Friday, April 08, 2011

A peek at the mentality against concealed carry on campus

Every once in a while, a little bit of insight into the concealed carry on campus issue comes to light. This blogger wrote that the "high prevalence of substance abuse and depression among college students, it makes little sense to encourage gun carrying by anyone other than duly-sworn public safety personnel." Further, "how comfortable would instructors be in handing out poor grades to students who may be packing heat." I didn't realize it took so little to turn college students into killers! I guess irrational fears and neuroticism are a good reason to limit the freedoms of others. I guess some people just don't trust college students. Assuming, arguendo, that there is data to support the assertions about substance abuse and depression, why should all college students be branded negatively? In a country that values equal protection and liberty, such assumptions are questionable. Don't people have a right to be judged as individuals rather than stereotyped? The writer also ignores the fact that in most, if not all states, one has to be 21 to get a license and will have to spend time and $ to get the license. Further, anyone with a criminal record cannot get a license. Fear is a potent propaganda weapon. It has been used against various groups in this country for years.

5 comments:

  1. James Alan Fox confuses criminal activity with law abiding concealed carry. This is typical leftist fear tactics, It’s like their confusing services with individual rights. They don’t understand self-defense anymore than they do self-determination. They figure people should depend on the police much like they do big daddy government. Trust me Mr. Fox, wearing a badge or being a public official doesn’t guarantee good character or judgment. We’re a constitutional republic with inherited individual rights. Get use to it Mr. Fox. You’re far better off.

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  2. An unmentioned reality underlies this issue .... the fact that some campus teachers have an obvious problem with their power streak. I have met a few who are arrogant, egotistical and disrespectful, and if they were threatened, it would be no mystery. As an adult student, I have warned at least one myself. I think the prospect of having a lowly "passive" student turn into a confrontational surprise is a terribly unpleasant thought for an abusive academic . . . and there are some.

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  3. Ridgway's point is well made, " ... the fact that some campus teachers have an obvious problem with their power streak."

    He's absolutely correct. The concealed carry debate is about power. Such mindset has served authoritative dictators well. Anti-carry administrators, faculty and staff have an unsupported and fictional fear of loosing control over their ivory tower domain.

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  4. The only valid argument I have heard against concealed carry on campus is the scenario where a licensed gun carrier is forced to stop a threat (in whichever way that happens), and is the only individual seen with a gun when campus security and/or police officers arrive on scene.

    This scenario presents an opportunity for confusion if officers, fueled by adrenalin and urgency, believe that the person holding the gun is the original shooter/threat.

    However, CHL holders are trained to stop the threat and immediately identify themselves as CHL holders to security personnel. Furthermore, while I can understand the stress security personnel would be under, they too are trained to assess a situation before they come in with guns blazing. It would be highly unlikely that any responsible officer would arrive on scene shooting first and asking questions later.

    Lastly, this argument could apply to ANY situation, on campus or off. It's too unlikely a scenario to use as a way of handicapping a CHL holder's ability to protect themselves and others.

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  5. Thanks to all who posted. Me: generally agreed. There are hundreds of thousands of people lawfully carrying in this country. I have yet to see a report of the type of incident you are describing. I agree. Constitutional rights should not be compromised by hypotheticals which seem to be non-existent.

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