. The congress has been enforcing strict regulations in airports, they dont allow even a tiny nail cutter. And on the other hand, any person can buy a gun this easily. Now, where is the US safety?

Some part of me has to agree with your views. I do think that fear is what is driving me to learn more about firearms and is leading me to purchase one of my own. However I don't believe it is the fear of death that is Some part of me has to agree with your views. I do think that fear is what is driving me to learn more about firearms and is leading me to purchase one of my own. However I don't believe it is the fear of death that is my concern. I am afraid of my government. I am scared that they are becoming too powerful and that within my lifetime they are going to try no only take our weapons away but other freedoms as well. Ultimately I blame us; the American people, for allowing the government that we have elected to do this. This most recent massacre is horrible and unforgivable but I have seen this country scared into giving up its rights for the illusion of safety before and I do not want to lose more rights because of fear. If there were some way to keep people like this from getting hold of guns while allowing people who wanted to use them responsibly to have them then I would do it immediately but I can not see a way. Personally I feel that this sort of thing would happen less if responsible people were armed. The trick is only arming the responsible people. I know that this is not a perfect solution; far from it in fact, but I think it is a better solution than other alternatives.

I am an American. Our family first came here from England in the early 1700s and has been in Californian since the mid 1800s. Thus, I guess you would categorize us as part of the "wild west."

We are not gun owners. I am considered a liberal. I am very much in favor of banning guns other than those that are appropriate for hunting. It is very easy for others from elsewhere to place blame using their mistaken idea of what this country is like.

Unfortunately it is the very nature of this country to accept others from different cultures, backgrounds, religions and viewpoints. This open attitude and acceptance is perhaps also our weakness. Those immigrants all too often can become a burden and problem for others. I wonder from the preliminary information about the individual who did the killing if in other countries and societies he would have been institutionalized long ago rather than allowed his freedom? I have traveled around the south island of New Zealand. From Queenstown to Christchurch, everybody I met and talked with was very welcoming, open and friendly. I would feel very comfortable and think I would enjoy living in your wonderful country with a less hectic lifestyle than what I'm used to.Like the US, it appears as though NZ has many whom I consider "kooks" and bitter about anybody who doesn't fit their particular idea of how one should be. Perhaps the isolation of your country creates this attitude and when an incident like the shooting that took place happens, all those individuals come out to spread their vitriolic hate. Remember, it is America's acceptance of people with widely different viewpoints, religions, backgrounds, beliefs and attitudes that can produce a wide divergence of opinion on things like "gun control." Were we a more closed and homogeneous society, it'd be much easier to achieve "gun control" which would be fine with me.

It seems to me that those spouting hatred and the thoughts that Americans are being punished and deserved to be by these types of unfortunate incidents may be reacting so violently because they wish they were able to live in an environment of acceptance and diversity and they actually envy Americans. Yes, when anybody anywhere has need, it seems the first call is for help from the USA. When things are going well those same people who demand assistance seem to be more than willing to tell us how horrible we all are. I guess we have to face the fact that even New Zealand has their share of hateful ungracious people who are jealous of the USA.

After reading quite a few of the comments here, I would like to interject a brief opinion on my part. Aside from the fact that, statistically speaking, it is impossible not to eventually run into someone with a mental illness in a nation the size of the US I would also like to point out that he didn't need a gun. It is quite easy and inexpensive to carry out much worse acts, in any country, with access to readily available knowledge that everyone with an internet connection is privy to (Molotov cocktails, simple poisons, for example). Actually, I would argue that most people are lucky that acts such as the one perpetrated in this instance are not committed with more imagination (like the gassing of the subways in Japan, a country with staunch gun control). If you think this is far fetched, I assure you, it's ridiculously easy. I hope simple weapons like makeshift explosives are never used by people bent on wanton killing, but I would like to ask, what would all of you suggest if it does happen? Ban free speech in order to control the information on how to make them? Condemn all nations that allow free speech? The reality is that if someone is bent on doing harm, he'll find a way. What we really need to discuss is, what made him want to?

