romeo212000
Member
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2007
- Messages
- 427
I am a student here and was disgusted to read this in the paper when I went to class last night.
http://www.occc.edu/pioneer/Archives/March_10_2008/news1.html
"Guns on campus bill opposed by students, cops
Highlights
HB 2513 would allow ollege students to carry concealed weapons on campus.
Many students disagree with bill.
By Chris Lusk, Editor
A bill that would allow college students to carry concealed weapons on campus is on its way to the state House of Representatives for deliberation.
Although the bill’s author sees it as a plus, college officials are skeptical.
House Bill 2513 recently was approved 14-2 by the House Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, said Rep. Jason Murphey, R-Guthrie.
Murphey said he authored the bill following the Feb. 14 shootings that left six dead at Northern Illinois University.
He said the bill would allow students to protect themselves in case of an emergency situation.
“As long as students keep their weapons concealed, they would be able to go to class with them,” Murphey said.
He said another benefit of this bill would be that a potential shooter might think twice about entering a college campus.
“A shooter wouldn’t know who has a gun and who doesn’t,” Murphey said.
“We allow people to protect themselves on the street,” he said. “They should be allowed to protect themselves elsewhere, even on a college campus.”
Sophomore Ricky Brown, an avid hunter, said although he believes in the right to bear arms, schools are not the place for weapons.
“I own 12 different guns,” Brown said. “I love hunting, I love guns and I love the rights protected by the Second Amendment.
“But allowing students to carry weapons on campus is a recipe for disaster and illogical.”
OCCC President Paul Sechrist expressed his concerns with HB 2513.
He said while he recognizes the bill is intended to provide increased safety on campus, law enforcement experts oppose these efforts because students carrying concealed weapons to class could increase the risk to other students.
“For example, when officers arrive on an active shooter scene,” Sechrist said, “if students who are trying to be helpful also have their weapons drawn, the officers would not be able to distinguish between the dangerous person with a gun from the helpful students who also have guns.”
Other concerns include the potential accidental discharge of a weapon by a student, Sechrist said.
Safety and Security Director Ike Sloas said, that while he was not aware of the college’s official stance on the issue, he personally is against HB 2513.
“As a security officer, [HB 2513] would make responding to incidents very confusing,” Sloas said. “Most of the time you have to react in a matter of seconds.
“If you hear gunshots, arrive at the scene and find three people with weapons drawn, you would have to quickly determine who is the bad guy and who are the heroes.”
Sechrist said The Oklahoma Council of Presidents of Colleges and Universities has adopted a resolution opposing HB 2513.
“Following the advice of law enforcement experts and desiring to do everything I can to increase safety on campus,” Sechrist said. “I join with the other Oklahoma [college] Presidents opposing this bill.”
Both Sechrist and Sloas argued that other safety measures would be more constructive.
Sechrist said, in response to recent incidents, schools across the nation have enacted a number of initiatives to increase safety.
“We have begun requiring active shooter training for our safety officers,” he said.
“We have also added emergency warning capabilities to all areas of the campus, including classrooms.”
Students across OCCC also expressed their views on HB 2513.
English major Sherree Cantrell said allowing students to carry weapons at school makes sense in theory, but not in reality.
“I’m sure everyone sees the reason behind this bill,” Cantrell said. “As often as school shootings are happening, campus safety is a pressing issue and everyone wants to figure out what to do.
“There would be too many risks having people walking around armed.”
Freshman Isaac Daniels said he had not heard about HB 2513, but was surprised after hearing what the bill proposed.
“Are you serious?” Daniels said. “This seems like a no-brainer to me. Why are our elected officials even debating this? If everyone was carrying a gun at school, I’d drop out.”
Editor Chris Lusk can be reached at [email protected]."
I was so disgusted with this editorial that I wrote this e-mail in reply.
