Guest: Geraldo Rivera

"Within minutes of the terrible murders at Virginia Tech, liberal activists were bringing up gun control, and America haters all over the world were gloating about the decline of the USA. Pam from Canada wrote that 'your country will destroy itself from the inside out.' This is typical anti-American stuff - we're bad and everything that happens is our fault. But mass murder in America is rare and the murder rate in this country has been steadily dropping for fifteen years. Much of this anti-American stuff comes from within. The anti-gun crowd is hopped up today - elements at NBC News, the New York Times, Rosie O'Donnell, the British press are all screaming about how terrible the Second Amendment is. That being said, Virginia's gun laws are too lenient - almost anybody can buy a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol. Sensible gun laws are needed throughout the USA, and authorities should know who's buying, who's carrying, and should place limits on firepower. But the Second Amendment is there for a reason. In times of disaster no government will be able to protect you, so you have a right to protect yourself. Sensible gun laws? Absolutely. Assaulting the Second Amendment? Nonsense."

For insight into the life of killer Cho Seung-Hui, The Factor called on Geraldo Rivera in Virginia. "This guy's family," Rivera reported, "is not so different from the families you and I were raised in. His parents were blue-collar strivers. But for whatever reason, he began to fester and became one of these malignant losers. When you read his note, you see that this loser was transferring all of his disappointment to his victims so he could dehumanize them. Then he goes and kills them. Words fail to describe the despicable nature of such a pathetic creature." The Factor asserted that there were plenty of warning signs. "He stalked some women on campus, he set a fire in his dorm room, he wrote a play about murder and pedophilia. This guy seems no different than Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris eight years ago at Columbine, it's the same kind of narcissism."

News Link: Sicko VT Killer

Guests: Virginia Tech graduate student Brendan Quirk

Virginia Tech graduate student Brendan Quirk, who was in class with the wife of one of the murder victims, described Monday's chaos. "We saw policemen outside of our windows and knew something was going on. There were some students with injuries because they had jumped out of the second story of Norris Hall and were seeking refuge. They told us they had heard shots and saw blood in the hallways, then decided jumping out the window was the best way to escape. All of this has been very draining, very tiring. I'm only now beginning to understand the global significance of this." The Factor pointed out that Cho Seung-Hui's savagery has affected, and will continue to affect, hundreds of lives. "Anybody who experiences violence is changed forever. Some of those who survived will carry that for the rest of their lives."

News Link: Tales from a killing zone

Guest: Father Rich Petrone

For a first-hand perspective on school violence, The Factor welcomed Rich Petrone, whose 15-year old stepson was killed at Columbine. Petrone described his emotions when he heard about the carnage at Virginia Tech. "My first thought was pure anger, I was just so angry that this happened again. And I feel for the parents, knowing what they'll go through for days, weeks, and years. It sounds like this nut had this planned all the while, and the warning signs were there. I believe a lot of this is caused by terrible parenting."

Guest: Prof. Mark Smith, NRA

Advocates of gun control point to Virginia Tech as an example of the need for more restrictive laws. But according to gun rights advocate Mark Smith, there is no shortage of gun laws. "Guns are one of the most heavily regulated products in America - by the federal government, states, and at the local level. Virginia is lenient - if you're a law-abiding citizen with no record of criminality, it's relatively easy to buy a gun." Smith added that guns are banned on Virginia Tech's campus. "How many of those students or faculty members that were murdered had guns in their cars, but couldn't bring them on campus? If any of the 30 people had a firearm in their possession Monday, the result might have been very different." The Factor summarized the dilemma at the heart of gun control. "All of this is a trade off. You know criminals will get guns, even if there are the most stringent gun laws in the world. So do you make it easier for law-abiding citizens to defend themselves, or do you make it harder for anyone to buy a gun?"

News Link: VT Killer bought guns legally

Guest: Fox News contributor Bernard Goldberg

Fox News analyst Bernard Goldberg, whose latest book condemns extremists on both sides of the political spectrum, entered the No Spin Zone. Goldberg responded to a tape of Rosie O'Donnell calling for a repeal of the Second Amendment. "If Rosie has her way," Goldberg asserted, "only lunatics and criminals will have guns. She doesn't want anyone else to have guns, but her bodyguards can pack heat." Goldberg also described the depth of the hatred that permeates some precincts of the far left. "You are the anti-Christ, Bill. You say 'Bill O'Reilly' to otherwise normal, regular liberals, and they start foaming at the mouth. They hate you and Rush Limbaugh because you're successful. They felt a lot more comfortable when they had a monopoly on the media."

Featured Book: Crazies to the Left of Me, Wimps to the Right: How One Side Lost Its Mind and the Other Lost Its Nerve by Bernard Goldberg

Guest: Dr. Casey Jordan, Western Connecticut State University

Criminologist Casey Jordan, who has studied society's most violent people, explained the difference between serial killers such as Ted Bundy and mass murderers like Cho Seung-Hui. "The psychology of those types of killers is completely different," Jordan said. "The serial killer wants to get away with it, wants to succeed to fulfill some deep inner need. But the mass murderer invariably is in some very dark place of despair and usually wants to kill himself. They are very rarely around to interview, so we don't know a lot of the thoughts that go on in their heads." The Factor lamented the difficulty of preventing random killings in a free society. "This guy sent off signals like the guys at Columbine did. Everybody knows someone like this, someone really spooky and creepy, and society can't do anything about it."

News Link: VT Killer wrote twisted plays

Your e-mails dealt with the massacre at Virginia Tech. Some excerpts:

Jason Sanders, Starkville, MS: "The decision to inform the students about potential danger took two hours. I feel the administration at Virginia Tech should be held accountable for that."

Kevin Craig, Virginia Tech: "As a student here, I don't think any blame is necessary and doesn't do the families and friends of the deceased any good."

Edward Graney, Dana Point, CA: "We must strengthen the gun laws or this will happen again."

Scott Taylor Lancaster, PA: "Anyone willing to murder 32 people will not be deterred by any law."