Quote:
December 04, 2009, Chronicle of Higher Ed.
Colorado State U. Board Approves Ban on Concealed Weapons
Colorado State University's Board of Governors voted unanimously today to ban concealed weapons on the system's three campuses, following the practice of nearly every other college in the country but defying the wishes of the university's Student Senate, which opposed the ban, according to The Denver Post. The board, which cited the views of the university's public-safety officials and the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement.
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------- It seems to me that the drive for CCW on campus is a very difficult row to hoe. One can attribute it to antigun bias and rant about that but I think it is more complex (being in the business). IMHO, the biggest stumbling block even with progun folks is that unfortunately the student population of classic on campus residents (even if 21) are not seen as emotionally stable as the off campus more mature CCW population. Guns in the dorms or frat houses are seen as risk factor due to the stew of hormones and substance abuse.
The Chronicle just ran a series about repeated arsons in dorms from the delightful young men who live there. There was one of a frat house (remember our frat house thread) where the boys went out and shot up stuff for fun. That's what folks think of when one proposes adding guns to the mix.
The residential student population is seen by many as a peculiar risk group and that interacts with antigun bias to sink such attempts. Now, some young might now rant at me for my evaluation (which would prove the point of emotional instability). The neuroscience suggests this is the case.
One can argue that young folks use guns in the military but they are tightly supervised and socialized.
Not to start a discussion of this but to post an analogy. It's like the gay marriage issue. You have folks who see this as a basic rights issue but it gets turned down again and again. Just happened in the NY state Senate.
There is an emotional block that stiffles the idea (I don't care if you agree or not on it on the issue - I'm talking about the process).
People decide on a quick emotional view most of the time and student with guns just elicits an automatic NO. Rational presentations have little effect.
One might argue for faculty and staff (self-serving on my part) but that runs into antigun bias and also the great private property debate for schools like mine. Also, some folks on campus aren't down with untrained folks (just with a CCW permit) proclaiming they will step up in a rampage. The fear of an innocent getting shot overwhelms the possible good of stopping a rampage. Studies show this is a factor - risks to innocents even to do good are not that acceptable. Rampage rationales are seen as different from stopping personal muggings. You don't want untrained folks in a fire fight of some intensity. That's a factor in the debate.
Sigh.