Students react to possible concealed guns on campus

Gun rights have historically been a contentious topic among those active in American politics. In the microcosm of a college campus, views on the issue are able to flourish. Since there are bills in the Georgia General Assembly this legislative session that propose to expand the areas that licensed gun owners are allowed to bring concealed weapons, GCSU has become a school divided on the interpretation of the Second Amendment.

The possibility of these expanded locations, including public areas like GCSU’s campus or locations like the nearby bars and churches in Milledgeville has driven the issue close to home for students.

People on both sides of the issue of carrying guns on campus imagine a situation reminiscent of the disaster at Virginia Tech in April of 2007 that took the lives of 33 students, including the attacker.

Proponents of the proposed changes to the bill recreate the situation with an armed and law-abiding student could have saved some, if not all, of the victims. Critics blame the proliferation of weapons to people like the attacker on the relaxed gun laws propagated from a time when guns were more of a necessity to Americans.

In a response to “Packing heat in the classroom,” published in The Colonnade on Feb. 19, online reader Chris wrote, “What if one student was legal carrying a firearm and was able to counter the attack (at Virginia Tech). Would it not be worth it to save even one life? Do you not think that the family members would have wished that perhaps their child’s life could have been spared?”

Some students feel that Milledgeville has enough agencies to protect it from any problems.

“With four local law enforcement agencies represented in Milledgeville,” David Morrical said, “I don’t think that we need anyone else carrying weapons on campus. Adding more guns to the mix in a complicated and dangerous situation will only make it worse.”

Georgia legislators have been listening to the voices of their student constituents Rep., E. Culver “Rusty” Kidd, I-Milledgeville, is in favor of amending the proposed changes to the bill to exclude schools.

“I am a believer in individual rights to be able to carry firearms,” Kidd said. “But I think that there are some places that aren’t conducive to carrying a firearm, like a school.”

Kidd imagined the outcome of the mix of social and academic pressures with the possibility of weapons between students and teachers. His projected situations did not have any positive outcomes.

One revision to Senate Bill 308, which is expected to increase its support among politicians, is that of adding a stipulation that the final decision on whether or not to allow weapons on campus will be left up to the University System of Georgia.

Many University System officials oppose allowing guns on or near campuses, according to an article in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which may sway the outcome of the issue. However, leaving the decision to the University System may allow more direct input from the students.

“I can definitely understand both sides of the issue,” sophomore business major Eric Neas said. “However, allowing guns on a campus would only cause more issues and debates. In the long run, we would all probably be better off with the current laws pertaining to college campuses.”

Posted by Ryan Del Campo on Mar 19 2010. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry