Sunday, December 02, 2012
No students move following CU dorm segregation for gun owners
The Denver Post: Since the University of Colorado's Boulder and Colorado Springs campuses began segregating dorms for students with valid concealed-carry permits this year, not a single student has asked to live where guns are allowed.
On Aug. 16, CU announced that both campuses would establish a residential area for students over age 21 with a permit to hold a concealed handgun. In all other dormitories, guns are banned.
"So far, no one has moved," CU spokesman Ken McConnellogue said.
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10 comments:
I can completely understand not wanting to live in a dorm where guns where allowed. I also don't think there should be guns in dorms... But if there has to be they might get people moving if they made dorms specifically for people who dont want to live in a dorm with someone who has a gun and make it clear to the other dorms that there could be someone with a gun.
Obviously, by creating segregated dorms, the University was making an effort to address the issue of gun control on the campus. However, how many parents would encourage their children to move into a dorm where practically everyone has a gun - especially following the recent events in Colorado. Will having no students moving into these dorms push for larger discussion of gun control on college campuses, and in general? The students not moving into the dorm could be seen as a moment of protest, but also just a fearful lack of reaction.
Why would you want to move into dorms for only people who have gun permits? If you are living on campus you just should not be allowed to own a gun. I think that this is ridiculous. Even if you have a valid permit to have a concealed gun, you should not be allowed to have them on the school compounds. Yes, people will defy the rules and have guns either way in the dorms where guns are banned, however doing this could also eventually cause more damage than good. Everyone who owns a gun does't naturally become a killer and not every one who owns a gun will start shooting up the school. However maybe the issue here is having greater physical and technological security. What if someone who has a valid gun and a certificate of good character loses it and goes on a killing rampage? There is no need for guns on campus. If you already have a permit, them keep your guns in your house where you reside and not in your dorm/on your person. You are at school to learn and that does not include having a gun. I think that all who desire having guns should have to live off campus.
What I don't seem to understand is why the university didn't think to ask whether or not students would be willing to live in pro-gun dorms. It sounds like if they had just polled their student body they would have come to the realization that they did not have an interested population. Of course, it is possible that the university, as they are known to do, might have some bigger plan for future incoming classes to come.
I don't want to live in a dorm where there are guns. It seems like no one would admit to having a gun because then people would avoid them. I think college students having guns on a campus is just asking for trouble. Why do they want one in the first place? Doesn't that say something about their personality? Maybe they are more volatile than the average person and if so, add parties and drinking to the mix and who knows what could happen! I'm sure there are many people with permits and guns that we are unaware of, but to make it public knowledge and even have a special dorm for them seems a little too blatant.
Something that I was thinking about while I was reading this article was security. In my undergrad, we got emails about all of the crimes that had occurred on and around campus (it was a city, so there was usually one email a week). The vast majority of the crimes that were committed were thefts because college students had forgotten to lock their doors. Having a dorm in which all of the residents have a gun, and everyone knows it, seems to me to be a HUGE security issue. College students are generally not the most responsible human beings, and so what happens if one day, someone accidentally leaves a door open, and a firearm is stolen? Yes, you can say that "well, everyone in dorms has a laptop and everyone knows it, and those aren't stolen very often" but a laptop usually doesn't have the potential to seriously injure or kill someone.
I know that the Constitution gives everyone the right to bear arms, but having busy, often distracted, sometimes-irresponsible students living in a large building with a gun in every room just seems like it's asking for a tragedy to happen.
Also, not a very financially-competent move on the part of the university, since no one has taken them up on the offer...
I think this issue is completely inappropriate for a college campus. The segregation is a good means but I feel like it does not completely address the issue. The issue is guns should just not be allowed on the campus. I think it is great that the campus is for guns and allowing them but I don't think they should be permitted on the campus. I can see school organized events involving guns like hunting or sharpshooting maybe? I think that students should not be allowed in the dorms but maybe on campus.
Looking at the issue from all sides there is a right to carry a concealed firearm if you have the permit. There are places where the permit does not apply but a university would be hard pressed to ban them without a legal battle from one gun toting patriot to motivate the gun rights activists to descend on the school and make it a spectacle. This while a seemingly stupid use of a dorm assignment has avoided a PR nightmare for them. Personally I believe if someone has a concealed carry permit they should have a proven safety record and all the needed training to avoid an accident like the one that started this mess. While I can appreciate the students who don't want a gun on their floor I think that if they have the permit and proper storage for the weapon they should be able to have it on campus. If they take away the right of someone who has gone through the proper channels to have a gun they might start to limit the size of knife that I could carry to work.
I completely understand this. What child, and what parent for that matter, would want their child to live in an environment where guns are allowed? People are free to make their own decisions, but when one is living on their own for the first time, it is likely they would be wary of living in an environment where they know guns are kept. I know that self-harm or the harm of others isn't the reasoning behind why these permits are given out, but the start of college is a very stressful time. I have seen people who I wouldn't expect to want to cause harm pushed to their limits in a stressful environment. It's gruesome to think about, but when weapons are at the ready this idea becomes more possible.
I personally think its very very scary that colleges are allowing people to carry guns on campus and live with them. I completely understand people not wanting to live with them or anywhere near them for that matter. I can see this argument from both sides however i see the point in having guns for protection but i feel like there is more of a chance for accidents and even none accident happening out of this than any sort of protection, especially in a college setting, where drinking and smoking and just over all inebriatedness is occurring. i just personally see more bad coming out of this than good.
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