This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

First, there's the horror. The killing of 32 people at Virginia Tech and the wounding of perhaps a score more by a single gunman on Monday leaves a person speechless with grief and disbelief.

Then, as the mind clears a bit, one wonders what can be done to prevent such tragedies.

These dual reactions hit Salt Lake City hard in the wake of the Trolley Square tragedy just two months ago.

Now this.

Our hearts go out to the families of the victims in Virginia, the parents of students attending the university there, the loved ones of faculty and staff.

Our hearts go out, too, to the people in Salt Lake City closest to the Trolley Square tragedy. We suspect that the news from Virginia could add to their pain.

We wish we had some special wisdom or solace to offer. We don't.

But we do know that the terrible events in Blacksburg, Va., the most deadly rampage shooting in U.S. history, will reignite the debate over the ready availability of guns in this nation and the price we pay in death for that policy.

There you have it. We said it. A nation awash in guns cannot protect itself from or prevent tragedies like the ones at Trolley Square or Virginia Tech or Columbine. That's the simple truth.

Gun-rights advocates will argue that this death toll is the price Americans pay for their freedom to defend themselves, their homes and their families from those who would do them harm, including, perhaps, their own government.

That's an argument that should not be easily dismissed. But on a day like this one, it is not persuasive.

We note, too, that Virginia Tech has a policy that forbids students, faculty and staff from carrying guns on campus, even if they have a concealed-carry permit. That is similar to the policy the University of Utah and other public colleges in this state had until recently, before the Legislature struck it down.

It is too early to tell how the Virginia Tech rampage may play on the Utah debate about guns on campus. Too little about the Virginia shooting is known. But we can be sure that the arguments from both sides will gain fresh emphasis in the days ahead.

And they should. Because this is a debate that must continue so long as horrors like the one Monday occur.