Gun rights and gun control advocates began debating their positions even as the death toll continued to climb, much to the anger of Virginia Governor Tim Kaine. It doesn’t matter which side you are on, this national tragedy is proof that you were right all along.

John Casteen IV says the high profile argument over the assault weapons ban is just a fundraising tool for both sides. But extending the federal background checks mandated by the Brady Law to person-to-person sales would make a real difference.

The LA Times looks to the biblical story of Job to see how we should react to the VA Tech shooting. The time for debate is later, they say, for now we should “respect, quietly, the tears and the pain of this terrible event.”

Michelle Malkin sees a direct correlation between intolerance for conservative opinions on college campuses and students inability to defend themselves.

John Tabin has ferreted out the real culprit here: greedy lawyers who would sue colleges that didn’t institute “no-gun” policies.

The New York Times claims that eight years after Columbine the ease with which killers can obtain guns has not improved. We can’t wait another eight years for real change, they argue.

James Alan Fox says that if we want answers to why mass killings happen, we need to look at our deteriorating communities. Today the isolated are more isolated than ever.