But gun violence is only worsened by the number of people carrying firearms–legally or illegally.
The Temple News encourages students to consider a holistic approach to safety, rather than equipping themselves with weapons that could lead to more bloodshed. This includes choosing where to live and recognizing times when sitting outside isn’t necessarily the safest bet.
Armed robbers getting their asses shot is the kind of “gun violence” I don’t have any problem with, and I consider it no tragedy that a Temple student was able to successfully defend himself rather than become another murder statistic in the City of Brotherly Love. To think otherwise is entirely to have a warped sense of morals.
They’re facing in the right direction, but walking backwards.This phrase, “encourages students to consider a holistic approach to safety” applied correctly is actually the right thing to do.
I am the “gun guy” within my circle of friends. Anytime there is a local scare, I get asked to help friends pick out a gun. I immediately stop them and ask them if they lock their doors, if they keep valuables on display in the home or car, if they know their neighbors at least by face and car, if they have the slightest plan to deal with a violent attack, and if they have the time to go to the range a few times a year and practice.
Getting the right tools, including a firearm, to deal with the low-probability high-cost events is smart. But if you have tools and can’t recognize when to use them or don’t know how to use them, they don’t do much good.
What Freiheit said – pushing situational awareness is good.
The added baggage of “be disarmed because violence is violence!” is the bad part of it.
(I’m always kinda amazed by how many people don’t lock their doors when they’re in a car.)
It feels to me like they not only encourage people to think that gun owners are looking for a fight to advance their agendas, but they actually believe it. I apply his “holistic” approach to my safety, such as living in a safe area (and when I’m done with school, ideally moving to an even safer REMOTE area). But that doesn’t always work and I’m going to stay alive and well, or at least try, when the “holistic” approach fails.
BTW he really should look up the meaning of “holistic.” It has nothing to do with left, right, faith, hippies, or science. My approach to safety is a whole system, or holistic, approach. Each part of my system might not seem like a safety measure, such as when a close friend recently asked why I keep my firearms ownership a secret from new people and don’t emblazon my vehicles with NRA stickers. It’s a part of my security. It helps keep people from knowing what I have that might be worth stealing (or keying my car, if they are anti-gun).
“(I’m always kinda amazed by how many people don’t lock their doors when they’re in a car.)”
Related tale of making yourself not a victim. City council rep and the precinct head-honcho police officer had a meet and greet at the church next door. While the head cop was talking he sent his boys out to the parking lot, they came back with half a page of cars that were unlocked with valuables on display.
Not like, a phone charger or a few CDs. Some dumbass had two laptops, a purse with hundreds of dollars in cash in an unlocked car so you could count the money from the window.
I find it interesting the comment about “choosing where to live.” This is a University. The vast majority of students are not independently wealthy, and so the housing options are greatly limited by available funds. I can tell you from experience, financial aid can be like retirement. It’s a “fixed income” with very little excess. Sure, you can work to help make ends meet, but who’s going to pay a college student CEO salaries? Most students can’t afford the gated community with private security patrols in the upscale parts of town (i.e. the “safe” neighborhoods). “Affordable” housing is usually found “where crime happens.”
If I was told to make a better choice where to live, I’d choose to live at another University that has more respect for my rights.
I used to work for Temple. I will not say whether I was armed every day, but I can tell you that there are no security pat-downs or metal detectors there. They have their own police force and it’s a pretty safe place to be as long as you’re not a bumbling imbecile.
Do whatever you will, but as long as you keep it to yourself and/or use common sense, I doubt anything will come of it either way.