Intresting editorial that goes with this story...
Not sure I like the illustration that goes with it, but the editorial itself surprised me.
http://www.thebreeze.org/opinion/houseed.shtml
JMU policy no match for Constitution
House Editorial
Most students consider JMU to be a safe place to live and learn — crime is low and quality of life is high. For many people, the possibility of carrying a gun on campus is not even a passing thought. While the Bill of Rights guarantees the right to bear arms, JMU policy for some time has forbidden any non-law enforcement personnel from possessing firearms, licensed or otherwise, on campus. However, in Virginia, the General Assembly is the only body that can determine where firearms cannot be carried and, currently, only some places are forbidden to gun wielders.
Now, a lawsuit filed Wednesday by State Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus Dave Briggman, a gun owner and concealed weapon license holder, correctly alleges that because JMU is a public university, it has no grounds on which to suspend an individual’s rights and therefore legally should be allowed to carry a concealed weapon on campus. Another college’s policy recently was defeated in court by Briggman and, while JMU’s intentions are pure, this policy is not one that can — or should — hold up in court.
While this suit could be perceived as a threat to the JMU community, in reality it is court actions like this one that maintain the integrity of our civil rights. This should not, however, be construed as a free pass to Biggman or other gun owners. Just as it is illegal to shout "Fire!" in a burning building despite First Amendment rights, owning and carrying a gun comes with certain necessary responsibilities.
A gun carrier must never draw his or her weapon unless absolutely necessary and must never create a situation where those around him or her feel unsafe or threatened in any way. A gun is one of the most potent and omnipresent symbols of absolute power over life and death — this power must be respected and treated with the seriousness it deserves.
If JMU believes, as its policy seems to indicate, that this power is too great to invite onto campus and instead that it invites only tragedy, the proper path to follow is toward Richmond. If college communities statewide petitioned against firearms on campus, it undoubtedly would influence the state legislature. A public institution, however, cannot legally take the initiative and simply ban licensed firearm owners from carrying their guns on its property.
Undoubtedly, Biggman will be viewed in a negative connotation by many in the interest of public safety, but his assertion of his rights is commendable. If we are to maintain our free society, a violation of our rights on any scale must be challenged and overturned.
