The Washington Times
  • Subscribe
  • Times News Services
  • RSS
  • Mobile Headlines
  • e-edition
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • REGISTER
  • LOG IN
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • WELCOME
  • Your Profile
  • Log Out
  • Front Page Image
  • Classifieds
  • Autos
  • Real Estate
  • Jobs
  • Special Sections
  • Customer Service
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • NFL
    • NBA/WNBA
    • MLB
    • NHL
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Motorsports
    • Soccer
    • NCAA
    • Olympics
    • Outdoors
    • Other
  • Culture
    • Home & Living
    • Family & Kids
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Washington Visitors
    • Books
    • Military History
    • Life
    • Auto
    • TV Listings
    • Movie Listings
    • Death Notices
    • Entertainment
  • Themes
  • Communities
  • Shopping
    • Stores
    • Coupons
    • Daily Double
    • Promotion
    • How It Works
  • Videos
    • Two Guys
    • Birnbaum on Washington
    • Liz Glover
    • Amanda Carpenter
    • Morning Briefing
    • Documentaries
    • Joe Giganti
    • Video Game Minute
  • Podcasts
    • About Headlines
    • Audio and Radio
    • America's Morning News
  • National

    VAN CLEAVE: A Thanksgiving message from Russia's spy agency

  • National

    HOLMES: Behind Obama's overseas allure

  • World

    Thailand seeks U.S. help battling insurgents

  • Politics

    Obama taking emissions goal to summit

  • Business

    Retailers banking on Black Friday

  • World

    Corruption stain puts Pakistan leader at risk

  • Politics

    Courage the turkey escapes Obama's plate

Home » News » Local

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Va. Tech families urge gun control

Rate this story

Average 0.00
after 0 votes
Login or register to rate this story

  • Font Size -+
  • Print
  • Email
  • Comment
  • Tweet this!
  • Share
  • Article
  • Comments ()
  • Click-2-Listen
  • Videos
Please stand by, images loading!
  • Associated Press
Shooting victim Colin Goddard, in support of closing the gun-show loophole, said he puts his "full trust" in law enforcement to handle firearms.

More Local Stories

  • Grade-schooler unearths fossil at dinosaur park
  • Metro briefs
  • Divers go deep to check up on oysters
  • 'Boutique' patients pay for better access to doctors

By

RICHMOND (AP) — People on both sides of the gun control debate clashed yesterday as families and friends of Virginia Tech shooting victims and survivors of the tragedy flooded the Capitol in support of legislation designed to prevent criminals and the mentally ill from buying firearms at gun shows.

Tensions escalated as about 100 supporters of a bill that would close the so-called gun-show loophole lay on the Capitol lawn to honor victims of gun violence. About 200 opponents surrounded the group holding signs that read, "Here Lie Disarmed Victims," both sides jostled for turf and one gun rights advocate posed questions to a survivor of the April 16 Virginia Tech shootings.

"Today, united with the families of our fellow Virginians whose loved ones have been lost forever, we fight back for change!" protest organizer Abigail Spangler told supporters, many wearing ribbons in Tech's colors of maroon and orange.

At issue is legislation that would require unlicensed sellers at gun shows to run criminal background checks on buyers. Such checks now are required only of federally licensed gun dealers.

Seung-hui Cho, who killed 32 students and teachers at Tech before committing suicide, passed a background check and bought one gun from a store and a second online, despite having been deemed mentally troubled by a Virginia court. Gov. Tim Kaine afterward signed an executive order requiring that anyone ordered by a court to get mental health treatment be added to a state police database of people barred from buying guns.

Colin Goddard, who survived despite being shot four times by Cho, was taken aback when a member of the Firearms Coalition approached him and said students could have stopped the rampage if they were allowed to carry handguns on campus.

"I would have stopped him," Jeff Knox, director of operations for the Manassas-based group told Mr. Goddard. "Because when I went to school, I carried a gun. It was legal, I did it."

Mr. Goddard responded quickly.

"I feel sorry for you — the fact that you feel you need to protect yourself in every situation," the Virginia Tech senior said. "You're afraid of crazy situations happening. I've lived through this, and I know that I can't continue in my life afraid of things. Things are going to happen out of my control.

"There are people within our society who we deem capable and correct, our police forces who are supposed to protect us — and I put my full trust in them."

12Next »

Post a comment

There are comments on this article, submit your opinion!

Please login or register to post a comment

Ask a Question

You Report

Do you have another point of view, photos, audio, video or more information about a story?

Top Stories

Most Read

  1. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  2. Top Republican lawmakers not attending State Dinner
  3. Fenty trails Gray in D.C. poll
  4. Conservatives seek test for RNC funds
  5. Food snobs fork over $225 for taste of heritage turkey
More Top Stories »
  1. Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything
  2. D.C. sports icon, Wizards owner Pollin dies
  3. List of W.H. state dinner guests
  4. PRUDEN: Obama's due process doctrine
  5. EDITORIAL: Obama's sacked inspector general

Most Shared

  1. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  2. EDITORIAL: The duty of a nation to obey God
  3. Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything
  4. Grade-schooler unearths fossil at dinosaur park
  5. The global-cooling cover-up
More Top Stories »
  1. Climate czar rejects doctored data claims
  2. VAN CLEAVE: A Thanksgiving message from Russia's spy agency
  3. The United Socialist States of America
  4. EDITORIAL: Kennedy vs. Catholicism
  5. EDITORIAL: A call to prayer and repentance

Most Commented

  1. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  2. Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything
  3. Climate czar rejects doctored data claims
  4. Obama to attend Denmark climate summit
  5. EDITORIAL: Obama's sacked inspector general
More Top Stories »
  1. Ky. hanging, ruled a suicide, leaves bloggers at loss for words
  2. A-listers, fundraisers at W.H. state dinner
  3. EDITORIAL: Kennedy vs. Catholicism
  4. Obama taking emissions goal to summit
  5. 9/11 families sharply split on civilian court trials

Listen to Washington Times Radio

  • America's Morning News

    with John McCaslin and Melanie Morgan

Question of the day

Did you travel out of town to see relatives this Thanksgiving?

Blogs & Columns

  • Hot Button Blog

    RNC: Breast cancer recommendations may lead to 'rationing'

  • Belief Blog

    Evangelicals OK civil disobedience

  • Out of Context

    Foods that might kill libido

  • On the Fly

    United lifts some 'award' blocking

  • Technology

    Facebook wins round against phishing spammer

  • Redskins 360

    Redskins matchup

  • SNOBlog

    Beyond 'Woody'

Videos

Advertising Links
TWT Store
  • e-edition
  • Print Edition
  • Weekly Washington Times
TWT Affiliates
  • Middle East Times
  • Golf
  • UPI
  • Arbor Ballroom
  • Washington Times Global
  • About TWT
  • Press Room
  • F.A.Q.
  • Work for TWT
  • Advertise
  • Sponsors
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

All site contents © Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC.