Hokie,
I've read your various posts on your experience with the college shooting, the during and after. I hope you continue to heal and recover.
Academia is unfortunately full with too many anti-gun folks. In Florida when a campus carry bill was being worked in the legislature last year our college leadership was crying doom and gloom and pledging to fight it. I had a couple of frank discussions with some colleagues that are shooters, but were into the hype of "it will be dangerous with all these "kids" with guns around here." My premise is simple, number 1, legal carry is limited to 21 (with some exceptions) and older. What percentage of our student body would actually carry? What would stop someone from carrying now? If someone wanted to harm you, how would you defend yourself?
Yesterday, as I was waiting to begin an employee workshop scheduled for 10AM, one of the two co-facilitators tells me, "we can't start at ten, we have the student walkout." I think she read my look pretty well, as I just stared at her and said -- "I won't support it. However, you may go if you wish and express your first amendment rights." We proceeded to have a short discussion on the incident, where at some point I asked, "What would have stopped the attack?" The one wanting to go on the walkout actually surprised me, she said "outside of the guy not being born, I guess nothing." I can understand that sentiment.
BTW, I work in Miami, about an hour south from Parkland, but live about 30 minutes away.
On a related note, at least three of my troops (AF Reserve) are Broward Sheriff's Deputies. Two were on scene that day. But that's a topic for another venue.
