Like any tragic event, the shootings at Virginia Tech this week have left many of us with hundreds of questions, wondering how something so terrible could happen to so many people. The 24-hour news coverage has us glued to our televisions in a way that is reminiscent of the days following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The unrelenting stream of information about the shooter, the victims and the motive is only just beginning to make sense, and amid the new details that are trickling in by the hour, controversy surrounding the incident is also growing. Many are calling for the president of Virginia Tech to resign on the grounds that his delayed response in notifying students of the first shooting was irresponsible. Had they been warned, some argue, perhaps the second shooting never would have happened. The majority of the discussion is focused on the question of how the shooter, now known as South Korean Virginia Tech student Cho Seung-Hui, got his hands on the guns he used to kill 32 people and injure almost as many. The answer is pretty simple. According to a report by CBS News, Seung-Hui traveled just a few miles off-campus to Roanoke Firearms to purchase a 9 mm semi-automatic for $570, which he charged to a credit card. And, adhering precisely to Virginia state law, Seung-Hui showed three forms of identification as well as a green card. A police background check — also required by law — was dutifully administered. According to the shop owner, the entire process rarely takes longer than 20 minutes — far less time than Seung-Hui spent shooting his classmates. Despite the legality of how the shooter bought the firearms, many are beginning to question if the meager identification requirements and routine background check are enough to protect against guns landing in the hands of the wrong people. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence gave Virginia's gun control laws a C-. Its website outlines the different rules and limitations for buying handguns in the state, and many of the rules — or rather, lack thereof — are surprising. While the state does have a one-handgun-per-month rule, there is no limitation on buying assault weapons or magazines. No child locks have to be sold with the guns, and no license or permit is required to buy handguns. On the Virginia Tech campus, however, the rules are a bit more stringent. CBS News spoke to a former campus police chief at the university who said that despite the somewhat lenient state gun laws, the school took extra precautions: All guns owned by students must be registered with campus police. So what now? Gun control laws were in place in Virginia as well as on the Virginia Tech campus. Herein lies the debate: Many say these laws were not nearly strict enough and that a tragedy such as this only brings light to alarmingly inadequate legislation. Others are throwing in the towel altogether in a "if you can't beat them, join them" mentality and are advocating that everyone should be permitted to pack heat. That way, they argue, students who came face-to-face with the shooter could have had the means to defend themselves. Gun violence in America is hardly new. While Virginia Tech is certainly the most recent example of a human's deadly potential, instances of gun violence have been commonplace throughout history. Take, for example, the 1966 shooting at the University of Texas at Austin, which resulted in at least 12 deaths, or the infamous Columbine High School shooting. Guns are deeply rooted in American culture, and while it may be easy for politicians to tout ideas of prohibiting guns altogether, it's just not going to happen. At the same time, I doubt the situation would be much better if we allowed our beer-guzzling college undergraduates to carry concealed weapons. Perhaps the only answer to catastrophic events such as the Virginia Tech shooting is to use it as an opportunity to look deeper into the violent nature of our society, rather than have knee-jerk reactions regarding gun control. Violent video games and Marilyn Manson clichés aside, there are plenty of neighborhoods nationwide where people live in fear after nightfall. There is routine violence on college campuses nationwide — take our own surge in sexual assaults in Madison or even the hate crimes in the dorms during the past few years. Violence is everywhere, and no matter what, guns will be, too. The Virginia Tech tragedy will inevitably become fodder for political gain. People with opposing views on gun control will continue to talk over one another and will never admit that there just may not be an answer. Our society is uncomfortable with the idea of coming to terms with a situation that may not have an easy solution, but that should not stop us from trying to deal with the underlying causes of violence of all kinds rather than the particular weapons we use. Emily Friedman ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in journalism and legal studies.