On Jan., 9 a new Arizona legislative session begins and with it a renewed attempt to introduce legislation that will permit students and professors to carry guns on college campuses.
After Gov. Brewer rejected similar legislation last year, those in favor of allowing firearms on campus are confident that this will be a successful push toward protecting the second amendment. There are also people that want to see this initiative defeated.
In her column, 'Guns on campus fail to serve educational purpose', Stacie Spring from the East Valley Tribune questions whether it is necessary to have guns in an educational environment.
"People who shoot guns can kill things … when it comes to being protected, I have to question whether students, faculty and staff need to have a gun to protect themselves and those around them. Personally, I in no way feel that guns should be allowed on campus, with the obvious exception of law enforcement,” Spring writes.
Currently, Arizona State University prohibits students, faculty and staff to carry firearms on campus. But have you ever asked yourself how often this rule is followed?
"Guns are on campus at ASU," Alan Korwin said in an interview with The State Press.
Korwin is the owner and operator of the Bloomfield Press and the website gunlaws.com. He believes that the current firearms policy at ASU creates a "make believe gun - free zone" where anyone can, and according to him many people do, bring firearms on campus. He calls the law a “head in the sand” philosophy that is “reckless, negligent and extremely dangerous.”
We believe there are no guns on campus because most of us don't carry one, but the fact of the matter remains that it is extremely easy to do so.
I want a school that is gun free, but we have to grasp reality before it catches up with us. A law will only affect those who will follow it. The false notion that ASU is 100% gun free is dangerous to students because we are put in a vulnerable situation of appearing and actually being defenseless.
As I write this column the vivid example of the laws just south of the border keeps popping into my mind. In Mexico, criminals know that law-abiding citizens do not carry firearms because it is illegal.
The consequence of these laws is obviously not a gun - free country, but a country in which only criminals have firearms.
I don't believe that guns will solve all our safety concerns, but there is a different feeling and attitude when people are not vulnerable and defenseless.
We need to move toward a campus where the right of students to defend themselves is protected and not obstructed by people who are afraid of firearms.
As we open up for more debate and discussion on the matter it is important to note that the argument is solely about student safety. I would challenge ASU students to seriously think about this issue and get involved. There have been too many examples of regulations passed without student input.
Our rights as Americans not only benefit us in theory, but also in practice. We must question those who want to take them away. Guns save lives as well as keep our society safer and free. It is time to grasp reality and make our campus a more safe and responsible place.
Shoot a response to the writer at carlos.alfaro@asu.edu
