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Tuesday, 24 April 2007 16:20 |
| John North
Editor & Publisher |
Following is an open letter to nationally syndicated radio talk-show host Michael Savage:
DEAR DR. SAVAGE:
As a Virginia Tech alumnus, I appreciate your commiseration with my university and its supporters in your recent comments on ìThe Savage Nationî about the so-called ìVirginia Tech massacreî in Blacksburg, Va., on April 16.
You certainly praised engineering professor Liviu Librescu, a 76-year-old Jewish survivor of the Holocaust, who died while saving the lives of a number of students. You also had kind words for many others at Tech who showed courage or suffered at the wrong end of madman Cho Seung-Huiís two handguns.
But I take issue with you over your insistence on how, despite your
sympathy for their senseless deaths, the execution of these students
represents yet another example that supports your contention that
America increasingly is becoming that most dreaded of entities, a
ìnanny state.î
In your view, a concerted efforts by liberals to feminize our culture
has led us to the point where most American men ó despite what you
would term their hard-wiring as hunters and protectors ó have been
rendered effeminate under such teachings as ìnever hit back an
opponent.î
To that end, you have implied that the Tech students, many of whom were
ordered to line up and then were summarily executed, should have at
least died trying to save themselves and others. Also you mentioned
that a gun-free campus, like Techís, is foolhardy.
In addition, you advocated that those who are qualified to carry
concealed weapons should be allowed to do so, noting that this
situation might have been less deadly if someone had fired back at the
shooter. However, I worry about the potential for more shooting
incidents if more people carried guns around campuses.
Although charging the shooter in an effort to save oneís life would
seem to be the sensible alternative to simply being slaughtered, you
donít seem to be taking into account how all this happened so quickly
that those involved were taken by surprise and lacked information on
exactly what was happening. Some said they thought it was all a joke.
However, I think Tech in particular and our society in general may have
learned a lesson from this tragedy and if, God forbid, there is a
similar incident involving a maniac with a gun, both men and women will
be more likely to try to save themselves instead of passively lining up
to be shot. An example would include the heroic efforts of passengers
on Flight 93 during the 9/11 tragedy.
I disagree on your contention about the feminization of men in our
society ó and I think women are just as apt as men to take action to
survive under fire. However, we agree that, when facing an armed
madman, being active versus passive is the wiser course.
Your Critical Listener,
JOHN NORTH
ï
John North, publisher and editor of the Daily Planet, may be contacted at publisher-at-ashevilledailyplanet.com
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