So long as the NRA and gun lobby lines the pockets of US politicians with money, nothing regarding changing gun laws will change. I don't think the framers of our Constitution, when considering the second amendment, had semi automatic and automatic weapons in mind (and why would you need one of these weapons unless you're in the military or part of the law enforcement sector?). As the late Kurt Vonnegut said many times after commenting on a tragety, often involving guns, "and so it goes". Unfortunately, here in the US, even in light of our recent senseless tragedy, our politicians will shed their alligator tears and will be silent about the "right" to own a handgun: and so it goes... We're in denial.

Blame none, no one. But the disaster could have been prevented by monitoring people possessing arms (govt responsibility). And by counsellings students in deep troubles (college responsibility). Parents or friends once see a kid so very disturbed like this one, should immediately take it to college counseling authorities. It is not that we anticipate crimes, but to help each other grow.

What people do not realize is that gun control laws will not work. The people that are committing these crimes are called "criminals" for a reason. They break the laws, duh! All gun control laws do is prevent those people who are honest, law-abiding citizens from having a weapon to defend themselves. I know some people are going to say "Yeah, right like anyone really needs to defend themselves, that's what cops are for.", however, situations happen on a daily basis where cops are nowhere near the location. Car-jackings, breaking and entering, and rapes are on the rise. Murderer, rapists and child molesters are released from prison before computer hackers and criminals are allowed to sue you if injure them when they attack someone else. I was at a local amusement park with my parents and we were trying to leave. My mom was driving, my dad in the passenger seat and I was in the back seat. Everything was going fine until a woman who had been drinking jumped out of the passenger side of the vehicle. She was in angry and claiming we had cut her off. She ran up to my dad's window and poured a beer on him. She could have just as easily hit him or otherwise attacked him and we believe she was going to do something else but my dad had pulled his pistol out and she saw it. She then ran back to her vehicle. She tried to get the sheriff's deputy to arrest my dad. The deputy had to explain to her that if anyone was going to arrested it would be her because attacked and my dad had a license to have the pistol. Everyday I read stories of people being beaten to within an inch of their lives for their money or other property and now you have a Florida governor giving ex-cons the right to carry a weapon, many of were in prison for armed robbery, rape or even murder. I for one want to have some defence. If anyone disagrees with my opinion, I would be glad to let them stand between me and the "real criminal" to act as my shield the next time I am attacked. As a matter of fact, all of those people in favor of removing guns from law abiding citizens should make a website with their contact information on it. That way, when we lose our right to carry weapons, we can call them when we leave the house and they can act as our shields or at the very least distract the criminals while we get away.

I read a lot of people talking about gun laws and I don't think anyone actually knows what they are in the states. When some one buys a handgun legally in the US the gun first goes to a FBI gun lab. The gun is test fired and the bullet and casing are documented and stored in the FBI database so that if any bullet or shell that came from that gun can be identified by the marks. This is after a background check that you need to go through in order to get the permit to buy the gun in the first place. Also to carry a concealed weapon in the US you must also apply for an another permit called a "concealed weapons permit", which are near impossible to get in most states unless there are special circumstances, i.e. you have a restraining order on a stalker. Otherwise it is illegal to carry a loaded handgun on your person, in your car or any ware other than your home unless you are hunting legally or at a private shooting range. In these shootings you often hear them specifically mention that the serial numbers have been filed off. This is a tell tale sign of an unregistered gun what was sold illegally. No gun control law they have ever passed in the US has ever effectively cut down on the flow of illegal unregistered handguns. Which is one of the reasons gun control opponents are so against stricter laws.

More gun control is not the answer. The warning signs from the killer virtually screamed out that he was seriously and dangerously disturbed. Appropriate intervention was needed, but did not occur.

