student journalists Archives -

Quote Of The Day

In an anti-conceal carry opinion piece written for the Daily Nebraskan, the student paper at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Amanda Keenan has this howler:

A final argument against concealed carry on campus is the level of discomfort generated from having a gun around. People go to institutions of higher learning mainly to get an education. Allowing guns in classrooms would prove to be a distraction more than they would be a necessity. Students would lose their concentration during tests and stare aimlessly as the lights reflected off the steel of a .57 magnum.

Not that college students don’t already stare aimlessly during exams but seeing the lights reflecting off the steel of a .57 magnum must really be something. Imagine a pistol that makes the .500 Smith and Wesson – currently the most powerful production handgun cartridge around – look puny. Wow!

I have a serious suggestion for young Ms. Keenan. The next time she plans to write on guns and gun issues I would suggest that she check out the NSSF’s “Writer’s Guide to Firearms and Ammunition.” It would help her look a little less foolish even if she decides to stick with her backward ideas on campus carry.

The Kids Are Alright

With apologies to Who fans, there is another set of kids that are alright.

The Scribe is the student-run newspaper at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Their editorial board published an unsigned editorial yesterday saying that the university went too far with their new regulations concerning concealed carry on campus.

Recently, the University of Colorado Boulder and University of Colorado Colorado Springs amended their student housing contracts and issued new rules for athletic and cultural events, banning weapons in freshman dorms and at ticketed events.

Though meant to promote safety on campus, the new rules are likely at odds with state law, are inconsistent with the university’s overall policy allowing concealed weapons on campus and create a dangerous situation for students.

These students get it!

The editors call the policy of banning firearms in freshman dorms a policy in search of a problem. They note that most freshmen are under 21 and would not qualify for a concealed carry permit in Colorado. Moreover, the policy only impacts residents and not visitors who can still carry concealed under university policy and state law.

They think that the university rules governing freshman dorms and ticket events should be consistent with the rules governing concealed carry in all the other areas of campus.

They conclude:

It is similarly unjustified for the university to attempt to limit where on campus a student or faculty member may carry a concealed weapon. Trying to regulate firearms under housing contracts is equally fallacious.

For crowded events, the solution is simple: Only prohibit firearms if trained, armed officers are present and if electronic screeners make sure everyone entering is weaponless. Otherwise, the university has no grounds for stripping individuals of their constitutional rights.

While opponents of concealed carry may argue against the merits of allowing weapons in public areas, it is disingenuous to try and regulate the law’s applicability based on factors that the court did not consider.

These student journalists have a better grasp of reality than most of the so-called professionals in the mainstream media. With students like this, there is some hope for the media.