32 people were the victims of what can only be considered to be a completely random event. What else can you call the act of a lone, psychotic individual. 3,000 people were killed on 9/11. That was an act of pure premeditated evil. I am still grieving. I was too close to it all. I still replay that whole day in my head, what I saw, what I felt, what I did, what I said, how I ran. In the end, I know that there is a bigger picture and that one day, God will reveal his plan to us. There is comfort in longing for that.

I don't think that american values are compatible with all-out free access to any gun you want. Every society has its pool of individuals who think like that killer. When you have plenty of guns to solve your problems, it's a tempting solution for many. It's about time for people to realize that you don't hunt deers in a street with pistols. Access to guns is a right. But in a designated area where you hunt ducks or deers, not elsewhere. As much as that would means restricting to some extent the freedom of some, it is essential to keep a more fundamental right to many: the right to life. That should be the most fundamental value upon which all other policies are decided. The US sees 30 000 deaths per year due to firearms (while, say, Germany, has 6 time less per 100 000 population). This is a reality. And this is not an an American value. So it would be about time for the American population to decide what is more important to them.

The combination of no gun control, no Ten Commandments and untreated crackpots can spark a lethal brew of such mayhem.

Sometimes I don't think American values are necessarily the best there are. In many cases they are as confused and contradictory as this individual was. Remember, here in the USA we have people who will commit murder over the issue of Right to Life. If that is not a confusion of values, I don't know whet is. Remember, we are a country that has a very large and vocal segment that wants to preserve wilderness areas so they can drive their gas guzzling SUV through it. More contradiction. Remember, we are a nation that prides itself on being individualistic . . . unless your individual preference extends to loving someone of the same sex or someone of another race. Remember, we are a nation that never goes back on its word . . . unless you are a politician or that word was given to one of the original inhabitants of the land. Yes, we are a great nation. I think it is the greatest place there is. But we also have to admit we are not perfect. We have along way to go before our values are truly ideal. We can still learn from many other cultures.

and emanon, for all your moral high-ground talk about how America has much to learn from other cultures, I suspect it would take a military battalion to drag you kicking & screaming to actually live in one of these other, 'wiser' cultures. When you talk a line of cr*p, emanon, it's never anything more than just a line of cr*p.

It is odd to find an orthodox rabbi so willing to comment on american values. In my experience as a convert and one who walkd the dark alleys of the US, picking up the bodies and resucing the neglected as well as my living in seven states. I would say that the Rabbis is not in touch with American values but rather in touch with American Jewish values. I will also say he knows nothing about hillbillies, rednecks, thugs, latino-americans, etc . Ther are many who can devalue life in a heartbeat. Take for example the Los Angeles riots. People were more a free-for-all than a demonstartion. 79 people died that day all white people. In the US people killed for their tennis shoes or arguing over how to decorate the Christmas tree. America is no different than prewar germany. America planes killed ten thousand in the first weeks of Iraq. Most Americans dont know nor care about what some would disrespectfully calll "towel heads" or "Sand N****s. What is said about the Jewish people when they are not around, what is said about the blacks, what is said about the whites, what is said about the bosses by workers, what is said about workers by the bosses, these are when the true williness and devaluation of life become apparaent. In America if you make a traffic mistake, be prepaired to be put in a life threatening situation as a result of road rage. If you go into the inner city and you are white, be prepaired to run. If you walk down the street and enter a group of children, be prepaired for confrontation. If you look at someone wrong, be prepaid for a fight. If you cut in line at the grocery store be ready for an assualt. If a begger asks for change and you dont give it, better take several quick steps away. The number of the injuries in the 1960s that were considered fatal, are now being treated. I remember a figure of nearly 70%. Despite this the murder rate continues to rise. I did not grow up in a suburban all white jewish neighborhood - I traveled and saw Americans on their doorsteps, on the streets, on bar stools, and in the workplace. I heard their heart felt stories and ramblings about this group or that group. They are not Jewish in thought or principals. It only takes a second for the value of another to be devalued if you hurt another in any way. Americans will use a gun to resolve a dispute - dont count on it oherwise. My step sister had an ex-boyfriend break into the house and her bedroom and pull the trigger in here face using and unloaded gun. This is why in many states in the US it is illegal to have a gun in reach while driving. The gun has to be unloaded and the bullets kept separate.

Is the only reason why police agencies can still function places like the US. We would be sitting ducks if this was not the case. We rely on the majority of peoples respect for law ,and respect for the enforcers of law to really do the job. As this disintegrates in society, the enforcers must become more militaristic, to keep order. Murder is not really about ego (I agree with Rabbi often, but not here), its about GUILT TRANSFER in the deepest darkest level.

Some people obey law because they do the right thing. Others obey law because they have to. If they don't there are consequences for their actions. Others are not obedient because they think the law doesn't apply to them, their will is more important than anothers.