Well I wasn't going to write anything until I saw how far off some of the things I read on this page.Wayne says: everyone seems to have missed the point. No Asian immigration and this tragic incident would not have occurred." and Ian says: "When someone shoots 32 people the NRA and their supporters are the first to stand up and say 'it's not the Gun's fault' in a complete lack of respect to the families of those who have died. The fact of the matter is that if the rules governing buying a handgun in Virginia were more strict with background checks, waiting periods and the like, it would make it a lot harder for idiots to get guns. Gun control is not the answer! Immigration control is not the answer! Murderers exist in all countries, races, classes, and sadly schools. Thats life. It sucks. I'm not saying I agree with it or condone it. However that is what the right to bear arms is about. Read this very very slowly. Making guns illegal does not make the guns go away. It just puts the guns in the hands of the criminals.Thats how it works. When guns are illegal the government can have them, and people who disregard the laws can have them. So Joe American gets to walk the streets where it's ok for the criminals and government to have weapons, but not me? Thats a little backwards I think. Killers aren't born, they are made. Take a look at the society that is producing all these mass murderers. The establishment proclaims "violence is not the answer!" while they kill people every day and night for standing in the way of "the American dream". Why is it ok for the US to use guns and kill people for a purpose but it is not ok for a regular citizen to do the same. Make no mistake, war doesn't decide who is right. It just decides who is in the majority and who has the money.

Gun control? Immigration? I think the problem runs deeper than that. To the American who spoke out against Asian immigration I ask: Where did your ancestors come from and how would you like it if they were denied that right? To the Americans who speak out against guns I say: Remove the guns..remove the freedom. When law abiding citizens can't get guns, it leaves the guns in the hands of criminals. There is a world wide black market out there ya'll. Drugs are illegal, but you don't see that stopping people from getting drugs. What makes you think that guns would be any different? The problem is with our western society as a whole. We glorify violence in TV. We victimize ourselves to each other and to the "system" by not taking full responsibility for our actions. We act in immoral ways and then look for a scapegoat to take the blame. We lie, we cheat, we steal. Sex is a joke. Politicians are money hungry liars. Religion is corrupt. This young man who committed these atrocities is a product of the world. Way to go guys!

The person who pulled the trigger is the responsible one. The gun did not fire on itself. It was a tragic set of circumstances. Prayers to the victims and families...students and teachers.

This "Your Views" section seems to pretty much capture a cross section of the dumb, stupid, and in between of both NZ and US citizens. Whoever claimed that it's more dangerous to live in the US than it was to be in Vietnam, wow. Check the stats. Yes, you are absolutely correct to say that more people die. (and yes, it is far more than New Zealand or most other Western nations) However, there are 300 million people in the United States. There were nowhere near that many soldiers in Vietnam. To the brain-dead idiots saying we need to control immigration and prevent Asians from coming to the United States, what are you talking about? Since when are Asians the big bad immigration threat? The kid's been here for over a decade, he was just about as American as one can be. Would this have happened without guns? I think the answer is probably not. Do I favor gun control? Personally, I don't care, I don't carry a gun so it wouldn't affect me. However, I know many who do and understand their reasons. The discussion is something that will always be controversial, it is similar to religion- no one's going to successfully convince someone to change their views on this issue. American culture has a sort of twisted view of freedom. People are willing to accept the possibility of an event like this to have guns. The task then becomes to lower the chances of this happening. As a society, it seems we have made a choice that living a more free life is worth some risk. Why we can't feel that way about sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll is beyond me, but that's an issue for another day. Furthermore, Americans in general have a distaste for government. We also have a distaste for a lot of other Americans - I think this is bound to happen when you throw this much diversity together and never stop adding new ethnicities, religions, etc. Some people legitimately fear they will need to defend themselves against an armed force coming to take their rights. Hell, the way the current administration is operating, if I was Arabic, I might consider carrying a weapon. I don't think that improving gun control will work in this situation. People will have to naturally, and slowly, get over their fascination with the need to be armed. This might not even ever happen. But if you start with gun control laws, the people who currently have guns will either keep the guns, or without them, feel on edge, jumpy, naked and unprotected (whether this is a reality or not). Is there an answer? No, I don't think there is. But people from the outside looking in need to stop acting like it's a permanent bloodbath over here. I've only felt unsafe a few brief times in my life. I've felt just as unsafe in Canada and I venture to say that, although I've never been to New Zealand, I could find a location somewhere where I would also feel unsafe. Those inside the United States need to calm down. Saying guns don't aid this and it would have happened anyways is ludicrous. Bombs are certainly easy to make but they're harder than shooting a gun and he could easily have blown himself up building the damn thing. Plus I can't really imagine someone going to go get into a fight with their girlfriend carrying a bomb....guns have intimidation factors that a crude pipe bomb just doesn't. Asians are not the problem. Immigration is not the problem. Not even the social circles that shut this guy out are the problem (I don't care who you are, you can find friends on a college campus the size of VT). This guy was the problem. We can fix the problem by finding ways to prevent guys like him from getting to this stage, or taking away guns. Taking away guns seems unfeasible, and may not work entirely, so why not focus on the root of the problem- this guy went nuts. How do we fix that?

