Some students want right to carry guns in college classrooms

[Hiram Abiff]

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The recent wave of deadly shootings on college campuses has convinced some students that they should have the right to bring their own guns to class for protection.
Jordan Stover, a first-year student at the Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis, said the image of gunmen opening fire at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University made he and other students realize they should have a way to shoot back.
``This is the way people can level the playing field. It is the true equalizer in a situation like that,'' said Stover, who leads the IUPUI chapter of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus. He has a permit to carry a pistol in Indiana.
That national group staged protests last week in favor of allowing guns at colleges. bout 10 students wore empty holsters at IUPUI as part of the nationwide protest that saw similar demonstrations at about 500 U.S. colleges and universities. Protests also were held at Ivy Tech Community College, Indiana University's Bloomington campus and Purdue University.
But administrators say there are good reasons for the widespread college ban on concealed weapons.
``If you look at a student code, campus safety and civility is the point,'' said Karen Whitney, the vice chancellor for student life at IUPUI.

 

[ryanmercer]

I completely support them... saying "no guns" obviously doesn't keep nutjobs from showing up and killing people so why the hell shouldn't a student be allowed to protect themselves... I hate the same thing at work. Ok yeah I don't need a gun in the office... but FedEx doesn't have security guards driving with me to and from work... I understand they claim to be able to protect me at work (which I don't believe for a minute but ok) but they sure as heck can't make such claims for my commute to work. If I was a college student, I'd have been one of the ones with an empty holster

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Students who are otherwise legal to own and carry a handgun outside of an Indiana public university already have the right to carry that weapon onto campus. If it's well concealed, no one will ever know and no laws are being broken.

It's only the University rules and regulations that will be violated by carrying.

Big Gray Area: campus run day cares/pre schools. If they're in only a portion of a larger building, then is the entire building off limits or only the portion used for the kiddies?

-J-

 

[boilergonzo]

While no State laws may be in violation, I cannot imagine a college student with lots of dollars converted to credit hours on a university PC being willing to have them washed away over an expulsion. Despite having no teeth for non-students, enrolled students have a fair amount at risk if they get caught and the school takes action. It is their school, and they do get to make the rules.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

While no State laws may be in violation, I cannot imagine a college student with lots of dollars converted to credit hours on a university PC being willing to have them washed away over an expulsion. Despite having no teeth for non-students, enrolled students have a fair amount at risk if they get caught and the school takes action. It is their school, and they do get to make the rules.

Yep. Excellent post. I agree almost whole-heartedly.

However, and this is only hypothetically, ask any of the folks from NIU and VT if they wouldn't trade all their credits for someone who broke the rules and carried on those fateful days.

The problem lies, as we know, in someone spotting a pistol on someone's hip and going absolutely ape-#%^@ over it.

Definitely a Catch-22.

-J-