Posted on 04/23/2008 2:10:11 PM PDT by neverdem
There are two types of "gun nuts," those who will say, "I'll give you my gun when you pry it from my cold, dead hands," and those who insist on bringing their Mossberg 590 shotgun to heaven once the rapture comes.
Gun enthusiasts are an interesting crowd. They are our fathers and uncles, our neighbors and friends and often times they are our elected officials. Though there are many things wrong in this country, gun nuts often hold the gun rights issue as the No. 1 concern when heading to the polls to vote. They often have a pettiness toward their love of guns, too - using "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" as their MySpace profile song even though there are about two dozen better Beatles songs to choose from. And that's just the beginning of their pettiness.
But what has always irritated me most about many gun nuts is their audacity to use tragedies such as the Columbine and Virginia Tech massacres to promote their causes for fewer restrictions on carrying handguns in public.
President Paul Zingg agrees.
"Yes, students have right to protect themselves," he said. "Do I think they should carry handguns? No."
Today marks the one-year anniversary of the Virginia Tech school shootings, a tragedy that occurred when a gunman shot and killed 32 people and then himself in a shooting rampage. As we commemorate this tragedy, we will probably hear twisted logic from gun rights groups such as the National Rifle Association to promote the idea of allowing students and professors to carry concealed handguns on campus.
They use Virginia Tech as fodder for what could have happened if more people were packing heat the day gunman Seung-Hui Cho shot so many people. Their logic goes something like this: If more students were armed on the day these events occurred, there would have been a bystander in the crowd who would have ridden in on a white stallion, weapons blazing, and valiantly stopped the gunman in his tracks. But disregard that this fairy tale fantasy relies on outside factors. One: This white knight would need the accuracy and the courage to perform such a feat. Two: The superhero would have to be miraculously standing within 100 feet or so of the gunman to be able to take him down. Three: This courageous gun owner would have to do all this without getting killed.
No evidence supports the idea that if someone in those tragedies had a gun the damage would have been prevented or minimized, Zingg said.
Gun advocates might counter by saying, "Well if he'd known more people had guns it may have prevented him from doing it." Are you kidding me? Did you see that videotape he sent NBC saying why he did it? That guy was crazy. He knew he was going to die that day and wanted to take out as many people as he could before he did it.
The bottom line is: Students and professors should not be allowed to have guns on campus. This myth that "an armed society is a polite society" is unproven and silly. I say, "an armed society is a paranoid and pompous society." Having to watch your manners and hope your gun is bigger than everyone else's is not an appealing way to go through life.
As for guns on campus, it's unsafe and unnecessary. Just because Second Amendment nuts want a Glock tucked in their pants 24/7 to overcome some mental insecurity, doesn't mean I should have to feel uncomfortable knowing a shot could accidentally go off while the teacher is lecturing.
Zingg said the key to safety on campus is "caring and vigilance for one another" and greater visibility of law enforcement. I agree.
The campus community needs to have more appreciation for University Police and respect officers "as not being rent-a-cops, because they're not," he said.
Living in a country that gives its citizens the right to bear arms has advantages and disadvantages, but arming students and professors isn't logical - it's ideological - and won't stop massacres such as Virginia Tech from happening again.
Mike Murphy can be reached at opinioneditor@theorion.com
I will be right back, as soon as I get off the phone with my Pastor.
I believe it was Ben Franklin who said "Men will either be governed by God or by tyrants".
Does this fellow have an actual argument to make?
They tend to forget that government is made of their neighbors.
I’m actually surprised he referenced the Mossberg 590. The 500 is very very popular, but the 590 is a rather obscure & specialized version thereof (and it’s not made for hunting). I thought there might be some hope, but alas...
It’s ok, we’re just bitter.
/sarc
“Sure you can do X. You just can’t possess any tools to do X.” Yeah, that makes sense.
We DO, however, have repeated evidence that NOT having one present does NOT prevent or minimize casualties.
How about we try a different plan than the one repeatedly proven to NOT work, hmmm Mr. Zingg?
With a title like that? I thought the title was self evident, but I still got two "Where's the mega barf alert"? I don't know.
Where to start...
“Gun nuts” and “Second Amendment nuts” One shouldn’t project one’s insecurity regarding mental state on others.
“No evidence supports the idea that if someone in those tragedies had a gun the damage would have been prevented or minimized, Zingg said.”
neverdem accurately points out the Colorado Springs Church incident. Not to be forgotten was the time period in Israel’s history when schools and school children were high priority terrorist targets. Parents, teachers, and family members armed themselves and guarded students. After a few THWARTED (and by THWARTED, the sheepdogs KILLED the wolves to protect the sheep) terrorist attacks, the attacks STOPPED!
Gun folk are polite, not pompus, prepared not paranoid, and among the most law abiding citizens of our society.
“Zingg said the key to safety on campus is “caring and vigilance for one another” and greater visibility of law enforcement. I agree.”
Caring and vigilance with out the tools of defense is like being responsible for a construction project without so much as a hammer! soooo touchy feely!
“The campus community needs to have more appreciation for University Police and respect officers “as not being rent-a-cops, because they’re not,” he said.”
Some folks diminish the value of campus security. In fact they have no more liability or duty to protect individuals from harm than sworn Law Enforcement Officers. IT IS AN INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT INDIVIDUALS!!!
“Bitterly” trying to understand how folks can be so ignorant of their individual responsibilities, history, and heritage...
Cheers,
L
L
Mike Murphy scared of guns.
Freud was right about that.
L
this article has so much misinformation and assumptions of the left as to border on the absurd.
He seems the kind of peace corps confused social worker canibals eat for breakfast.
I have one goal in life and that is not be shot in the back.....face the treat, stop the threat. Otherwise the threat will feed off ones fear.
Call me a gun nut in person Mikey Murphy and I will hand you your ass you liberal POS.
I am a life long responsible gun owner who served 26 years in the military, 14 of those 26 were also serving as a reserve sheriff deputy and 3 more years as a full time deputy sheriff and now serving again as a private contractor, all while bearing arms in defense of this nation you try too destroy from within. All my service to my nation has been to ensure you have the right too spew your opinion but not insults or sedition. I have taken down criminals and enemies of this nation in the past and as far as I am concerned you are but one more tool of fools trying to turn our nation into a socialist pile of victims in waiting.
I have in some form or manner used firearms since the age of 12 on our farm, hunting game and criminals or enemies of this country.
Your gun grabbing fear mongers used the events of death you describe to further your own seditious unconstitutional agenda. Don’t even tell me to stop trying to counter such cow crap as it has been a life long duty and hobby for me......
Bring it or STFU......you ain’t shit.
Why? You got your Nanny state and Guns are protected by the Constitution.
The unfunded entitlements is what will destroy the American Dream.
John
Given that our institutions of higher learning trumpet a well-rounded education, I promote the idea of colleges not only opening gun-shooting ranges, but also offering classes in firearms management.
Also, the following links indicate that Mike Murphy needs to stop trying to drag everybody into his gunless fantasy world.
The article at the following link tells of a gun-related tragedy, comparable to last year's VT tragedy, that happened a few years back. But what people like Mike Murphy and the MSM are in denial about concerning the previous tragedy is that the renegade student was stopped by other students who had locked guns in their vehicles. In fact, the other students disarmed the renegade student before the police arrived at the scene.
http://freestudents.blogspot.com/2007/04/when-mass-killers-meet-armed-resistance.htmlAlso, despite our 2nd A. protections, the Swiss have distinguished themselves as leaders in successfully integrating firearms management into their culture, effectively reducing crime.
http://www.stephenhalbrook.com/articles/guns-crime-swiss.html
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