I find especially Anita Phillips views most offensive, as also thousands upon thousands of good Aussies and Kiwis fought and died, and many more were badly wounded, against the Japanese in the Pacific during WW2 - side by side with the Americans. But that does not give Aussies and Kiwis the right to be armed to the teeth in our own countries and murdering each other wholesale. Thus I totally fail to see the point when this is about a terrible killing spree at a US university and what to do to stop all those rather frequent US school killings. It is also close to racism to underline that the killer was a South Korean. Because, he'd been living in the US since eight years of age, that is 15-16 years, thus he was probably more American than South Korean with nearly all of his schooling having taken place in the US.

So, do not turn this into a case of Kiwi bashing when it's all about the sad affairs of common school and university killing sprees in the USA and the total lack of gun controls there. If you can't listen to advice from a friend there's little hope for the US to ever learn from its mistakes.

Vladimir Lenin once said if you have a thief hidden among 100 people you should kill all 100 people in order to get the thief. By analogy, the "gun control" chants are back after the Virginia Tech shooting tragedy. By analogy take guns away from everyone because of one person. More than 70,000 people are killed every year on our highways. Do we take away everyone's car? The reality it one mentally trouble youth from South Korea committed a horrific act with a gun, and there are millions and millions of gun owners who don't. There is just no way to make the world safe for everyone all the time.

Low self esteem. No guidance. Violence promoted TV, movies and games. Antidepressant medications bottling up the pain until it finds a way to express itself.

I think that our right to bear arms is good. It prevents the government from having too much power, fo one. Unfortunately, that means that people are going to use them on one another. Even if there had been screening strict gun laws, people like Cho will find ways to kill. Remember the first WTC bombing? All he needed was a van and some fertilizer. We could outlaw guns and white vans and fertilizer but people will still do these things. I think we need to realize that to live in a place thats free, like a college campus (not referring to American freedom), anyone can get a weapon, walk up and kill a bunch of people. Its just a sad truth of the world. Legislation won't help. But we will. We'll make some new law and name it after one of the victims and will accomplish nothing but get some innocent students kicked out of school. Gun laws are not the problem, nor the solution.

For those who advocate gun control in this horrible situatation. I would like for you to please provide statistics that show where gun control has prevented anyone but, law abiding citizens from being able to purchase a handgun or a rifle. Criminals and mental defectives people will always be able to obtain firearms or other weapons to commit their crimes.Has stringent gun controls stopped crime and murder in any country in the world? I think not.

We just have to have some form of gun control in this country. I'm not talking about total banishment just laws that make it much more difficult for people to get them. If you are a law abiding person and willing to go through the legal process of trying to get one then ok. I'm sure if the guy at VT was made to wait three to six months to get one all of this may not have happened. Make getting a handgun or certain types of other guns much like getting a passport. The person would have to have paper work on his person when the gun is in h is possession or he would loose the right to carry it.

