College students & guns

[mundaire]

Conventional wisdom says that college students are just not "mature" or "responsible" enough to be allowed to own guns. In India all educational institutions are off limits for legal "carry" and even in USA most Universities take pride in being "gun free" zones... if you recall, Virginia Tech was also a similar "gun free" zone....

Well here's a news bite that should put things into some perspective:

College Student Shoots, Kills Home Invader

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. -- A group of college students said they are lucky to be alive and they’re thanking the quick-thinking of one of their own. Police said a fellow student shot and killed one of two masked me who burst into an apartment.

Bailey said he thought it was the end of his life and the lives of the 10 people inside his apartment for a birthday party after two masked men with guns burst in through a patio door.
“They just came in and separated the men from the women and said, ‘Give me your wallets and cell phones,’” said George Williams of the College Park Police Department.
Bailey said the gunmen started counting bullets. “The other guy asked how many (bullets) he had. He said he had enough,” said Bailey.

That’s when one student grabbed a gun out of a backpack and shot at the invader who was watching the men. The gunman ran out of the apartment.

The student then ran to the room where the second gunman, identified by police as 23-year-old Calvin Lavant, was holding the women.

“Apparently the guy was getting ready to rape his girlfriend. So he told the girls to get down and he started shooting. The guy jumped out of the window,” said Bailey.

Bailey said he is just thankful one student risked his life to keep others alive.
“I think all of us are really cognizant of the fact that we could have all been killed,” said Bailey.

-- 06 May 2009 08:14 pm --

Think this video is relevant as well:

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Cheers!
Abhijeet

[msandhu]

There have been some interesting debates on CNN about allowing students to carry guns on campus

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and

[youtube][/youtube]

I personally am not in favor of allowing all students to carry guns but those who are responsible enough and are properly well trained to handle guns should be allowed. They can act in time to protect themselves and others in case of crimes and can act as second eyes for campus police

Cheers
Mandeep

[mundaire]

CNN has a notoriously anti-gun editorial stance, if you watch the first video notice how Betty Nguyen (the interviewer) constantly comments "good point" to pretty much anything said by Garrett Evans (even what sounds like obvious emotionally charged tripe) while no such comments are forthcoming from her side to some of the calmly thought out logical points being made by W Scott Lewis.

Cheers!
Abhijeet

[msandhu]

Abijeet,
Thats very true of what you said. In this regard Fox news is much better and more logical

Here is another debate that was on fox news

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I like this comment also

"Why don't you ever hear of a madman opening fire at a police station?...or military base?....or a prison?
Wouldn't a "Gun-free Zone" be the LEAST likely place for a shooting?
"

Cheers
Mandeep

[timmy]

The idea that a college student is not mature enough to own and use firearms is ridiculous. My kids grew up around guns -- often I would have 5 or 6 laying about the house after a return from the range, but my 4 kids were taught to respect firearms and I never had any problems with them using them improperly, even from a very young age. Naturally, I was careful to guide their activities in a way that was appropriate to their age.

My experience and that of my kids is hardly unique: kragiesardar has posted pics of his young children using firearms, and our young friend gadgetman is clearly a responsible gun user and he's much younger than the college students in question.

I think that one problem is that the media and the movie industry, along with the personalities involved, all decry firearms rights while they make money portraying firearms being used in irresponsible ways. Often, the only thing our young people know about guns is to see their use by gangsters and other violent people in all sorts of illegal activities. It seems hypocritical to me for them to rail against firearms use, while they make fortunes with guns portrayed as tools of crime and violence.

After all, children are taught to drive automobiles at a young age here, without the fear that they will run over their peers when they have a disagreement with them.

Furthermore, our government (at least) has no reservations about sticking a fully automatic M16 into the hands of a teenager and sending them off to foreign wars. How can an 18 year-old be mature enough to handle a fully automatic weapon in combat, while a 20 year old college student is judged to immature to posses any sort of firearm at all?

[raj]

yupp...i m a final year student in B.E. &i own a firearm from almost one year.I m even planning to get another one this year.Dont know why people treat students as irresponsible or careless.
My parents didnt opposed me a bit (when i assured them tht it wont effect my studies).

[CZHarry]

There is maybe one state that it's not illegal to carry a gun on campus, but the schools set their own rules against guns on school property, and most states will not allow it, not even locked in the boot of a car. Matter of fact, there's many other places you may not carry a gun. Some colleges will allow a stun-gun or pepper spray, but nothing that shoots out a projectile. Rules is rules.
On the subject of carrying on a college campus, as with any state that allows concealed carry, the person must take a permit class, be fingerprinted, have a criminal background check, and be at least 21 years old. This is the minimum required, so it's not like there would be a bunch of 18 to 20 year olds carrying guns. It's going to be an uphill battle.