CCW on campus

I am writing this letter in response to Chris McPherson’s letter (“”Concealed weapons holders a danger to others 2/19″”). His final point is to “”leave the noble work of civic protection to the trained members of the military and law enforcement.”” Unfortunately, unless the University of Arizona Police Department has the money and manpower necessary to post officers in every building on campus, the notion that a shooting will be stopped is just an illusion. Even with the UAPD’s proximity to campus, response times will always be far too long to prevent the sort of tragedy that occurred at Northern Illinois University. Because of this, I believe that allowing concealed carry is a viable option to preventing violence on this campus. Just a few months ago, an incident in a Colorado church was stopped by a person who just happened to be concealed carry weapons permit holder. Her actions potentially saved hundreds of lives. Right now, our only option in the face of a crazed gunman would be to cower behind chairs and flee. An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and one does not vanquish evil by fleeing from it.

Sean Takesian
physiology senior

Allowing guns? Allow booze, too!

Mr. Greenberg (“”Students packing heat”” 2/20) argues that permitting students to carry concealed weapons would somehow make the campus safer from maniacal killers because he and others of his ilk would be able to stop them in their tracks. As a former Army paratrooper and combat veteran I can assure him that having more guns on campus isn’t going to keep him safer. When someone is shooting at you it takes a great deal of training and discipline to hold your position and return fire in an effective manner. I have been in several “”firefights”” and there wasn’t one time that things went according to plan despite the thousands of hours we spent training for those situations. The endless training and preparation was the only thing that enabled us to react appropriately regardless of the chaos that we often found ourselves in.

It’s troubling to me that some people (who have never fired a weapon at another person) think that an 8-hour concealed weapons class prepares them to react appropriately under fire. It doesn’t. In fact, most of the people who take that class should not be carrying a concealed weapon in public, in my opinion. I know because I have taken that class myself and observed my fellow students’ hands shake while they fired their guns at a harmless paper target 9-feet away (and miss). One person actually had to be shown how to load their own gun. God help anyone that person tries to protect.

With all due respect to everyone, I really don’t trust my fellow students to carry guns in the classroom. Most of them don’t have the training or experience to keep me safe. I am quite confident that I have a better chance of tackling an armed assailant than most of them do of shooting one. As a sergeant and infantry fire team leader I had to pull more than one wet-behind-the-ears “”hero”” out of his own puddle of piss when the bullets started flying – and those guys were trained soldiers. I can only imagine the fun we will have when my classmates are all armed and “”protecting”” themselves.

If guns are permitted on campus, however, then I implore the UA administration to lift the ban on alcohol as well. Because, to be honest, the thought of being surrounded by a bunch of terrified college students shooting wildly in a firefight makes me want to fill my water bottle with scotch. At the very least that would allow me to properly toast the geniuses in the state legislature before I get shot. Besides, what could go better with guns than alcohol?

Paul Fisher
second year law student

Parking pass prices

Thrilling to hear that my lowly, tight, corner-of-the-universe, McKale Center Zone 1 parking spot will be over $120 more for next school year. I find it hard to believe that $418 can be, and is considered, an affordable rate for a student to pay. Sorry, Parking and Transportation Services, you aren’t getting a dime from me if that’s your game. That is, at least, until I get another bike stolen. But that’s another story.

Julia Craven
optical sciences graduate student