[KyleBuschFan]

After eight months, it's still in the back of our minds.

April's massacre at Virginia Tech shook the country and had parents asking, "Just how safe are our kids at college"?

Montevallo Senator Hank Erwin thinks he has a solution: arm students so they can become the first line of defense when chaos strikes again.

"I believe it will add security. I believe it will prevent any massacre like "Virginia Tech" from coming to Alabama," Erwin said.

The bill, already shot down during the last legislative session, is back--asking the state to let some students carry a gun.

Candidates must be trained, have a clean criminal record, and enrolled in an ROTC military training program.

For campus authorities at Alabama State University, it's just not good enough.


"I don't think there's a need for anybody besides my officers to carry a gun on campus," explained University Police Chief Jeffrey Young.

With the unpredictability of college life, adding weapons may complicate the mix.

"You have so many different cultures [on campus]. We just want to have it as safe as possible. The smaller number of guns you have, the safer it's going to be," Young explained.


Even with safety measures and strict screening for students, campus authorities say there are just way too many factors that could put students' lives in jeopardy.

"If you had twenty students that met the criteria that the legislation's going to allow to carry firearms on campus, what's to say that they're not going to have a bad day," Young asked.

It's a feeling of uncertainty shared by the students themselves.

"It seems like to me it's actually promoting more violence," explained Sophomore Trameuz Washington.

"It wouldn't matter to me if you're in high ranking or if you don't have a record. To me it's just an open door," said Freshman Chayning Jenkins.

 

[GregM]

Candidates must be trained, have a clean criminal record, and enrolled in an ROTC military training program.

Given that criteria, I would oppose it too. There is no reason to limit it to ROTC students.

 

[Paulee]

Is it possible for these people to be any more stupid?
"No need for anyone besides my people to carry guns. What if they have a bad day?" What arrogance. What makes him think that his officers are less likely to have a bad day?

As far as the students quoted, I guess it's just proof positive that if you keep repeating the liberal mantra over and over again, people will take it as gospel.

 

[Manan]

Then the ROTC students would be singled out on campus and when the first incident of the cadet having to pull it out in self defense, there goes the whole ROTC program.

 

[EvenStephen]

The smaller number of guns you have, the safer it's going to be," Young explained.

Like at Virginia Tech, for example, where there were only two guns so it was very safe :scratch:

 

[SistemaTodd]

Wow! That whole thing sounds like a gigantic Ignorance Fest!
One side(I guess the OP's "favorite senator") thinks that self defense should be reserved for one exclusive group, denying everyone else equal protection.
The other side wishes to embrace the illusion of safety and removal of risk("what if they have a bad day?")at the expense of a very real right for one to defend oneself(never heard of the 2nd amendment I guess).
Whew!! Choose your poison, I guess...

 

[target4fun]

I rememberd I hated being unarmed in class where most shootings were occuring.

 

[ancient_serpent]

Is that guy on drugs? We have bad day all the freakin' time and we're all armed here. I hate to shatter any illusions any may have, but alot of Soldiers really don't recieve much more than a couple of weeks of Basic Rifle Marskmanship training, and people inthe Army come from ALL walks of life. I'm willing to bet that here in Iraq, with all these evil-thought inducing guns around, statistically its safer here than in gun free areas like D.C. Certainly don't have to worry about anyone trying a mass-shooting.

 

[Im Neero]

On a similar note, I have a liberal friend that is :big surprise: anti-gun. I told him that I supported carry on college campuses, and he said he thought that was a horrible idea, he would be too scared to pay attention if he was sitting next to a guy with a gun. I just smiled and let him think that, but I have taken classes (not at official "schools" but school type classes) with him and he has been sitting within inches of an armed student and never did have trouble concentrating. I was also armed at the time that the conversation was taking place. I think anyone qualified to carry in a Target is qualified to carry on a school campus, period.

 

[1911 guy]

"I don't think there's a need for anybody besides my officers to carry a gun on campus," explained University Police Chief Jeffrey Young.

I'm willing to bet the campus police chief said the same thing at VT. Fat lot of good it did.

I'm also opposed to the proposal, as written. There is no need to restrict it to ROTC students.

 

[KyleBuschFan]

I agree that his desired plan is not perfect. What I do believe is that every small victory helps to win the war. We in Alabama are fortunate , with little effort, we can aquire a permit and carry concealed in most places. If we can have a group that represents a wide cross section of society carrying on campus, then maybe we can get a little more next time. Not to mention that on campus will be students from all around the nation. We may be able to seed a generation inundated with Columbine and negatives, with leaders that came to our fair state and had an experience that makes them a champion of the cause. All these are of course just my humble opinion.

 

[tommygunm1a1]

Is it possible for these people to be any more stupid?
"No need for anyone besides my people to carry guns. What if they have a bad day?" What arrogance. What makes him think that his officers are less likely to have a bad day?

As far as the students quoted, I guess it's just proof positive that if you keep repeating the liberal mantra over and over again, people will take it as gospel.

You took the words out of my mouth. Many years ago I dealt with campus police on a daily basis as part of my job. One was a raging A-hole. I mentioned that fact to a couple of other officers there,... they agreed!! He had a chip on his shoulder and was arrogant beyond description. He went on to be a Tucson cop. God help the poor citizen that just had a busted taillight or something.

 

[sawyer]

I always thought "baaaaa" when i had to secure my .357 in my truck in my private parking lot spot and walk to class. welcome to the pasture sheep-boy. I was/am pemitted carry in the streets, but not on campus. I thought about the same scenario as VT while I was in school, waiting on the )*&&^ campus police to get the call, respond, engage. An armed citizen could have skipped right to the third one.

at one time the NCSU police bunch was crooked as a long snake, lots of $ spent on stuff that couldnt be accounted for, illegal wiretaps, the list goes on. I never felt more exposed than when I was there.