Students under fire for wanting to 'pack heat"

Against the double-barreled backdrop of the anniversaries of the Columbine and Virginia Tech massacres, some Connecticut college students clamored Monday for the right to carry concealed guns on campus.

[Dave]

I want to see what they say when some hoodlum comes in with an illegal gun and shoots all these innocent kids who cant defend themselves and have to rely on understaffed police to try and rescue them.

[Wee Man]

"Wow!" How scary is that? A bunch of twenty-one year old students carrying handguns.

Get a life, "Rambo." (P. Axelrod)

[MR PTBARNUM]

Its ok to carry a weapon under the age of 21 if you join the military and want to protect yourself and others.It seems to me that these students want to do just that.
We need to change with the times...

[Pistol Packin Pete]

If it was legal you would not know who was carrying a handgun. The pistol permit is for a concealed weapon. If it was exposed and someone complained then the person who was carrying it could risk having their permit revoked. It would be a deterrent since anyone who was thinking of going on a rampage would not know who is carrying a handgun. They would find a place where the people are unarmed. The one thing that these mass shootings have in common is that they take place in a "Gun Free Zone". The mall shooting a few years ago was a gun free zone also. Just from experience, I do not think that there will be a lot of students carrying a concealed weapon. It is not very comfortable. The novelty of being able to carry on campus would wear out pretty quick, but the deterrent effect would still be there. Storing a handgun in a dormroom would be another matter. It would have to be securely locked up if allowed at all. Alcohol and guns do not mix and anyone caught carrying one where there is alcohol being served should permanently lose their carry permit.

[Ebonic Scrabble]

A pistol permit is NOT for a concealed weapon. Though, many chose not to flaunt it. You should do your homework before making foolish comments on here.

[Pistol Packin Pete]

If you want to carry it on your person it has to be concealed unless you are hunting. I was referring to carrying a loaded weapon. You need a "State Permit to Carry Pistols and Revolvers" in order to even take a handgun out of your home. Just answer this, then what do you need in order to carry a concealed handgun? I do know Connecticut State law. Have a cup of coffee and relax.

[Wee Man]

True story:
I actually attended a college that allowed long guns on campus. A few students got drunk one night and blew out the windows of the administration building. That put an end to that. Good Luck!

[Whats right is right]

Well if students are allowed to number 1 carry guns, number 2 conceal them, then I guess it would be OK for the teachers and while we are at it let the janitors carry them as well.

[Robert]

Ebonic Scrabble wrote:

A pistol permit is NOT for a concealed weapon. Though, many chose not to flaunt it. You should do your homework before making foolish comments on here.

Knowing as a permit holder myself, in Connecticut it IS for a concealed weapon.

[I am Mad Now]

I wish I had a gun when I went to college. I would have taught THEM a thing or two.

[EX-Bpt Bob]

With the proper training, proof of safe handling, background check and the understanding of the consequenses of use, it can and would be a good deterent to another Columbine.

The way the laws are currently, you would be better off running away EVEN if you are armed rather than face the legal costs to defend yourself from the criminal and civil penalties you would face for ending a potential "Columbine style" incident.

Furthermore, crime would be much lower, as in Texas, where more people are packing heat, deterring crime because of the number of responsible conceal carry permit holders.

[Love higher education]

Guns and college kids-genius idea! You know who's going to end up shot? Some drunken frat boy who hits on the wrong persons girlfriend. Some stoner who stiffs his supplier. Now my kid's no safer in a dorm room than in a housing project. Of course, at UCONN we know that the high crime in STORRS is such a scary deal ?????!!!!?

[Meg]

This is quite possibly the most horrific news I have heard today. With the juvenile behavior of many students, the inability to see a way through an argument or disagreement without violence, the percentage of students self medicating with alcohol and recreational drugs, I can think of nothing positive coming from allowing students to bear arms on campus.

I spent five years working in a level one trauma center, where we received many students as patients who were either under the influence of drugs and or alcohol, or those who were the victims of assault and or rape. Now add to that mix the ability for these kids to whip out a gun that the school allows them to carry? And the adrenaline surge that goes with the act of pulling out a gun and aiming at someone - coupled with with a possibly twitchy or otherwise impaired finger ot thought process??

