2008 Woodie Awards
Campus shootings prompt concealed carry legislation
Andrew Dose
Issue date: 8/12/08 Section: News
"I think it's pretty messed up," Spowart said. "Ten years ago I would have been fine with it, but in light of everything that's been going on, there's a lot of [explicative]-up people out there. … I don't want them walking around campus with a gun. Some people may have it for self-defense, but that nut who says he has it for self-defense and then starts unloading on a crowd. … I'm not cool with it."
Ericka Taylor, a sophomore chemistry major, said it's not up to students to worry about a shooting, but that students who could carry guns on campus made her nervous.
"I really don't like the fact [that concealed carry is allowed] because we really don't need it here on campus," she said. "We have police, you should feel safe, so I don't get why you should feel you need to bring your own weapon here on campus when it's safe already. It makes me nervous that people can be walking around with [guns]."
Ryan argues that those who carry concealed weapons are generally of a more healthy state of mind because they have to qualify for a permit.
"We're law-abiding citizens; we have to be in order to get approved," he said.
Jenny Romanin, a sophomore agricultural business major and shotgun sports team president, agrees with Ryan.
"The people that do everything by the book …you go through a course that's taught by the government," she said. "They teach you safety. It's not like, 'Oh I have a gun, I have road rage, I can go shoot some guy because he cut me off'… the intentions aren't to go out and hurt anybody or kill anybody."
Safety's not political
Christian Heyne, a senior political science major at California State University, Chico, and the President of the recently sanctioned Chico State chapter of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, feels that the main issue at hand is the continuing rate of gun-related death and violence in the United States.
"One hundred thousand people die from gun violence every year, and that's domestically, and those numbers are too crazy," Heyne said. "As far as I'm concerned, that's way too high. It isn't a Republican issue, it isn't a Democrat issue, it's an issue where our family members are dying because the access to guns is too easy in America."
Regardless of political affiliation, Heyne says that both sides can avoid the irrelevant and interfering nature of political beliefs that push aside the real issue of security.
"So much of this gets lost in party politics, especially on the side of gun control," Heyne said. "People think that we're trying to infringe upon their second amendment rights and that's not what we're really trying to work toward."
Ericka Taylor, a sophomore chemistry major, said it's not up to students to worry about a shooting, but that students who could carry guns on campus made her nervous.
"I really don't like the fact [that concealed carry is allowed] because we really don't need it here on campus," she said. "We have police, you should feel safe, so I don't get why you should feel you need to bring your own weapon here on campus when it's safe already. It makes me nervous that people can be walking around with [guns]."
Ryan argues that those who carry concealed weapons are generally of a more healthy state of mind because they have to qualify for a permit.
"We're law-abiding citizens; we have to be in order to get approved," he said.
Jenny Romanin, a sophomore agricultural business major and shotgun sports team president, agrees with Ryan.
"The people that do everything by the book …you go through a course that's taught by the government," she said. "They teach you safety. It's not like, 'Oh I have a gun, I have road rage, I can go shoot some guy because he cut me off'… the intentions aren't to go out and hurt anybody or kill anybody."
Safety's not political
Christian Heyne, a senior political science major at California State University, Chico, and the President of the recently sanctioned Chico State chapter of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, feels that the main issue at hand is the continuing rate of gun-related death and violence in the United States.
"One hundred thousand people die from gun violence every year, and that's domestically, and those numbers are too crazy," Heyne said. "As far as I'm concerned, that's way too high. It isn't a Republican issue, it isn't a Democrat issue, it's an issue where our family members are dying because the access to guns is too easy in America."
Regardless of political affiliation, Heyne says that both sides can avoid the irrelevant and interfering nature of political beliefs that push aside the real issue of security.
"So much of this gets lost in party politics, especially on the side of gun control," Heyne said. "People think that we're trying to infringe upon their second amendment rights and that's not what we're really trying to work toward."
Viewing Comments 1 - 6 of 7
Drew Carlen
posted 8/12/08 @ 8:29 AM CST
Mark Spowart needs to realize the reality of the situation: a "nut" who is going to "unload on a crowd" is not going to bother with getting a permit to carry a concealed weapon. (Continued…)
Paul Ready
posted 8/12/08 @ 8:38 AM CST
Heyne needs to get his facts straight. There are just under 30,000 gun related deaths in the US annually. The portion of those related to someone with a carry permit is diminished by several orders of magnitude. (Continued…)
John (SCCC Member from Illinois/Colorado)
posted 8/12/08 @ 1:52 PM CST
Heyne is completely WRONG. There are around 30,000 gun related deaths per year, in the US. About half of those are suicides.
Numerous studies have shown that citizens with concealed carry licenses are 5 times less likely to be convicted of a crime than the average citizen. (Continued…)
Jonesy
posted 8/12/08 @ 1:54 PM CST
Everyone who thinks this is a bad idea needs to look at the other side a little more closely. Ms Taylor says because we have police we should feel safe. (Continued…)
David
posted 8/15/08 @ 9:23 AM CST
Everyone needs real facts. Go here: http://www.gunfacts.info/
Conceal Carry Permits means the person not only has some training, but passes a background check by the county sheriff and the FBI. (Continued…)
Mike
posted 8/21/08 @ 5:36 PM CST
"it's an issue where our family members are dying because the access to guns is too easy in America."
Is the real issue not the degredation of the value system here in the US that leads people to commit the crime in the first place regardless of the means they use to perpetrate the offense?
Post a Comment