Florida universities work on security plans in wake of Northern...

[Robert]

Dear Readers,

To those of you MORE afraid of us law-abiding, well trained Americans I say this...

I understand that the thought of being murdered by a lunatic makes you uneasy, but the thought of another American fighting back absolutely terrifies you.

I understand you would much rather negotiate with an armed gunman and plead for your life in the final seconds before the crazed lunatic murders you in cold blood.

I shall respect your wishes.

If you and I are ever together in a shopping mall, grocery store, parking lot, or any other place, and an lunatic goes on a murderous rampage, I PROMISE, I will leave my weapon holstered.

I will leave my weapon holstered until you have finished negotiating with the murderer and you have been shot to death.

After which time, I PROMISE the rest of you, I will draw my weapon and attempt to stop the threat.

I understand I may die in the process.

However my family will know I died with a pile of hot brass around me while protecting myself, and the rest of you from the dangers that this life presents.

[Mike]

Robert wrote:

Here's an observation...
It strikes me that whenever we talk about allowing armed, TRAINED, law-abiding citizens to protect themselves these are the objections...
1) It's too hard to hit the killer.
2) They'll miss and kill other innocents.
3) They're not trained for that type of situation.
4) The killer will just take your gun away and use it against you.
5) and on and on....
AND YET...
1) The killer manages to hit dozens of moving targets.
So here's the question...
Why the hell do we always give the killer so much power and credit?

Robert, if you are a concerned and resposible gun owner I think you'll see my concerns are logical concerns: as I've said, I feel an obligation to consider these things knowing how college campus environments are and how many students behave. I am for private gun ownership and if someone can respond to my concerns and come up with a quality plan for having volunteers who are armed on campus, then I will listen to that.

When we are talking about allowing more armed persons on a campus, many of them young people, we have an obligation to consider all the ramifications involved. Please don't misundertand my concerns as typical liberal anti-gun talk because that's not in the least what I am about. My concern is to look at the situation fully in a pragmatic light.

[Robert]

Mike wrote:

Robert, if you are a concerned and resposible gun owner I think you'll see my concerns are logical concerns: as I've said, I feel an obligation to consider these things knowing how college campus environments are and how many students behave.

Mike, I don't necessarily disagree. I was a college student, resident assistant for 3 semesters, and lived on campus for 4 years in the dorms.

If my freshman year room mate had a gun, I'd have been scared out of my wits. He was 18 years old. Desperately irresponsible. etc

At the same time, consider this...
At 21 years old I could have gotten a concealed carry permit. No granted, many 21 year old are in or about their senior year of college. Most seniors that I've met are far more responsible and concerned with graduating and getting a career started than they are with drinking and parties.

So let's assume that I'm 21 years old. I'm a senior - just 2 semesters from graduating.

I've been trained to carry a concealed firearm and practice at the range regularly.(Keep in mind the majority of concealed firearm owners have more range time than police officers)

So the law says I can carry...
...in my car (next to you on the road)
...at the grocery store (same aisle you might be walking down)
...at the bank (yep, go figure)
...eating in a restaurant (the table next to yours)
...at the shopping mall (remember SLC, UT?)

I can be a college student, AND carry all of those places and more...responsibly and legally.

And yet somehow when I step onto a college campus I'd be a dangerous, loose cannon, drunken, irresponsible kid?

Come on. Let's be realistic.

In any case, remember that most people FOR carry on campus have some background in defensive firearm training.

Those crying about it being too dangerous - likely don't.(ergo, don't know what they're talking about. Like saying you don't like broccoli when you've never eaten it)

I agree it's a really fine line. But you have to realize the situation you are presented with.

You can either be AGAINST carry on campus - in which case MORE people WILL DIE.

Or you can be FOR carry on campus - in which case SOME people MAY DIE.

But you can't argue that defenseless people leave their survival in the hands of dumb luck.

Armed defenders at the very least, change the odds of the fight.

Robert

[Robert]

Mike wrote:

When we are talking about allowing more armed persons on a campus, many of them young people, we have an obligation to consider all the ramifications involved.

While we're considering ramifications, think about this...

Most states currently DO NOT ALLOW carry on college campuses.

How's that working out so far?

Robert

[College_Student]

I COMPLETELY agree.

Diogenes wrote:

<quoted text>
You're right up to a point but I can't agree with you totally.
I can see a program similar to air marshals that are on planes. There could be a program that students sign up for, men and women alike, where they would volunteer to undergo mental evaluations and training to carry conceled weapons. They would be trained how to handle specific instances such as this and how to shoot when there are other people in the area.
If we had enough of these students that there was at least one in each class the chances of an insane person like this getting more that a couple students would be slim.
True, the ideal situation is no guns for anyone. But that won't happen. Other than frisking every person who comes on to a campus, you might have to fight fire with fire.