I remember a few months ago when the guns-on-campus bill was introduced. I rejected it as nothing more than ludicrous Republican posturing.
Apparently, I was wrong.
In a 33-24 vote, Arizona passed SB 1467 — which allows guns to be carried on malls and streets that run through campus, but not in buildings. It now awaits Gov. Jan Brewer's signature to become law.
We are now the second state ever to pass legislation that allows guns on school campuses. Utah is the only other state with similar legislation.
Has there been a sudden surge in gun-toting lunatics that I was not aware of? This seems to be the only situation in which arming a university's populace would be useful.
Republicans are bringing out the usual defense — that more guns equals more safety — but does anyone think that an under-nourished, over-stressed 20-year-old college student will be able to stop a gunman? I know I'm not capable of reacting like that. It might take years of special training to be able to react like that.
It truly boggles my mind in a way I thought Arizona legislators had lost the capability to do that this discussion is even happening. In what fantasy world are supporters of this bill living in?
The language of Section G in the bill reads, “The governing board of an educational institution shall not adopt or enforce any policy or rule that prohibits the possession of a concealed weapon by a person who possesses a valid permit.”
This legislation infringes on student's rights.
What the Arizona legislature is saying to students and their parents is, “Yes, we know you would love to attend an institution that does not allow weapons to be carried on campus. We know you would love to send your child to a university that does not allow weapons of threat and intimidation to be carried along with textbooks, but we don't care.”
By passing this bill onto Brewer, the Arizona Legislature is saying they don't care about a student's rights to a safe learning environment.
They listened to university presidents, law enforcement officials, students, professors and parents and they said, “We can't hear you.”
This is an assault on our right to learn in an environment free from threat or intimidation. It also takes away the right of the university to govern what is and is not permitted on school grounds.
This law will dissuade out-of-state students from coming to Arizona. This does a disservice to our educational system and economy. Professors are not going to teach where guns are commonplace. Students will not pay to get shot at outside of class.
The GOP ran on a platform focused on economy — a platform that said they were going to create jobs, eliminate redundant spending and drag Arizona out of its multi-billion dollar deficit hole.
How will discouraging students and professors to invest in Arizona help at all? Incremental gun law expansion is not the answer to any question that is on the table.
Perhaps in a time of economic prosperity, I would understand more the rationale behind this bill, but when we are looking to cut more millions from the education budget, and have already cut public programs to the point where they are on life support, passing a bill that damages the economy without any viable payoff is complete lunacy.
Reach Oonagh at omcquarr@asu.edu