Surely logic will state that this is clearly a very unwise and dangerous proposal. Let these kids carry guns off campus if they must, but campus life does not lead to an amicable situation for students carrying concealed weapons and those that don't. Many times quick actions are those that are the very least intelligently thought out, and way too often have dire consequences not thought of until it is too late. Consequences that affect not only the injured or dead, but the shooters, the bystanders, the family's, friends, classmates, the ambience of the school, the reputation of the school and so on.

Come on guys/gals, lets try and act as adults and solve differences with words and not potentially lethal actions.

[milford mom]

MR PTBARNUM wrote:

Its ok to carry a weapon under the age of 21 if you join the military and want to protect yourself and others.It seems to me that these students want to do just that.
We need to change with the times...

You have to wonder, if this were during the Vietnam war and this kid was going to be drafted to fight for his country, if he'd be so gung ho to have a gun. Like the other writer said "Get a life" The last thing this country needs is a bunch of kids on campus with guns.

[frank mazzaro]

No student on a college campus should be allowed to carry any hand gun. With all the partying they do you would find many more incidences of shootings. Not all the studence are responsible enough.

[God Bless America]

Good fof these students!! We ALL have a right to protect ourselves, and I can't blame them for one minute for wanting to protect themselves. Too many left wing freaks want to take away all of our rights, I wonder why?? It has been proven that in areas where there are people who are packin heat, the crime rates are lower, because the criminals KNOW they will get wounded or worse if they try something. Not to mention how NOW our lovely leftist "friends" are NOW making it difficult to obtain ammunition. I give these young people ALO of credit, GOOD FOR THEM!!!

[Coffee Break]

Meg wrote:

This is quite possibly the most horrific news I have heard today. With the juvenile behavior of many students, the inability to see a way through an argument or disagreement without violence, the percentage of students self medicating with alcohol and recreational drugs, I can think of nothing positive coming from allowing students to bear arms on campus.
I spent five years working in a level one trauma center, where we received many students as patients who were either under the influence of drugs and or alcohol, or those who were the victims of assault and or rape. Now add to that mix the ability for these kids to whip out a gun that the school allows them to carry? And the adrenaline surge that goes with the act of pulling out a gun and aiming at someone - coupled with with a possibly twitchy or otherwise impaired finger ot thought process??
Surely logic will state that this is clearly a very unwise and dangerous proposal. Let these kids carry guns off campus if they must, but campus life does not lead to an amicable situation for students carrying concealed weapons and those that don't. Many times quick actions are those that are the very least intelligently thought out, and way too often have dire consequences not thought of until it is too late. Consequences that affect not only the injured or dead, but the shooters, the bystanders, the family's, friends, classmates, the ambience of the school, the reputation of the school and so on.
Come on guys/gals, lets try and act as adults and solve differences with words and not potentially lethal actions.

And did you get a load of the picture of that Axelrod kid. He looks like one of those kids that goes into the classroom and starts killing everyone. This is a bad idea being encouraged by people who not only should not have permits to use firearms but should be on psychiatric care. This is a disaster waiting to happen encouraged by the morons who talk about personal responsibility but don't feel that they have to obey any laws they don't happen to agree with

[DUMP DODD]

The real problem is that we have to many non USA students in the Universities and Colleges. Most of whom are terrorist that are just waiting for the word from home to kill students here in the US. Send the camel crack whores back to there own country. Let them suck an oil pipe for the rest of there woman beating lives.

[duh]

In CT a pistol permit is also a concealed permit.

Ebonic Scrabble wrote:

A pistol permit is NOT for a concealed weapon. Though, many chose not to flaunt it. You should do your homework before making foolish comments on here.

[BPT]

just what this gun problem society needs is MORE GUNS!!!! what are you kidding me.why not strap up to walk the baby,how about packing some heat to go cold cuts at stop & shop.we are the only nation on the PLANET with this problem.i know all the pro gun nuts are going to cite the constitution but that was written during ball and musket days and when you had to hunt to eat. i don't feel our founding fathers woul feel the same way about a glock 9mm or an ak-47 in an open society, too much people killing power thats all these weapons are used for.go to school educate yourself. leave guns to the police or military