My letter is to add to other letters you might receive in regards of legislation allowing guns inside university campuses. As a senior student at ASU whose major is in criminal justice, I am opposed to guns on campus simply because it is my right as a student to feel safe in an intellectual/academic environment and not have to be worried about something going wrong. From my insider experience, many more students are concerned about this and it is a disruptive proposition to what our purpose is: to learn.
I cannot speak for the faculty, but after a student walked in to his former classroom a couple of years ago and committed suicide in front of the professor, I venture to say faculty (and administration, including President Crow) do not want guns on campus. If this was not enough, the ASU police department is also against this — they might know a thing or two about the possible outcomes of such legislation pSassing. Lastly, as a crime analyst intern, it is my opinion that allowing guns on campus is a bad result and not representing the majority of those whose implementation it will affect.
There is no point or utilitarian purpose to allow guns at a place of study. If there is a sudden takeover of the university (I know, I am exaggerating) we have Tempe, Phoenix and the ASU police department minutes away. I am not saying do not own guns; I am just saying do not bring them into campuses.
Claudia Alvarez
Chandler
Rich posted at 7:38 pm on Fri, Feb 24, 2012.
"Guns would be a distraction from learning"
Or a chance to learn. I realize I am not answering you, or your fears, but the headline writer at the paper. However you live in a world that has guns. Wouldn't it be better to learn guns, than to fear them?
Masterrogue666 posted at 9:27 am on Sun, Feb 26, 2012.
I agree with Rich on this one topic. I grew up in a rural area, so naturally hunting/farming helped supplement our diet, because we were a large family, but Dad didn't make much money. Mostly because he never had a chance to finish High School, because at an early age, he when to work in the steel mills.
Despite his education, he was intelligent enough to REQUIRE that my brother and I pass, with an 80% or better score, the PA Hunter's safety course. We both passed with scores in the high 90's. However, that wasn't enough. He did buy us the shotguns we wanted, but before we would be allowed to hunt on our own, we had to demonstrate the safe practices we learned. The one key rule is treat all guns as if they are loaded and ready to fire.
You mentioned that a fellow student committed suicide. That is a very sad event. However, imagine if said student decided to kill his teacher, and a few other persons they deamed "responsible", BEFORE ending their life? It happens more often than not.
What's sad is that one person, properly armed and educated and motivated by a need for survival, probably would/could stop some of the mass killings that has been happening with more frequency.
As I stated, I grew up in PA, and was aware of the Amish community. I was stunned when I heard about a similar situation there.
http://www.800padutch.com/amishshooting.shtml