In March, Colorado’s Supreme Court ruled that students with concealed carry permits were allowed to carry concealed on campus. But since July’s mass shooting in Aurora, CO, some university officials, faculty, and students are troubled.
I quote a few paragraphs from the NYT’s article that seems to capture some of the debate:
. . . Some teachers have spoken out publicly against extending the concealed gun policy to campus, fearful that an unstable student — who now, ostensibly, could be legally armed in their classrooms — might hurt them or a fellow student.
Last month, the chairman of the Faculty Assembly at the campus in Boulder, Jerry Peterson, told The Boulder Daily Camera that he would cancel class if he discovered one of his students was carrying a gun. And on Friday, faculty members gathered to discuss how to overturn the policy through legislative channels.
Gun rights proponents, conversely, have argued that lawful gun owners should not be precluded from protecting themselves on college campuses, and they contend that gun bans make those campuses less safe.
Besides, they say, anyone disturbed enough to open fire is not going to heed university policy.
“This gives us the right to protect ourselves, where currently, many colleges suspend that right,” said David Burnett, a spokesman for Students for Concealed Carry, a national group that advocates for the right to carry legally permitted guns on public college and university campuses. . . .
So, what do you think? A disturbed student has access to a gun and might be a threat to his fellow classmates and teachers. So, change the policy and prohibit all students from carrying concealed on campus. Now, what will a disturbed student do? Of course, the disturbed student will follow the university policy and not carry. Are you sure? And, how do those who are not disturbed defend themselves against such a possibility?
I will take my chances with a law-abiding student who is legally carrying concealed.
Read more here.