Carry on campus and balanced reporting

[ZeSpectre]

WHSV is typically...erratic in terms of RKBA
Then we get articles with an even balance like this one.

Allowing Guns on Campus

Harrisonburg, Va.
Posted: 6:56 PM Feb 15, 2008
Last Updated: 11:08 AM Feb 16, 2008
Reporter: Kelly Creswell
Email Address: [email protected]


Allowing Guns on Campus

In the wake of Thursday's shooting on the campus of Northern Illinois University where six people were killed including the gunman, the issue of allowing students and faculty to carry concealed weapons on campus is getting renewed attention.

For many students, the recent campus shooting brought back many memories of Virginia Tech. There were some mixed reactions about whether or not guns on the school's campus would create a safer or more dangerous environment.

Virginia has been wrestling with this issue for years.

"In hindsight, it's easy to look back and say you know, if someone had had a gun, who was licensed and knew how to carry it, they could have stopped the killer," says Kate Joyce, a JMU student.

So should students and faculty be allowed to carry a concealed weapon on campus? JMU Professor Dorn Peterson says concealed weapon holders are statistically seven times more law-abiding than the average person.

He says, "When you make a rule or a law that says you shouldn't be on campus with a concealed handgun, what you're doing is you're leaving [out] the people who actually pay attention to the law, and those are exactly the people who you don't need to worry about."

However, others believe carrying guns on campus isn't going to make these situations any safer. These people also think only a few should have the privilege.

"Limited to law enforcement or military, and that those of us who are civilians should not be carrying weapons," says John Gilje, a JMU professor.

At a time when the Virginia Tech tragedy remains a sore memory for many students in Virginia, the debate has become energized.

JMU student Michael Parsons says, "I don't want kids being heroes. I don't want them to try to solve it themselves. That's going to make the situation worse. I think that kids with concealed weapons on campus, even the best intentioned kids, just make it a more dangerous place in general. I feel like police officers should be allowed to carry it on campus with security, but not students or professors."

Even though campus shootings are rare, students at JMU say they feel safe while they're on campus, but they also point out that JMU is just as vulnerable as any other school in the nation.

 

[Dbl0Kevin]

"I don't want kids being heroes. I don't want them to try to solve it themselves. That's going to make the situation worse. I think that kids with concealed weapons on campus, even the best intentioned kids, just make it a more dangerous place

Anyone else find it somewhat amazing that today college age people are referred to as kids? Especially considering that most states require someone to be 21 to have a CCW referring to them as "kids" is either a sad state of affairs or age discrimination.

 

[Cesiumsponge]

Even the best intentioned officers have made it a more dangerous place.
Fact: humans screw up and there is no such thing as a fool-proof plan.

I cannot for the life of me see how people fail to make a simple connection. Current concealed permit holders can carry in public places sans some restrictions like educational facilities, government buildings, etc.

They obviously aren't running around "shooting co-workers over disagreements", "shooting people over being cut off in traffic", or "shooting people over bumping into them". You would think this is proof enough that a vast majority of people that carry these permits are wholly more responsible than the guy that flips out and screams obscenities and gives you the bird at an intersection.

Suddenly we're to believe if we let them carry on campus, they'll be "shooting teachers since they failed a test"?

 

[TwitchALot]

Even though campus shootings are rare, students at JMU say they feel safe while they're on campus, but they also point out that JMU is just as vulnerable as any other school in the nation.

The ol' "feel safe, but who cares about actually being safe because that's overrated" argument. I think a letter to the editor is in order, though, because I consider Utah's Universities to be far less vulnerable than other schools.

 

[69Chevy]

I don't want kids being heroes. I don't want them to try to solve it themselves. That's going to make the situation worse. I think that kids with concealed weapons on campus, even the best intentioned kids, just make it a more dangerous place

Wow. I think this is the problem with today's society, no one wants to think for themselves or actually have to do something themselves. Better to leave it to "professionals". Our public school systems suck. They don't teach you how to be independent and think on your own, they teach you to shut up, get in line, and fill out these forms (aka schoolwork). Is it any wonder tragedies like this happen?