Editor Chris Lusk,
I must say I am rather dissapointed in your editorial on the propsed bill that would allow students with concealed carry permits to protect themselves on campus. While I respect everyone's opinions I must say you presented a very one sided argument from both student's and teachers. You have no quotes from any students or school officials who feel that the proposed bill may be beneficial to the safety of those on campus. You headline reads "Guns on campus bill opposed by students, cops." I must say that none of those people speak for me as a student of OCCC and I'm certain there are a large number of other people whom that headline does not speak for.
Regardless of any arguments presented from one side or the other I encourage those to take this concept into consideration. Laws that prohibit citizens from carrying on colege campus will not prevent those people who are determined to commit a tragedy such as those at Virginia Tech and NIU from doing so. Recent history has already made that perfectly clear. If the laws had made a difference to those people, they would have never commited those horrible acts. But that fact of the matter is they did not care what laws were in place. And as recent history has also shown, too many times, law enforcement officials are all too late to prevent a tragedy alltogether. I can promise you though, those people who have considered and would consider committing such an act would think twice before coming to campus with weapons and intent to cause harm if they knew that students were allowed to protect themselves by carrying a concealed weapon with the proper training an permit. To answer your question concerning officers not knowing which peron is a good guy or bad guy, any responsible person who has completed the certification and training know that when law enforcement shows up, you put down your weapon very quickly. The bad guy won't do that. And if they do then you have accomplished the purpose of disarming the aggresor.
To put it simply. Those citizens who would take the measures to be certain they are within the boundries of the law by attaining the proper training and certification to carry a means to protect themselves are not the ones we as a society need to be concerned with. It is those people who have no regard for the law, and are in fact fueled on by the knowledge that there is very likely no one who can stop them before they cause a horrible tragedy. I hope you will take the time to give equal coverage to both sides of a story before printing one on such a controversial issue.
Roman Carothers
Let me know what you guys think. Did I handle this correctly thus far? Is there anything else I can do. Also, if you want to write him as well feel free to do so. My only request is that we keep it civil and intelligent. I think it would be good for him to know that there are a number of people out there he does not speak for. I am sick of this one sided liberal view that is being forced into young people's heads by the school system.
http://www.occc.edu/pioneer/Archives/March_10_2008/news1.html
"Guns on campus bill opposed by students, cops
Highlights
HB 2513 would allow ollege students to carry concealed weapons on campus.
Many students disagree with bill.
By Chris Lusk, Editor
A bill that would allow college students to carry concealed weapons on campus is on its way to the state House of Representatives for deliberation.
Although the bill’s author sees it as a plus, college officials are skeptical.
House Bill 2513 recently was approved 14-2 by the House Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, said Rep. Jason Murphey, R-Guthrie.
Murphey said he authored the bill following the Feb. 14 shootings that left six dead at Northern Illinois University.
He said the bill would allow students to protect themselves in case of an emergency situation.
“As long as students keep their weapons concealed, they would be able to go to class with them,” Murphey said.
He said another benefit of this bill would be that a potential shooter might think twice about entering a college campus.
“A shooter wouldn’t know who has a gun and who doesn’t,” Murphey said.
“We allow people to protect themselves on the street,” he said. “They should be allowed to protect themselves elsewhere, even on a college campus.”
Sophomore Ricky Brown, an avid hunter, said although he believes in the right to bear arms, schools are not the place for weapons.
“I own 12 different guns,” Brown said. “I love hunting, I love guns and I love the rights protected by the Second Amendment.
“But allowing students to carry weapons on campus is a recipe for disaster and illogical.”
OCCC President Paul Sechrist expressed his concerns with HB 2513.
He said while he recognizes the bill is intended to provide increased safety on campus, law enforcement experts oppose these efforts because students carrying concealed weapons to class could increase the risk to other students.
“For example, when officers arrive on an active shooter scene,” Sechrist said, “if students who are trying to be helpful also have their weapons drawn, the officers would not be able to distinguish between the dangerous person with a gun from the helpful students who also have guns.”
Other concerns include the potential accidental discharge of a weapon by a student, Sechrist said.
