Thomas Jefferson

He was a Viginian, and he once said "From time to time, the tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots."

Virginia Tech and the nation as a whole has suffered a terrible loss. Details are still sketchy, but more than thirty people are dead from a school massacre. This is without a doubt, an unmitigated wound that will never fully heal. My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims, as well as those close to the gunman or gunmen.

Guns kill. I've posted on this subject several times already. Even in the face of this horrible event, my convictions are unswayed. The fact is, America is the most armed nation on earth, ever. We have guns, guns, and more guns. Because of this, postal offices and facilities are sometimes shot up, schools sometimes become bloodbaths, and even malls are not safe.

Yet, I still feel that the right to bear arms, be it in a well regulated militia or a private armory, should not be infringed. It might sound silly in this modern age of tear gas, helicopter gunships, and atom bombs, but private arms are a vital check on government tyranny.

Nothing is perfect. Every choice has its consequences, good or bad. Quite frankly, if there were a better way for people to ensure that tyranny cannot take hold, I would advocate for it. However, I have yet to see such an option.

A nation of sovereign people requires that their government can be cowed, preferrably at the ballot box, and if need be, at gunpoint. With this necessity, comes a terrible cost.

TANSTAAFL, baby.