With the lack of federal action on gun bills many states are debating legislation of their own. In North Carolina the big debate is to allow concealed weapon permit holders to store a gun in a locked car on college campuses and concealed weapons in bars and restaurants that serve alcohol. Needless to say, University Presidents are busy lobbying hard against the bill because they know it is dangerous.
Mississippi created an exception to allow those who have taken a voluntary course on safe handling and use of firearms by a certified instructor. Wisconsin legislation created a provision that colleges and universities must allow concealed weapons on their grounds unless a sign is posted at every entrance stating that weapons are prohibited. There are 23 states that a decision to ban or permit concealed weapons on campuses are made by the individual college or university. These states are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia. Utah specifically states that public entities do not have the authority to ban concealed weapons.
The NRA states that ‘the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun’ and to ‘put armed security in schools’. The price of arming security in our school would be billions of dollars. The message of armed security in school is very scary with the prospect of shootouts and having to cut more precious resources in public education to fund this proposal.
A few years ago a Wisconsin state Representative suggested that teachers and principals be armed. It goes without saying he is no longer in office. Arming school staff would constitute an enormous responsibility that the teachers’ union would not regard lightly. Teacher unions do not want teachers to carry guns and do not favor the NRA’s plan of having guns in the schools. School safety goes beyond arming educators. Leaders need to further the discussion on anti-bullying legislation and mental health services.
The NRA concluded its recent annual convention by hosting a ‘Youth Day’. To lore youngsters to attend the Youth Day they offered a free six-month membership. This frightening picture was taken from an article on the NRA convention. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/kidding-nra-pushes-guns-kids-young-newtown-victims-sick-youth-day-article-1.1335901