In England where there are no hand guns allowed they had 53 gun deaths in a year with a population of 53 million...In New York City where there are only 8 million they had 597 gun deaths...do the math...

Unfortunate but typical of these kind of incidents, much info is now available about the shooter that reveals his being enamored with violence. It also appears that his 'atypical' inscrutable Asian demeanor was his best defence, protecting him from his Social Anxiety Disorder and (perhaps) his family dysfunction in which he may have had parents who displayed little warmth and affection to him during his formative years. It is also apparent that the VA Gun Law needs changing. The ease with which a non-US Citizen can obtain a handgun is crazy what with many persons in the US from countries and cultures that are anti US - some with good reason. There is no valid reason that the "right to bare arms" should apply to persons who are not even citizens. That loophole is driven by greed and nothing else.

I understand that in the olden days when things were not advanced and one needed some kind of arms to protect themselves. But in this modern world, I definitely do not see the need of these deadly arms. Rather than protecting people, these arms in some insane hands have become a threat to the modern community. Selling these guns should be given more importance than selling carrots. Currently I don't see any difference.

Some Americans have a genuine fear of government controlling their lives. And with the creeping Communism throughout the west bent on dominating the way people eat, talk, drink, smoke, and behave who can blame them? Communism is detested by Americans. They are aware of Mao's dead millions, of Stalin's and the Khmer Rouge's murdered millions. They see will leftist indoctrination and social engineering leads. So, when the socialists in the west seek to install their perverted will on the American people, it will be the gun owners who rise up and rebuke them. Americans won't give up their guns because they know an unyielding socialist ideologue is more dangerous than any gun ever was. That the commies in the west would try to take their guns from them only further confirms the gun owner's suspicions that leftists seek behavioral control above all things.

You can see what happened in Britain when guns were taken away from the people-crime went up dramatically, of course. More gun restrictions will only take guns away from decent citizens as the criminals and psychos will always have theirs, so to me it is a ridiculous "solution". It will only compound the problem. Its like saying, apples give you cancer, so let's stop eating oranges. I feel that the problem is within our people- the ones who do these crimes have something either broken or never working inside them to begin with, allowing them to be so self centered and full of hate. The difference with the kids of today is how they were raised- by watching crappy TV and playing violent video games instead of building tree forts and playing marbles and being held accountable when mom or dad come home and junior's after school snack dishes haven't been washed. We are more of a violent nation because we have allowed our kids to have "entitlements" such as watching wacked TV s hows, chopping off heads in mortal combat, little girls are allowed to dress like hookers and the boys get away with calling them ho's just like off of Vice City, just to mention a few daily depravities that our young people delight in doing nowadays. We no longer as a nation instill values and morality in our kids but instead focus on telling them they have "rights" to all and any feelings that might strike them. The parents sit idly by while their children are basically left to raise themselves and are "surprised" when something like this at VA Tech happens. We need to treat the disease, not just view the symptoms as the problem. Kids need to be taught the precious value of life, and this needs to be taught by our society as a whole as well as the parents. Liberal parents need to stop living in fear of hurting their kid's feelings, grow a spine and make a change in our world by teaching responsibility, character and honor in doing the right thing whether the kid's going to have fun or not doing it. Most kids that I have seen that are "dark , withdrawn and sulky" are kids that have been raised to always expect things from the world and to whine if they didn't get always get them. They are spoiled and can't be made to be happy because they are always demanding and expecting more, more and more and not a whole lot is expected from them in return in regards to self control or thoughtfulness towards others. I realize being a kid can be tough, but I think it is much worse when society is constantly telling them how important the superficial things are and neglecting to show and teach them standards, values, ethics, morality, etc. We have raised quite a few self-centered brats. To be cliche, guns don't shoot people, people shoot people. Isn't it funny how most of the most true things are the simplest? Think about how easy it will be for the next "crazy kid" to just make a bomb using internet instructions and blow up a school. Guns, shmums. There are always other options for willful, miserable and self-absorbed nut jobs to employ for their instruments of destruction. Anyone who thinks that "gun reform" is the answer is either incapable of common sense or a pawn, or both. How about "rotten, whiny and oh, the world just sucks-kid" reform"? This terrible shooting has already become the spring board for boatloads of activists to dissect, manipulate and screw with our gun laws, once again. Why can't we all see the truth that is kicking us in the face?

