There are any number of reasons that people fall off the beam, turn violent, and start shooting up the workplace or, for that matter, anywhere else. None of the reasons are particular good reasons, although some in a psychological context are more understandable than others. In an economic downturn, more employees are stressed out with concern for their jobs, their finances, and the general state of things. small wonder workplace violence is up as is employee theft. In tough times some people will make desperate moves.
But the shooting at Virginia Tech, fortunately, is an expectational instance. A student, Cho Seung-Hui Cho, had a history of mental illness and despite any obvious concerns he cleared his background check and was permitted to by a firearm. In 2007, Cho shot and killed 32 persons before killing himself. It was a horrible tragedy.
According to an article in the Washington Examiner, a survivor of the shooting, Colin Goddard, called for states to implement implement a system mandating a background check that includes mental health records, domestic violence arrests and felony convictions. This to me is a logical package of background checks that should be required before handing someone a weapon. While gun ownership has been validated not long ago by the Supreme Court, there are distinctions as to who is actually qualified for eligibility. Simply put, while most gun owners are responsible citizens, some people are just too nuts to be in possession of a firearm.
There is always a balance between according someone is civil right and protecting society. Sometimes background checks go a long way in preserving that balance.
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