2008 Woodie Awards
Protecting one self shouldn't raise danger
Ryan Johnson
Issue date: 4/29/08 Section: Opinion
School shootings have been media fodder for years, pretty much exploding in terms of national concern after the tragic incidents at Columbine.
I remember that during my high school years, it was inevitable to watch 24-hour news networks go frantic over finding the solution to these high school tragedies. Students should be closely monitored to watch for ambiguous warning signs, according to some, while others argued that the very same media discussing the issue was responsible for warping and desensitizing our country's innocent youth.
Whenever a new shooting would happen, there would be even more consideration into what caused this to happen, which was definitely justified after such horrific events.
But after the shooting deaths of over 30 students at Virginia Tech last year, the media increased the focus of its attention to the potential dangers that open college campuses face from school shootings as well.
Universities across the country have begun to consider changes to minimize the risks of these kind of incidents from happening on their grounds, such as more advanced and faster warning systems to alert students to the danger or training police and security forces to handle the situation more effectively.
One suggestion I've heard mentioned quite a bit lately has me worried that along with this understandable concern over the danger, many have become unrealistic about what will actually help us be safer at our own schools.
There is an argument some make that people should be allowed to bring their firearms with them to campus, partly in order to protect themselves and others from a school shooter and also not being forced to rely on police intervention that sometimes comes too late.
Their logic basically goes like this: the guns are legal - the Second Amendment guarantees American citizens the right to bear firearms - and a student with a legal gun and a current concealed weapons permit should be able to carry their piece with them on campus.
I remember that during my high school years, it was inevitable to watch 24-hour news networks go frantic over finding the solution to these high school tragedies. Students should be closely monitored to watch for ambiguous warning signs, according to some, while others argued that the very same media discussing the issue was responsible for warping and desensitizing our country's innocent youth.
Whenever a new shooting would happen, there would be even more consideration into what caused this to happen, which was definitely justified after such horrific events.
But after the shooting deaths of over 30 students at Virginia Tech last year, the media increased the focus of its attention to the potential dangers that open college campuses face from school shootings as well.
Universities across the country have begun to consider changes to minimize the risks of these kind of incidents from happening on their grounds, such as more advanced and faster warning systems to alert students to the danger or training police and security forces to handle the situation more effectively.
One suggestion I've heard mentioned quite a bit lately has me worried that along with this understandable concern over the danger, many have become unrealistic about what will actually help us be safer at our own schools.
There is an argument some make that people should be allowed to bring their firearms with them to campus, partly in order to protect themselves and others from a school shooter and also not being forced to rely on police intervention that sometimes comes too late.
Their logic basically goes like this: the guns are legal - the Second Amendment guarantees American citizens the right to bear firearms - and a student with a legal gun and a current concealed weapons permit should be able to carry their piece with them on campus.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 24
Jake Gissendanner
posted 4/29/08 @ 12:11 PM CST
Can you name ONE incident involving a firearm on campus? In the Campus apartments? The UPD police chief couldn't.
Honestly, I can go on forever. The presence of guns do not create danger - the presence of idiots and incompetent people do. (Continued…)
Jake Gissendanner
posted 4/29/08 @ 12:15 PM CST
"Another consideration is that statistics show it is more likely for a gun-related incident to end without injury or death if people follow the demands of the attacker rather than trying to be some kind of hero. (Continued…)
Greg Plautz
posted 4/29/08 @ 12:51 PM CST
Do you believe that things such as "more advanced and faster warning systems" and training police to "handle the situation more effectively" will actually work to minimize the risk of these events happening? Both of those examples you listed do absolutely nothing to minimize that risk. (Continued…)
Tim R.
posted 4/29/08 @ 1:46 PM CST
I fail to see how turning in our weapons from our apartments contribute to ANY danger on campus. Judging from the abundance of smoke I smell from my fellow residents, I'm more likely to be burned to death from a cooking fiasco than any sort of weapons-related incident in the apartments. (Continued…)
Evan Trosvik
posted 4/29/08 @ 2:12 PM CST
"Another consideration is that statistics show it is more likely for a gun-related incident to end without injury or death if people follow the demands of the attacker rather than trying to be some kind of hero. (Continued…)
Brian Peppers
posted 4/29/08 @ 4:55 PM CST
Ryan Johnson, you got owned!
Great arguments/facts Jake, Evan, Greg, and Tim!
JB
posted 4/29/08 @ 7:08 PM CST
The creation of more rules does not stop rule-breakers.
Think about that for a minute, and then explain how prohibiting guns on campus is going to stop someone from bringing a gun and killing people if they have that intent to do so. (Continued…)
DanG
posted 4/29/08 @ 8:55 PM CST
It would be really nice if one of these opinion pieces that was against CCW on campus would actually do some basic research on the subject and not just make up issues. (Continued…)
RussP
posted 4/29/08 @ 9:52 PM CST
Mr. Peppers is correct Mr. Johnson. There really isn't much to say the Messrs Gissendanner, Plautz, Tim R., Trosvik, and JB haven't already.
JB is so correct saying, "The creation of more rules does not stop rule-breakers. (Continued…)
fsilber
posted 4/30/08 @ 7:48 AM CST
"Another consideration is that statistics show it is more likely for a gun-related incident to end without injury or death if people follow the demands of the attacker rather than trying to be some kind of hero. (Continued…)
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