imported post
imperialism2024 wrote:
Kelly J, there are two points I would bring up. The first is that the number of students killed in school shootings every year is very low... maybe in the 20s or 30s on average. So while the events evoke a lot of emotional response, they don't lend themselves to lengthy, thoughtful policy-making that leads to good laws. Only the knee-jerk reactions that lead to bad laws.
The second is that while I am not opposed to your suggestion to let CCW licensees carry on campuses, I'd like to go further. Currently, most states will give out CCWs, if at all, at age 21 or older. That's going to severely limit those who can carry. It also lends itself to states arbitrarily upping the requirements to get a CCW. Already, the "safety" classes that some states require will set a student back $100 or more, coupled to the $300 minimum for a decent handgun that he will only be able to purchase upon turning 21 (in most states)... from personal experience, I can tell you that college students aren't rich. The gist of what I'm saying is that unlicensed open carry needs to be the policy. Sure, one person could accidentally shoot someone else... but that same person could also accidentally run over someone in a car. Or yell "Fire!" in a crowded theatre.And isn't it already legal for CCW licensees to carry on the grounds of all schools? It would fall under the "lawful purposes" provision, no?
In response to your first comment, it is true that large numbers of students are not on the slabs in the morgues of our country, and knee jerk reactions to these shooting, and other like events, are the result of a vast majority of bad laws, already on the books, but I don't think, that in this case we would have to make any new laws, only allow the ones in place, to be removed to allow reasonable protections, to be allowed to happen, for the protection of the whole, and if it would save one students life it would be worth it, in my opinion.
Point two, granted there will be a limited number of CCW holders on any given campus, but I am not talking students in all of these cases, but the adult Faculty in the Schools, that could have a ccw, in the case of the VT Shootings, there were already CCW Holders that were denied, by the School to carry on Campus, so that I think that situation needs to be addressed to simply allow the carrying of Concealed Weapons by current holders of permits, on the campus grounds, so it is not like we are suggesting that every student be armed, but the few who are already by choice, would be able to respond to a crisis situation, and as to additional requirements to acquire a CCW for the purpose of carrying on campus, I fail to see any distinction between a campus, a home, or for that matter, the street, the right to protect oneself would apply no mater where we might be if the States would adopt the Florida Castle Doctrine Policy, so that would not be a factor, as this situation would not be like, for instance, aboard an airliner where special training would be required, to fit the dangerous climate of an airborne aircraft. In this type of environment, I would suggest that open carry would not be a best case situation, not that I am opposed to open carry. And yes, there is always the chance for an accident to happen, and it is not impossiblethat a wrongful use of a weapon might happen, but that is no more a risk in a school, than in an apartment complex or ones private home.
This whole thing, is such a different case, that it will be a hard sell no matter what, because of the fact that the Gun, has been portrayed as a villain, the killer of people, especially Children, which is as we all know, not a reality but it is yet there as a barrier to reasonable, and just protections in, on, and around our schools, businesses, and work places, so it isn't just our Schools that are at risk, and common since will need to be applied for real personal protections to take place, no matter where we are in our daily lives. It is a shame but an awful fact that we are no longer safe in our daily endeavors. Thank you for your thoughtful response! Kelly J