I believe two major reasons were: the student did not get timely psychological help last year, when he was identified by his professor to be a troubled kid. Guns are very easily available. Its too easy to buy a gun and ammo. Its impossible to judge the final use of a gun.

You have received so many vituperative and belligerent emails in response to your article that I felt compelled to write in order to demonstrate that not all U. S. citizens are of that caliber. What did Alexis think she was doing to the image of her country when she said that you "should be lined up and shot"? In my view, she simply bears out the image most of the world appears to have. I love my country dearly, and have always been very proud of it. On the whole, the U. S., it seems to me, has been a force for good in the world. I am not proud of our tendencies toward ignorance and violence.While I do not favor allowing any government to make its citizens defenceless, it seems to me that we must control access to guns more carefully. The sort of weapons available today are vastly more destructive than anything known in the days of the Constitutional Convention. At that time, we had just fought a war in which the arms available to the average citizen were a match for the arms available to government troops. That is no longer the case and will never again be the case. It is not possible to imagine any group of rebellious citizens able to amass the firepower of the United States army. Perhaps the right of the citizens to bear information has become more critical than the right to bear arms. There is a serious dilemma here, for I do not favor changing the constitution. Nevertheless, if we are able to state that certain citizens, by reason of mental or other infirmity, are not allowed to drive automobiles, why can we not devise a system at least as reasonable to deny weapons to the violent and the insane? Guns do not defend against guns. I thought your editorial was reasonable and raised questions that were entirely fair. It is not exploitation nor disrespect for those who so terribly lost their lives to wonder about the social attitudes that may have contributed to that loss. Nor, in my opinion, is it unfair to raise questions of the relations of those attitudes to such tragic conflicts as the action in Iraq. No one thinks the students at Virginia Tech deserved what happened, just as no sane person thinks the victims of the September 11 attack deserved their fates. The point is exactly the opposite, in fact: What can we do to prevent such horrible outbreaks?There is a streak of belligerence that runs through a large segment of the U. S. population, which, I believe, has contributed strongly to our behavior in Iraq, just as it has made our society as a whole resistant to gun control. This belligerence seems to me to be socially equivalent to uncontrolled anger in individual personalities. I'm sorry that your editorial drew attention from so many in that segment.

US gun laws? You'd think we still live in the wild west. We don't though, even if most are better armed than al Quaeda in Waziristan. Banana clips were outlawed years ago, along with assault rifles, but the Republicans & Bush let the ban expire midway through his first term. How can we possibly train enough mercenaries for the Iraq conflict without street training in the US? It does have one nice result; people in Texas rarely flash hand signs at one another on the freeways here. When everyone is armed, society is more polite. Vent people - I agree with you - US Guns laws, or rather, the lack thereof, are quite insane. You aren't required to buy one, but as a point of reference, of the 17 people I work with daily, eight have handguns either in their desk or in their truck, one partner has an AK with a loaded drum clip under his desk, the other a assault shotgun loaded beside his. That's just for self defence in case the local Zulu population rises up in revolt. Insane? Without doubt. Many Americans are also Republican, and in 2008, out of power. Wait a bit, many people here agree with you and are working towards a solution.

I am American. I live in New York, a city with plenty of violence. The landlord from my building is in jail for killing a tenant. Actually I am moving out of the US because I'm tired of the violence and ignorance I see in people here everyday. I see it in these comments also. I see people supporting laws legalizing torture - only for non-Americans. I see people calling for killing Arabs, killing Asians, deporting immigrants. I see Americans accusing any peace-loving person of supporting terrorists. I see white people who believe they are kind when their attitudes are still racist. I see daily discrimination on all levels, on religion, ethnicity, nationality, language, sex - everything. I see dishonesty, arrogance, corruption, lies. I read it in the papers, see it on TV, and see it in person. I am leaving. I tell people to do the same, and to buy and sell nothing to or from Americans, to not work for US companies, to not visit the country or invest in their companies or deposit monies in their banks.

