An article from the Philadelphia Inquirer on Students for Concealed Carry. It’s contains a pretty good contrast between how both sides try to frame the debate. First, the Inky’s statement:
 The idea of loaded guns in beer-soaked frat houses isn’t as farfetched as it seems. At least 13 states are considering some form of legislation allowing concealed-carry on campus, according to the National Conference on State Legislatures.
No bias there, no sir. But what do they mention earlier in the article?
Along with books, laptop and cell phone, there is something else that Jeremy Clark thinks is essential to bring to class: his gun.
The Villanova University law student said the sickening spate of campus shootings, from Virginia Tech to Northern Illinois University, left him feeling vulnerable without his Glock 9mm semiautomatic handgun.
“If I’m in a classroom where a shooting is taking place, I’d like a chance to be able to defend myself,” said the 29-year-old Army veteran from Bethlehem, Pa., who served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Call me crazy here, but I’m willing to go out on a limb here and make an a few assumptions.
- A 29 year old veteran knows how to handle a firearm safety
- Knows how to shoot straight
- Isn’t the type of guy who’s going to be attending drunken frat boozers while armed
- Is probably pretty typical among students who have concealed carry licenses.
A lot of the activism in this particular issue seems to be coming from veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. And why not? The army trusted them to lug a fully automatic M4 assault rifle around, why do people in civilian life insist on treating them like irresponsible children?
“-A 29 year old veteran knows how to handle a firearm safety
-Knows how to shoot straight ”
I would have to say that’s a dangerous assumption. I would expect any Army or Marine Corp veteran to know how to handle firearms safely. I would not have the same expection of a Navy or Air Force veteran. You’d be frightened if you saw how inadequate the firearms training is for the average sailor or zoomie.
I also wouldn’t count on anyone who was enlisted in the Army or Marines to be that great of a shot with a handgun. I don’t know about the Army, but I do know that enlistees in the Marines only learn to handle rifles. Handguns are saved for officers and non-coms.
You’d be dead on with the last two though.