Let’s take one more look at problems with the Governor’s
Review Panel Report (The Addendum) on
the Virginia Tech rampage.
Look at
page 75—The second paragraph of the Key Findings simply states the obvious,
again an indication of the panel’s timidity and lack of dedication to tackling
difficult issues.
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Cho was able to kill 31 people including himself at
Norris Hall in about 10 minutes with the semiautomatic handguns at his
disposal. Having the ammunition in large capacity magazines facilitated his
killing spree.
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It simply restates the
obvious and adds nothing to the findings.
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Cho’s ability to kill 33 people, including himself,
is a clear indication of a systemic problem that permeates Virginia’s legal
and law enforcement system when it comes to keeping guns out of the hands of
those who are a danger to themselves and others.
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On the same page, the third and final paragraph of the Key Findings needs to be completely rewritten:
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There is confusion on
the part of universities as to what their rights are for setting policy
regarding guns on campus.
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It does not address
Virginia Tech specifically, and is in fact far too general in every respect.
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Virginia Tech has one
of the tougher policy constraints among Virginia schools concerning
possessing guns on campus, yet this did not prevent the killings on April 16,
2007. Moreover, there is confusion on the part of universities in Virginia as
to what their rights are for setting policy regarding guns on campus. The
panel finds this confusion to be a major weakness in improving campus safety.
Moreover, the panel finds that no matter what the policies are, if
organizations responsible for keeping guns out of the hands of those who are
a danger to themselves or others do not do their job, campus security is
seriously undermined. This is evident by the failure to have Cho’s name on the list prohibiting him from purchasing
weapons.
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Time and time again, the report soft-pedals the mistakes
made by the police. Look at the reference to the double homicide at West Ambler
Johnston Hall on page 79: “… the police may have made an error in reaching a
premature conclusion that their initial lead was a good one, or at least in
conveying that impression to the Virginia Tech administration.” The word “may” needs to be dropped—it was
a mistake.
The Governor’s Review Panel Report, The Addendum, failed in so many ways;
from a flawed timeline, to critical omissions, to its failure to assign
accountability, the report shied away
from what needed to be done: uncover the truth.
As long as no consequences are assigned, as
long as there are no public reprimands, the job remains unfinished. As a
consequence, our schools are not as safe as they need to be. It is nothing
short of a tragedy that an opportunity has been lost to make a difference, to
find some sort of meaning in a horrific crime. As long as people are not held
responsible for their actions or inactions, nothing meaningful will be done to
protect our campuses.
Many of the actions taken or reasons
for not taking actions following the double homicide at Ambler West Johnston
Hall were based on pure conjecture.
The Governor’s Review Panel Report
represents a singular lack of courage and ethical behavior on the part of
politicians on both sides of the aisle; a lack of courage to get at the root of
the problem of school shootings, and a lack of willingness to find the truth
about the shooting at Virginia Tech. Then-Governor Kaine and then-Attorney
General McDonnell both turned blind eyes toward the fictitious timelines
concerning “a person of interest” and ignored the TriData conflict of interest.
Both men are lawyers. It stretches credibility to the limits to give them a
pass on these oversights. As a result of these two men’s inaction, they will,
at best, go down in the annals of Virginia history as politicians of monumental
smallness.
Kaine and McDonnell sat by as words
were used to disguise the truth; it is as if they were complicit in a strategy
to investigate without repercussions. Hindsight makes it appear that from the
outset Kaine, McDonnell, and other Virginians in positions of authority were
bent on marginalizing the truth and ensuring that no one would be held
accountable for gross negligence and incompetence.
After extensive reviews of the facts surrounding
the events of April 16, 2007, you get the impression people involved in the
early response to the shootings were in over their heads. They didn’t know what
to do, what to look for, or how to respond correctly to the shooting crisis.
None of that is specifically addressed in the
Addendum.
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