February 27, 2008
Guns cannot solve school shootings
I am writing in response to the article printed about concealed carry. I myself have been invited to this Facebook group, yet immediately rejected the invitation. I am completely appalled that such an issue is receiving the press it is. Not to mention the standpoint the DIRECTOR of Public Safety has taken on this issue. The statement, “…folks have to prepare to respond and help themselves” insinuates Lemcke wants students to take measures into their own hands.
So let me ask you this then: What is the point of Public Safety? All I hear is people complaining about tuition costs. Think how much money we all could be saving in tuition if we eliminated the Office of Public Safety since apparently it is my job to be responsible for my livelihood. If you are telling me I need to “prepare to respond and help myself” why do I need you?! By saying this, and correct me if I am wrong, you are stating you and your police force are not adequately trained and/or capable of protecting the student body. If the statement was strictly in reference to the response time of law enforcement, maybe we need to hire some more Public Safety officials. It reportedly took officers at NIU 30 seconds to respond to the shooting. I am curious to know if a student was present in class with a handgun how long it would take for the student to process what was going on, fumble through his/her bag for the pistol and then get within a decent range to fire off a shot without getting shot him/herself or harming others.
I sincerely hope I am misunderstanding this or you misspoke, and if not, that President Dennison and the entire population of UM understand the magnitude of the comment. Allow me to answer your question in which you responded, “I don’t know.” A “bunch of kids carrying guns to class” will NEVER be the answer.
As an EMT, I work with police officers every day in my volunteer work back home and I have the utmost respect for them and what they do. There have been cases, where if it weren’t for the officer first on scene to initiate CPR or to control the bleeding of a leg severed by a lawn mower, the patients would be dead. Lemcke’s stance on this issue destroys all the respect I have for law enforcement. Maybe it is because of my east coast upbringing and the lack of a “positive” presence of weapons throughout my life. Everyday at home I can turn on the 5 o’clock news and hear at least one story referencing gun violence. Whether it is about a serial murderer on the loose in New York City or three youths being shot execution style in Newark. Despite this daily influence, I would never consider carrying a weapon as an option or solution. I cannot begin to imagine the hysteria this would cause. We do not need heroes in these situations.
Please explain to me how two or five or 15 guns, depending on how many students in a class have one, are going to be better than one? It is common sense that if weapons are present there is a greater likelihood for them to be used. How can you guarantee me a classmate who has a “bad day” and is enraged yet has a weapon on him because he is allowed concealed carry will not just pull out said pistol and do a little target practice in Urey Lecture Hall?
Some may contest this statement be a little exaggerated, if so, you must analyze Steve Dogiakos’ comment made in support of concealed carry, “I don’t know if someone is going to burst into Urey Lecture Hall… and start shooting.” Law enforcement complete years of training to be allowed to carry weapons. When a bullet is fired from the gun of a police officer there is an extensive investigation following the shooting to assure it was justified. Will this quality assurance be carried out for students who whip out pistols and open fire? Some how I don’t think so. Elementary gun training and clean criminal/mental health records are certainly not great enough criteria to allow concealed weapon carry.
Virginia Tech hit home last year. There were two students who had graduated from my high school who attended VT. One was the brother of a girl who I went to school with for 12 years. Their mother was my Girl Scout troop leader in elementary school. The other was the daughter of the French teacher at my high school who lived a block away from me. Both from my town of 3,000 people where everyone knows everyone, the town was on edge waiting to hear that these two locals were safe. Having been on campus during a shooting, I do not believe either of these two would ever think of carrying a weapon. A close family friend, who attends the University of Virginia, is the roommate of the best friend of Reema Samaha, a victim of Virginia Tech. I have cousins who live in Littleton, Colo. who were in high school at the time of the Columbine shooting and who lost friends, yet would never consider carrying a weapon as a solution.
Call me an uptight east coaster or make fun of my accent but I will be the last person to believe violence solves violence or that guns can solve school shootings. I would also like to send my sympathy to those who had/have any ties to the NIU or VT shootings and understand regardless of my stance on concealed carry, what happened should have never happened and has ruined lives forever.
Carolyn Isabelle Bogdon
