Wednesday, April 25, 2007

The New Gun Battle

There have been a couple of excellent posts from the Feedlot and Joe's Crabby Shack (a very well written take found thanks to a link from the Feedlot) among thousands of others on the gun control debate that has been brought on by the events at Virginia Tech last week. I completely agree with many of them that people should have the opportunity to carry a weapon if they meet a certain criteria (mentally competent, no felonies, etc., just your basic). I believe businesses also reserve the right to not allow you to bring a gun into their buildings. I grew up having guns in my house, albeit mainly for hunting. I grew up in a town where it was OK to have one in the back window of your truck. People knew what you were going to do with it.
One link that the Feeder had was to an editorial from the Roanoke (VA) Times. One of the Virginia Tech grad students, Bradford Wiles, wrote an editorial in which he has been "adamant" with the university about wanting students on campus to have the ability to carry a gun. I understand Mr. Wiles' point: If someone in Norris Hall would've had a gun, the other 30+ lives may have been saved. I think college is a place where we have to draw the line for being able to carry a gun. If you want to carry a gun, live off campus. As I read that, I thought back to many nights with all of my friends and what would've happened if there would have been a weapon around. I don't think there is any place for it. College is a time where many boys and girls are out on their own for the first time. Parents are worried about alcohol and drugs in dorm rooms. Do you really need to add guns to the list of things that parents are worried about in the residence halls? As a resident adviser at my undergrad institution, I knew of a student who didn't get along with another RA at all. Neither could do anything right to the other. So what happens when one of them gets drunk, etc., and decides to bring the gun out and talk business? What if it "accidentally" went off? How do you explain that?
There is no right or wrong answer. Some people will do anything to get revenge or wreak havoc. No law, either allowing or prohibiting, will stop them.

3 comments:

ptg said...

It is a dangerous world. If you stay in it long enough, it will kill you.

Hosh said...

Oh so true...

Anonymous said...

I think everyone ought to be able to carry a rod....and I think everyone ought to be able to shoot said rod rookie if he gets out of line.