http://www.cuindependent.com/2010/01/18/cu-board-of-regents-forbids-the-possession-of-toy-guns-on-campus/11944/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cu-board-of-regents-forbids-the-possession-of-toy-guns-on-campus University of Colorado Daily Student Newspaper Site in Boulder: Breaking News, Sports, Entertainment, Opinion Sun, 12 Jun 2011 19:18:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.cuindependent.com/2010/01/18/cu-board-of-regents-forbids-the-possession-of-toy-guns-on-campus/11944/#comment-14 Michael Stuzynski Tue, 02 Nov 2010 21:21:57 +0000 http://cuindependent.com/?p=11944#comment-14 The CU gun ban is paternalism in action. The comments reported in this article that are against the ban seem to be misguided and come from students who may not be familiar with or comfortable with gun ownership. The idea of saying that "yes, guns are ok as long as they are used for hunting" is patently absurd. Why hunting but not self defense? The CU campus has been seeing a surge in particularly violent crime this semester. I know I'd feel safer If I could legally carry my revolver in my bag. I don't see what's so dangerous about that. The possibility of an accidental discharge of a this weapon while holstered is nonexistent given the 10lb trigger pull and transfer bar safety (read: gun only goes bang when you pull the trigger back 1.25 inches). Many other comments betray a lack of understanding about concealed carry in general. Before an individual is allowed to carry concealed legally, he or she must take a gun safety course where he or she learns the various laws concerning carrying. Because of this, people who legally carry guns are better equipped than those that don't to understand the rules of doing so. For instance, it's illegal to carry while intoxicated, and if you are caught doing so, you will be arrested. This alone should dissuade the frat boys from taking their sidearms with them to the bars--something that everyone can agree is probably not a good thing. However, because we fear that "that one person" might screw it up for the rest of us, no one is allowed to carry. This mentality ignores the fact that not everyone will obey the rules--this goes double for someone who has already formed the idea that they will commit a crime of violence, with or without a firearm. How are the rest of us to defend against that hypothetical lone gunman with no respect for our concealed carry ban? Of course, my biggest problem is that the ban does not allow me to take my shotgun to school with me in my car on days that I plan on shooting trap at the Boulder American Legion. I have to park on sovereign ground (American soil) off campus and hoof it. Small price to pay, but it bugs me every time. The CU gun ban is paternalism in action. The comments reported in this article that are against the ban seem to be misguided and come from students who may not be familiar with or comfortable with gun ownership. The idea of saying that “yes, guns are ok as long as they are used for hunting” is patently absurd. Why hunting but not self defense? The CU campus has been seeing a surge in particularly violent crime this semester. I know I’d feel safer If I could legally carry my revolver in my bag. I don’t see what’s so dangerous about that. The possibility of an accidental discharge of a this weapon while holstered is nonexistent given the 10lb trigger pull and transfer bar safety (read: gun only goes bang when you pull the trigger back 1.25 inches). Many other comments betray a lack of understanding about concealed carry in general. Before an individual is allowed to carry concealed legally, he or she must take a gun safety course where he or she learns the various laws concerning carrying. Because of this, people who legally carry guns are better equipped than those that don’t to understand the rules of doing so. For instance, it’s illegal to carry while intoxicated, and if you are caught doing so, you will be arrested. This alone should dissuade the frat boys from taking their sidearms with them to the bars–something that everyone can agree is probably not a good thing. However, because we fear that “that one person” might screw it up for the rest of us, no one is allowed to carry. This mentality ignores the fact that not everyone will obey the rules–this goes double for someone who has already formed the idea that they will commit a crime of violence, with or without a firearm. How are the rest of us to defend against that hypothetical lone gunman with no respect for our concealed carry ban?
Of course, my biggest problem is that the ban does not allow me to take my shotgun to school with me in my car on days that I plan on shooting trap at the Boulder American Legion. I have to park on sovereign ground (American soil) off campus and hoof it. Small price to pay, but it bugs me every time.

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