Meanwhile, you can file "American values" with other oxymorons, such as "military intelligence", "business ethics", "Saudi figure skating", etc. I don't know of any society on earth where egotism is encouraged as much as in America. Except in the US they give it nice euphemisms: individualism and competitiveness. As they give (and thus legitimize or de-ligitimize) ) euphemisms for every other socio-economic and moral issue, depending on how it effects the real purpose of life in America: money and business. You see, when individuals conflict and compete with each other, business wins. Test it. Ty to discuss competence, working conditions, economic justice, and employee solidarity with your colleagues at work. See how fast you get sacked. In America, when values stand in the way of business, values always lose and justifications and consequences of this are given nice euphemisms. So, don't use the plural form, as there's essentially only one American value: the price.

America is just about Money... MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY... Lets cut the nonsense. the US is a sinking ship led by the LACK of VALUES.

People kill for personal reasons and because they can get away with it. Thats why murder must be premeditated. Only one of of three murders gets solved. However, mass murder is something different. In every mass murder case it was a direct punishment for violation of the first commandment. It is what is know as the curses. "If you do evil you will be set aside for evil". These souls have been forfietted and these person act and looked possesed. Why, because they are. The profile of most murders of this type always contains a message from above. They are almost exclusively people who believe they are Jesus, are taking instructions from G-d, or from Satan. They all speak to general "you" allowing the interpretation of what they are saying to apply to us all. Look at the times on my comments at this ynet post: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3388734,00.html Even FBI profiles has the Jesus/God factor. Why doesnt anyone say Moses or Jacob, or even Yehoshua? Its unbalanced for a reason. Choose life and choose death. It is my belief that G-d is actually touching these people in the head to make signs for us all to read. Look at his videos - you see his change and his claim that he shall be like Jesus. It is clear to me that Jesus' message was that he had come to punish the fallen Jews. "I have not come to bring peace" he said

A person has got to be blind not to see it. One side thinks their version of Judaism and ISRAEL isn't about MONEY, and the other side believes in the CHURCH.

buget goes to Israel (last time I looked around 3 billion a year). And since the Persian gulf war an additional 2 billion in loan gaurantees? Or how about the hypocrisy of less aid (known in the US as "WEANING OFF"...or slow stop to breast feeding), but increasing military funding to Israel at the same time? Some of you can justify your thinking if you wish, and try to make the US as a sheigetz if you wish......but who FEEDS WHO? If America generally solved its problems with "guns", there would be NO CTITZENS left. Why? Because the POLICE would confiscate and killed off those who violate.

When are some of you going to blame the US for that as well? THERE IS ALWAYS SACRIFICE WITH FREEDOM. MORE FREEDOM MEANS SACRIFICE AT TIMES. Why? Because it takes sacrifice to get along with others who don't think just like you.

Just out of curiosity...what do some of you think of the purpose behind that command (Not to build the altar with stones hewn by metal Ex. 20:22)? EVIL DEVICES come from metal which is manufacturued by man, also used in the removal of blood guilt (animal soul), by "cutting", and ultimately shortening a mans life. Guns are just another manifestation

..... is being featured under : Israeli Culture? Why? Don't we have anything more honest and authentic?

web site, they seem to profess / exemplify a loving outreach for mankind in Judiasm, which is a good counter to the extreme Christian missionaries who keep telling Jews they are bitter, and don't know G-d.

as usual, them bad, us good...white and black. us are at height of morality, everybody else is in depth of depravity. and oh! yes: "Judaism teaches that all human life is equally precious—a biblical value held dear by most people in the West." but frankly rabbi, does "hashem yiqom domoy" cross your mind when you think goldstein baruch (not) ? to the innocent onlooker, the action of that goldstein is more depraved than virginia tech's killings. let's stop bragging and start examining our own behaviour. while at it thinking of the harms of idolatry might come in handy.

Of course there are Jewish serial killers , child molestors, and really just plain bitter people, who like to blame. Just like there are Christians who are the same, and they transfer their guilt just the same, becaseu the Jesus = Assurance system isn't working on their defiant sin (what is not of faith is sin).. I don't think the Rabbi is of the degree (I could be wrong). But of course I am not a Jew as Judaism today would think of me, or a Christian as they try to make me be.

I don't think any of us can ever rid ourselves of missionary serial type killers. Law external, can only contain them when they are under constant supervision by AUTHORITY. The more freedom, the less supervision.

I am taking a class in Western Civilization and we are studying Rousseau. Rousseau claims that the bible supports inequality between men. Everyone in the class accepted this as fact. I questioned the professor, stating that I must have missed something, I thought we were all made in G-d's image and therefore equal. The professor stated that the bible supports inequality from the choice of Abraham on. Is there a biblical quote that I can use to refute him?

several books Dr. Julian Whitaker's Health and Healing Newsletter writes about show most of the school shootings in America are connected to SSRI prescription medicines that cause some people to become more psychotic, suicidal, and murderous than without the Prozac, Zoloft, or other SSRI "meds". Dr. Whitaker believes SSRI drugs are potentially so dangerous they should be taken off the market. At a plant nursery a few years ago, an elderly man asked if he could help me put plants in my car because he was so distraught, he needed to keep busy, even as a volunteer. I asked him why he was upset and he said his teenage grand-daughter had just commited suicide. I asked him if she was taking Prozac and he said, "Yes." When are ther class action lawsuits going to be filed to get the SSRI drugs OFF the market?