April 26, 2007

StreetTalk

by Carol Rosen

After the shootings at Virginia Tech last week, do you think that schools are doing enough to protect their students? How do you think the shootings will affect gun-control laws? Does the release of Seung-Hui Cho’s video glorify his actions? (Asked at the Almaden Library)

“No, the school’s are not doing enough. I’m scared for my children, especially when they go off to college. They are young now, but I don’t know that colleges offer enough protection. I think the government should do something to control guns; they shouldn’t allow dealers to sell to everyone. When you allow people with mental problems to buy guns, you’re just asking for trouble. The government should do something. I don’t think the networks should have broadcast it because kids watch TV and that’s not a good thing for our kids to watch.”

Azita Shirazi, 37
Almaden
Bank teller


“I think the schools are doing enough. It seems like since Columbine and with all the other negative events, the schools are more alert and people are getting students to be more aware. I really hope the Virginia shootings were a big eye opener and can have a positive impact on strengthening our gun laws. I don’t think the video glorified his actions.”

Eric Huerta, 36
Almaden
Insurance agent


“Yes, schools and universities are doing enough. I don’t think such events are something that can be easily predicted or stopped. I think they are doing what they can at the time. I honestly don’t think it will have any impact on the gun laws. Both sides have their own arguments [and they cancel each other out]. I think the video does glorify his actions. He made it for everyone to see and he killed all those people to get his point across. If it was just for him he wouldn’t have made the video.”

Brendan Croon, 26
Almaden
Materials engineer


“No schools aren’t doing enough, because I think there’s a lot of technology or other things they could be doing. If you see [mental or emotional illness] patterns, there needs to be more done to protect students or the general population. I don’t think the event will have an impact on gun control, and that’s part of my frustration. How many things have to happen before they change these laws? The politicians make statements and that’s it. Guns are relatively easy to get. To some degree the video did glorify his actions. There’s been so much press behind it. It could be provoking copycats.”

Steve Koskie, 20-plus
Almaden
Software CEO


“I’m torn with whether schools are doing enough or not. I don’t want to live in a society with metal detectors, although we already are. But we aren’t doing enough to prevent such things because it happened. I don’t think that the shootings will have any affect on gun control. There are too many politicians against gun control. Yes, it did glorify his actions, especially because he mentioned Columbine, he was one-upping them and now someone will try to one-up him. It makes him look like a hero to other [mentally] sick people."

Jennifer Reis, 33
Santa Teresa
Pharmacy technician


“I think schools are doing enough. I don’t know if there’s anything more a school can do to protect students from that kind of violence. I really don’t know if it will affect gun control, but I absolutely think the video glorifies his actions. He wanted the publicity, those kinds of people want publicity.”

Jamie Freeman, 37
Almaden
Homemaker


"Yes, schools have all sorts of systems if there is an intruder on campus. The teachers and the students are trained for such events. I’m 100 percent for gun control, if this event gets us there, that’s great. I don’t think the networks should have publicized the video because there are lots of copycats out there. In fact, there’s already been a couple calling in threats. Let’s remember the victims, not the shooter.”

Sandy Jamison
Almaden
High school special ed teacher