Safety and Security Director Ike Sloas said, that while he was not aware of the college’s official stance on the issue, he personally is against HB 2513.
“As a security officer, [HB 2513] would make responding to incidents very confusing,” Sloas said. “Most of the time you have to react in a matter of seconds.
“If you hear gunshots, arrive at the scene and find three people with weapons drawn, you would have to quickly determine who is the bad guy and who are the heroes.”
Sechrist said The Oklahoma Council of Presidents of Colleges and Universities has adopted a resolution opposing HB 2513.
“Following the advice of law enforcement experts and desiring to do everything I can to increase safety on campus,” Sechrist said. “I join with the other Oklahoma [college] Presidents opposing this bill.”
Both Sechrist and Sloas argued that other safety measures would be more constructive.
Sechrist said, in response to recent incidents, schools across the nation have enacted a number of initiatives to increase safety.
“We have begun requiring active shooter training for our safety officers,” he said.
“We have also added emergency warning capabilities to all areas of the campus, including classrooms.”
Students across OCCC also expressed their views on HB 2513.
English major Sherree Cantrell said allowing students to carry weapons at school makes sense in theory, but not in reality.
“I’m sure everyone sees the reason behind this bill,” Cantrell said. “As often as school shootings are happening, campus safety is a pressing issue and everyone wants to figure out what to do.
“There would be too many risks having people walking around armed.”
Freshman Isaac Daniels said he had not heard about HB 2513, but was surprised after hearing what the bill proposed.
“Are you serious?” Daniels said. “This seems like a no-brainer to me. Why are our elected officials even debating this? If everyone was carrying a gun at school, I’d drop out.”
Editor Chris Lusk can be reached at [email protected]."
I was so disgusted with this editorial that I wrote this e-mail in reply.
Editor Chris Lusk,
I must say I am rather dissapointed in your editorial on the propsed bill that would allow students with concealed carry permits to protect themselves on campus. While I respect everyone's opinions I must say you presented a very one sided argument from both student's and teachers. You have no quotes from any students or school officials who feel that the proposed bill may be beneficial to the safety of those on campus. You headline reads "Guns on campus bill opposed by students, cops." I must say that none of those people speak for me as a student of OCCC and I'm certain there are a large number of other people whom that headline does not speak for.
Regardless of any arguments presented from one side or the other I encourage those to take this concept into consideration. Laws that prohibit citizens from carrying on colege campus will not prevent those people who are determined to commit a tragedy such as those at Virginia Tech and NIU from doing so. Recent history has already made that perfectly clear. If the laws had made a difference to those people, they would have never commited those horrible acts. But that fact of the matter is they did not care what laws were in place. And as recent history has also shown, too many times, law enforcement officials are all too late to prevent a tragedy alltogether. I can promise you though, those people who have considered and would consider committing such an act would think twice before coming to campus with weapons and intent to cause harm if they knew that students were allowed to protect themselves by carrying a concealed weapon with the proper training an permit. To answer your question concerning officers not knowing which peron is a good guy or bad guy, any responsible person who has completed the certification and training know that when law enforcement shows up, you put down your weapon very quickly. The bad guy won't do that. And if they do then you have accomplished the purpose of disarming the aggresor.
To put it simply. Those citizens who would take the measures to be certain they are within the boundries of the law by attaining the proper training and certification to carry a means to protect themselves are not the ones we as a society need to be concerned with. It is those people who have no regard for the law, and are in fact fueled on by the knowledge that there is very likely no one who can stop them before they cause a horrible tragedy. I hope you will take the time to give equal coverage to both sides of a story before printing one on such a controversial issue.
Roman Carothers
Let me know what you guys think. Did I handle this correctly thus far? Is there anything else I can do. Also, if you want to write him as well feel free to do so. My only request is that we keep it civil and intelligent. I think it would be good for him to know that there are a number of people out there he does not speak for. I am sick of this one sided liberal view that is being forced into young people's heads by the school system.