Doug Huffman
Banned
imported post
http://www.lakelandmirror.com/media/storage/paper471/news/2008/03/13/News/Students.For.Concealed.Weapons-3268903.shtml
Due to the recent school shootings at Northern Illinois University (NIU) and Virginia Tech a lot of debates have been sparked about school safety. Some students believe they would feel safer if allowed to carry concealed weapons. They argue that if they can carry them around town, why should college be any different? Lakeland, like many schools K-12 and beyond, has a ban on firearms.
The Lakeland student handbook says, "Possession and/or use of fire arms,
including, but not limited to ammunition, bb guns, stun guns, rifles, bows, bayonets, knives, switchblades, martial arts weapons, air soft guns, sling shots, and paint pellet guns are not permitted on campus. Students guilty of these violation will be dealt with severely."
Jason Wilson, Lakeland's director of campus security, said, "We understand that students hunt and own guns. We make concessions for them. We are happy to escort them and their gun to the gun safe in the security office. I am the only person with a key. We also check that the students are lawfully in possession of the firearms. Any violations will be punished on an escalating scale that leads to expulsion. There are also criminal charges on top of the Lakeland punishment. In the wake of school shootings, the police take any firearm violation extremely serious."
Groups have sprung up across cyber space, the largest being Students for Concealed Carry on Campus on Facebook, which now has 20,310 members. The group is currently protesting by wearing empty gun holsters to class throughout the spring.
In a "USA Today" interview, the group's leader, W. Scott Lewis, said, "I felt defenseless, and it started to bug me, especially with all the school shootings. We're not talking about convincing people to get licenses, we're talking about people who already have their licenses. And for the most part, they are older students."
The student outcry has prompted 12 states to consider concealed weapons on campus. Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington all have bills in debate. Utah is the only state that currently allows permit holders to carry guns on all public campuses.
Lakeland, like the rest of the country, is divided on whether guns on campus would be a positive or negative force on campus.
Senior Crystal Iverson said, "Hell no. There is no reason for students to carry firearms. It would just be scary."
Judy Schneider, a senior, said, "I don't see guns on campus as a bad thing, as long as the people have the training and skill to carry them safely. I think we should concentrate on gun education rather than gun control."
Wilson said it is a bad idea to have students carry guns on campus. "Students should trust that from President Gould to security that we have everything under control," he said. "We are in constant contact with the local police and sheriff. Security may not be armed, but we are trained to handle all kinds of situations. If we all carry guns, we run the risk of becoming a vigilante society and lose our sense justice."
http://www.lakelandmirror.com/media/storage/paper471/news/2008/03/13/News/Students.For.Concealed.Weapons-3268903.shtml
Due to the recent school shootings at Northern Illinois University (NIU) and Virginia Tech a lot of debates have been sparked about school safety. Some students believe they would feel safer if allowed to carry concealed weapons. They argue that if they can carry them around town, why should college be any different? Lakeland, like many schools K-12 and beyond, has a ban on firearms.
The Lakeland student handbook says, "Possession and/or use of fire arms,
including, but not limited to ammunition, bb guns, stun guns, rifles, bows, bayonets, knives, switchblades, martial arts weapons, air soft guns, sling shots, and paint pellet guns are not permitted on campus. Students guilty of these violation will be dealt with severely."
Jason Wilson, Lakeland's director of campus security, said, "We understand that students hunt and own guns. We make concessions for them. We are happy to escort them and their gun to the gun safe in the security office. I am the only person with a key. We also check that the students are lawfully in possession of the firearms. Any violations will be punished on an escalating scale that leads to expulsion. There are also criminal charges on top of the Lakeland punishment. In the wake of school shootings, the police take any firearm violation extremely serious."
Groups have sprung up across cyber space, the largest being Students for Concealed Carry on Campus on Facebook, which now has 20,310 members. The group is currently protesting by wearing empty gun holsters to class throughout the spring.
In a "USA Today" interview, the group's leader, W. Scott Lewis, said, "I felt defenseless, and it started to bug me, especially with all the school shootings. We're not talking about convincing people to get licenses, we're talking about people who already have their licenses. And for the most part, they are older students."
The student outcry has prompted 12 states to consider concealed weapons on campus. Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington all have bills in debate. Utah is the only state that currently allows permit holders to carry guns on all public campuses.
Lakeland, like the rest of the country, is divided on whether guns on campus would be a positive or negative force on campus.
Senior Crystal Iverson said, "Hell no. There is no reason for students to carry firearms. It would just be scary."
Judy Schneider, a senior, said, "I don't see guns on campus as a bad thing, as long as the people have the training and skill to carry them safely. I think we should concentrate on gun education rather than gun control."
Wilson said it is a bad idea to have students carry guns on campus. "Students should trust that from President Gould to security that we have everything under control," he said. "We are in constant contact with the local police and sheriff. Security may not be armed, but we are trained to handle all kinds of situations. If we all carry guns, we run the risk of becoming a vigilante society and lose our sense justice."
