Posted on 03/06/2011 4:10:08 AM PST by marktwain
Let me first state, in no uncertain terms, that I love guns. I think guns are awesome. I own them, I use them, I like them. I think that the Second Amendment is great and I believe that you have the right to own a gun. Guns are cool. Go guns.
That said, I hope that I never have to see a gun used at Purdue. There is no place for concealed weapons on a college campus.
OK, let's back pedal. There has been a lot of talk and controversy about a piece of legislation going on in Texas which would prohibit college campuses from banning guns. Similar bills have been introduced and shot down in 23 states since 2007 (see what I did there?). Texas gets a bad rap for being a state of backwards, intolerant gun-nut cowboys, and not every bit of that is undeserved, but even the Lone Star State should "steer" away from this bill (stay with me, folks.)
I believe that everyone has the right to protect themselves in any way necessary, but mixing college and guns would bring nothing but trouble and tragedy.
The main argument made by people who support the right to carry guns on campus is in regards to school shootings. If some psycho wants to go on a shooting spree, they may think twice about it if they know that their victims can start shooting back. Maybe the tragedies at Columbine, Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois could have been diminished or avoided if the students and teachers were all packing heat. I myself have often thought "Man, if I were there, and I had a gun, maybe I could have stopped that bastard." Everyone wants to be a hero, and everyone wants to see bad people punished for doing bad things, but all the hindsight and good intentions in the world can't prepare you for what another person might do with a gun.
A college campus is just no place for guns. There is too much stress, alcohol, hormonal imbalance and general insanity. There's a saying that "guns don't kill people; people kill people," and that's absolutely true. Do you know what there are a lot of around campus? People. People who could kill other people a lot easier if they have guns.
Two shootings have occurred while I've been at Purdue. The first one happened when some guys jokingly pointed a loaded gun at a friend, and it went off accidentally. Another one happened when an argument outside a night club turned violent. Alcohol was involved both times. Would adding more guns into the mix have made these events turn out better?
Even if everyone carrying a gun goes through the background check, the three day waiting period, all the required paperwork, permits and training, something will eventually go south. The tension and paranoia would build and build until something or someone finally snapped.
Think for 15 seconds about all the people you've met and known on campus who you don't trust with a loaded weapon. Think about the drunken frat boy who wants to start a fight with anyone wearing red and white. Think about the friend in engineering who's having a nervous breakdown from three term papers, two senior design projects and a group presentation. Think about the girl crying and screaming about her boyfriend breaking up with her. Think about practically anyone else. Now put a gun in everyone's hands and think about how safe you feel.
OK, another scenario for you. Some psycho pulls a gun in the middle of a final exam and pops off a couple shots. Someone else goes to stop the guy from hurting anyone and takes him out. Another person turns to see the second guy gunning someone down, and pulls on him. The cops arrive on the scene and find five people pointing guns at each other. Who gets taken down? My guess is not just the original shooter.
Like I said, I think that you have the right to defend yourself in any situation that your life is threatened. I think that it's an incredible freedom that we have as Americans to own a gun. When the zombie apocalypse finally happens, I hope to hell that I can put some lead into some undead, and actually, I'm kind of looking forward to that day. However, until that day comes, keep the guns at home.
Tyler Figg is a senior in the College of Technology. He can be reached at opinions@purdueexponent.org.
If there was no need for a gun to be used at Purdue, then you would never have to see it, you freaking pansy. That's why it's called concealed carry.
Tyler doesn’t think that he will be a victim of gun violence. It will always happen to someone else but not to him.
I never thought the day would come that I would need a gun to protect myself, no not Living in Wyoming,,,till a crazed sphincter used his car to come after me in my car.I just displayed my weapon for him to see and he disappeared
No guns in school?
Yep, just sit there waiting to get shot like at Luby’s?
I heard in a movie once a woman with a gun was asked why she had one, her reply. “A gun is like a condom, I rather have one and not need it then need one and not have it.”
It was in Predator IV
Even if everyone carrying a gun goes through the background check, the three day waiting period, all the required paperwork, permits and training, something will eventually go south. The tension and paranoia would build and build until something or someone finally snapped.
Tyler hasn't taken any logic courses.
He makes some good points about the maturity of college students, but the only people eligible to carry a handgun are over 21 and that will keep weapons out of the hands of alot of the immature students.
BUT, what he doesn’t consider is the adults who work on campus. The janitors, professors, grad students, working adults returning to school, etc. They don’t engage in the binge drinking, have the silly dramas, and they laugh at the “stress” of college.
Guns could pose a risk— but no more so than youth, inexperience, passion, alcohol, and drug use and abuse when
allowed in close proximity to any tool created for self defense.
I think he is forgetting that the 18 year old kids he is thinking about will STILL not be able to carry. No one allows carry by those under 21 (that I know of)due to Federal law.
A lady friend from work some years ago, who was very beautiful, was on her way home and she noticed she was being followed by a couple of guys in a car.
Her husband trained police officers at H&K I VA. So she was their worst nightmare, trained, aware and carrying. She pulled her car into a subdivision and made several turns to see if they continued to follow her, which they did.
She pulled into a cul-d-sac so she could turn her car around jumped out of her car, placed her .357 semi-auto over the roof and racked a round in the chamber. The car pulls up and one guy gets out of the car. She tells him if he approaches her car she’ll shoot.
Well the two guys drove away and my friend was safe.
I’ll bet she and her family were glad she was carrying heat.
“Another one happened when an argument outside a night club turned violent.”
There’s a night club serving alcohol on the Perdue campus????
.357 semi-auto?? I've seen semi-autos in a lot of calibers, but not a .357. Admittedly, I am not familiar with the entire universe of handguns, but I don't recall ever seeing a .357 semi-auto pistol. Revolvers, yes (I have one....a nice stainless steel Taurus). Or is this .357 NOT .357 magnum.
THE TITLE SAYS IT ALL....
“Guns could pose risk around campus”
Lets look at the presuppositions here.
Gun’s = natural evil that they exist anywhere on the planet
Could= a chance of occurring
Pose= To present itself
Risk= again a chance of occurring
Campus= the Holyland of pseudo intellectualism where we control all thinking and behaviors.
It is a good story. Tactically, she could have done better. It would have made more sense for her to drive to the nearest fire station. Firemen are the single biggest profession that have concealed carry permits in Arizona. I suspect that it is the same in Virginia. They face difficult decisions every call, and are familiar with emergencies and how to deal with them, they are open 25/7.
I wouldn't carry the H&K with an empty chamber, but the Israelis seem to make it work.
alinsky works both ways...
I hope that I never have to see a fire extinguisher used at my child's school. There is no place for fire extinguishers at a school.
That was, of course, sarcasm. No one wants to see guns used to prevent crime. Try as we might, we cannot legislate crime out of existance. We can pass laws against honest people carrying them. That is as bad as passing a law against fire extinguishers being where they might be needed.
.357 SIG...???
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