 

[hoppinglark]

well the attitude is not just on firearms themselves.
I once mentioned that UF has a policy against ALL projectile weapons
so the $350.00 Leopard print Taser is off limits to carry on their campus
as well.

The person i was talking too said "That's a good thing, do you really want those drunk kids running around with tasers?!"

my response was, "well then i guess they should stop giving out parking permits and ban cars since driving drunk is illegal too"

She thought I was being silly, and yet her idea logical.

 

[romma]

"Limited to law enforcement or military, and that those of us who are civilians should not be carrying weapons," says John Gilje, a JMU professor.

Some people just love a Police State!

Some people are accustomed to having other people take care of them.

What about those that want to rely on themselves? They just get left out.

This "professor" apparently hasn't heard the supreme court ruling that the police have no duty to protect individuals.

 

[ZeSpectre]

Well, I suppose you could ask him
http://www.jmu.edu/jmuweb/search/people.shtml
If you do STAY HIGH ROAD!

Heck maybe we should invite him to come here and see if he can get us to understand his point of view. We'll probably agree to disagree but I think it's very good to break the slightly monolithic tone here and get some other opinions once in a while...again, as long as everyone stays HIGH ROAD!

 

[Titan6]

JMU student Michael Parsons says,

[1.] I don't want kids [18-65 year old college students] being heroes.

[2.] I don't want them to try to solve it themselves.

[3.] I feel like police officers should be allowed to carry it on campus with security, but not students or professors."

I understand his point of view perfectly.

Because you are not smart enough to take care of yourself the big special people from the government will take care of you for you. Go color. If you keep your crayons between the lines there will be ice cream in it for you later. I know this is true because my mommy told me so.

Is that High Road enough for you? Seriously though with his complete disassociation from responsibilites for himself and his actions I don't even think that even he can understand his point of view much less explain it to anyone else. Although I would love to see him try.

"Limited to law enforcement or military, and that those of us who are civilians should not be carrying weapons," says John Gilje, a JMU professor.

Yes, because we need more military on college campus protecting you commoners.....

But at least the article presented more than one POV. That is incredibly progressive for a college newspaper. I wonder if the MSM can learn anything from it....

 

[GuyWithQuestions]

well the attitude is not just on firearms themselves.
I once mentioned that UF has a policy against ALL projectile weapons
so the $350.00 Leopard print Taser is off limits to carry on their campus
as well.

The person i was talking too said "That's a good thing, do you really want those drunk kids running around with tasers?!"

my response was, "well then i guess they should stop giving out parking permits and ban cars since driving drunk is illegal too"

She thought I was being silly, and yet her idea logical.

As of August 2007, there has only been 6 crimes committed with a dart-firing air TASER. There's been thousands of times that it's been used to save lives. Whenever one's shot it shoots out all these micro dots with the serial number of the air catridge so they can track down who used it. Regardless of whether your state law requires or not, you have to do a background check to get one. I had to go through the complicated check for the C2 that I bought. You go online pay the $9.99 and give your social security number and you have to verify from multiple choice certain questions that it brings up about yourself that only you would know and you have to get them right (it's not a credit check but criminal background and the questions ask for example exact street addresses of where you've lived in multiple choice format). If you pass the background check, it gives you a password to activate that will only work on your taser for its specific serial number and no others. Then you have to open the safety and push the shooting button the amount of times for the first digit on your password, then close the safety and open it again and press for the next digit. If you mess up, you have to take the battery magazine out so that it'll reset so that you can start over again. It's not like a trigger lock that you can pick or a cable lock that you can smash. Luckily after you activate it with the password given to you, you don't have to worry about that any more. Air tasers have also been found to be less likely to cause serious injury or death than most other defense options out there. I don't know why people worry about them so much.