The problem here was not with gun control or law enforcement's reaction. The issue was that his parents and faculty failed to see clear signs of significant mental illness in the month's prior and did not act other than to recommend him to counseling. If someone had notified police or worked to have him committed, he would have been unable to purchase a gun. (Mentally unstable persons who have been reported do not get to purchase weapons). I am of the school of thought that if Virginia Tech had not banned guns on campus, that someone would have been prepared or capable to meet the threat. As a state run institution, these college campuses should be governed by all other laws pertaining to federal and state organizations- the right to bear arms does apply. Even without the presence of another armed citizen, I am sad that the only person who would stand up to the man was a 75 year old Holocaust survivor. While his 20 year old students fled, abandoning him, he tried to make a difference.

Global terrorism on the rise and heinous acts are beginning to creep into virtually all corners of the world. I feel sorry for the citizens in countries that don't allow them to bear arms.

There are many more people killed in auto accidents every year than by guns...should be ban cars? Just small cars? Blaming guns for some moron's actions is like blaming matches for arsons. It does not compute. I think if you look at the Crime stats in Countries that have banned guns...they are worse off now (England, Canada, Australia to name a few.) Seems like the 1st thing totalitarian governments want to do is to disarm the populace. That is why, here in America, we have a 2nd amendment (a right to keep and bear arms). All this bashing sounds a bit like "pistol envy".Put the blame where it belongs- on the individual committing the act.

It's very unfortunate that the incidence happened. Condolences to families and friends of the victims. Though the institute has imposed rules against guns, there has not been any serious measures that have been taken to ensure that no guns are in the institution. I pass no blame to the administration anyone could have done what Cho did, but I only feel that more strict measures or rather more effective strategies should be put in place to prevent the same. A perfect investigation resulting from the tragedy should guide us (students, administration, government, and the general public) in sealing any loopholes that leak inhumanity in the society.

I disagree with the view of the editorial, based on Michael Moore's film Columbine, that America's love of guns is driven by a fear of black crime. The reality is much more complicated - gun ownership is part of America's mythology of how the country was founded. The British restricted gun ownership so the formal inclusion of gun owning rights inclusion in the constitution was a way to counter fears about the tyranny of a federal government. Americans are fed a diet of propaganda about the benefits of gun ownership in their earliest school lessons - stories of brave musketeers standing up to British redcoat tyranny. Unfortunately, this view that Americans need guns as part of a constitutionally enshrined right to self-defence ignores that the fact that if there were no guns in society the need for self-defence would be much lower. A comparison of murder rates in major US and European cities shows that rates in the US are 2-3 times higher. The difference in these rates can be wholly attributed to the access to guns. Regarding the sad case at Virginia Tech - there are no differences in the numbers of depressed, deranged, or psychotic individuals present in the US and large European societies. The only difference is the ease of access to firearms which is why America will continue to have sad stories such as this one from time to time. Due to difficulty in changing the constitution, America will be cursed with problems like this one for years to come.

Yes it is a tragedy that innocent people died. But concerning the price to pay for buying guns to be legal, here's a thought: After World War II, America "destroyed" Germany and Japan, rebuilt it with their business ideology, and now they are one of the leading countries in terms of economy. If America has 80 per cent of its goods imported from other countries that make it, what goods is America actually producing? Weapons, massive amounts of technology is used to make better weapon equipment etc. But for what? Speaking about "peace" while sitting and blacksmithing a fine sword. It's business ladies and gents, if weapons would not be allowed, that means losing $$$ for America. Every family should know where is the limit in terms of job and time spent at home with the kids who are getting bombarded with marketing about 125,000 times every single day. "The love of money is the root of all evil" Timothy 6:10.

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