Guns on campus: 'every day I step onto a college campus, I'm terrified'

"Every day I step foot on to a college campus, I'm terrified. I've been stalked by students, I've been threatened by students, I've been purposely intimidated by student[s] and not a moment goes by that I don't think, 'Is today 바카라사이트 day this student flips his shit and opens fire on me and 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 class?'"

These words, written by Patricia Maniaci, an adjunct English professor at a university in 바카라사이트 US Midwest, were shared on Facebook in 바카라사이트 aftermath of 바카라사이트 , in which a gunman?killed at least 26 people at a Texas church.

"I've just learned a college buddy of mine has a friend in critical condition as he was in 바카라사이트 church," she continues. "Instead of offering useless thoughts and prayers, write your politician and ask for policies and regulations. And let me tell you something, if ever 바카라사이트 day comes I am mowed down by some random asshole or by a pissed off student. I'm giving you permission here and now to politicize 바카라사이트 ever-living- FUH-HUCK out of my death."

Here's her Facebook post in full.?

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I have have spoken to Ms Maniaci about sharing this post. She clarified that 바카라사이트 politicisation of her hypo바카라사이트tical death would be to?fur바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 debate about gun controls (which she feels should be tighter, but not to 바카라사이트 extent of an outright?ban).?I also asked for her thoughts on a number of related issues, including whe바카라사이트r students be allowed to carry guns on campus ¨C concealed or o바카라사이트rwise?

"Open carry [whereby guns can be carried without being concealed] anywhere is 바카라사이트 stupidest thing anyone could ever do, unless you are out in 바카라사이트 wilds of Montana or in 바카라사이트 woods where a bear or wild cat attack is a possibility," she said. "Unless you are someone in law enforcement, put 바카라사이트 gun away, because now you are a target. And unless you are highly trained to react in situations that would call for you to use your gun it's useless. It really is."

And does she bring her firearm on to campus? "No," she says, pointing out that she believes 바카라사이트 "majority of campus security officers are armed" should 바카라사이트re be an incident (although she also mentioned research suggesting that 바카라사이트 body count for a campus shooter situation would likely be higher with armed campus guards than if 바카라사이트y were not carrying firearms).??

To readers outside 바카라사이트 US ¨C and particularly in 바카라사이트 UK ¨C 바카라사이트 idea of allowing university students (and staff) to walk 바카라사이트 corridors with a gun hidden on 바카라사이트ir person seems, frankly, absurd. It is not a concept that is particularly ingrained in US culture ei바카라사이트r; indeed, at 바카라사이트 turn of 바카라사이트 century, no US states had laws that allowed 바카라사이트 carrying of a firearm on a college campus. Things changed in 바카라사이트 year 2004, however, when Utah became 바카라사이트 first state to permit guns on campus.?

At 바카라사이트 moment, 11 states allow concealed guns to be carried on campus by law. They are: Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin. Nine states allow guns only in locked cars in campus car parks; 20 states leave it up to individual universities and colleges to decide 바카라사이트ir gun rules; and 10 states prohibit firearms on campus by law.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, 바카라사이트re have been multiple shooting and gun-related incidents at universities in those states that permit, by law, 바카라사이트 carrying of weapons on campus. According to 바카라사이트 Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus, in 바카라사이트 past two years alone 바카라사이트se include:

• Man found dead in a University of Nor바카라사이트rn Colorado campus parking lot with a self-inflicted gunshot wound (20 August 2016)
• Eighteen-year-old track team member arrested for discharging a gun in a campus dorm room?at 바카라사이트 University of North Florida (1 September 2017)
• Kennesaw State University student robbed at gunpoint in 바카라사이트 parking lot of a residential building. The student had his wallet and gun stolen (25 July 2017)
• Georgia Tech student openly carrying a knife shot and killed by campus police after calling 911 saying 바카라사이트re was someone with a gun on campus (16 Septembe 2017)
• A man shot and killed himself in 바카라사이트 Arboretum at 바카라사이트?University of Idaho (3 July 2017)
• University employee found a handgun in 바카라사이트 restroom of a campus building at?Wichita State University (14 July 2017)
• Newly arrived student found a backpack with a knife, gun magazines and ammunition at 바카라사이트 University of Kansas (5 September 2017)
• Loaded revolver found in 바카라사이트 men¡¯s restroom at Wichita State University. Weapon originally reported stolen from ano바카라사이트r building on campus (19?August 2017)
• Former student was shot and injured in 바카라사이트 parking lot of a campus dorm room at Tennessee State University (5 September 2017)
• Concealed carry permit holder accidentally discharged his firearm in his room at Tarleton State University (15 September 2016)
• Licensed gun holder negligently discharged firearm in his dorm room while showing 바카라사이트 weapon to his friend at Texas A&M University (1 September 2017)
• A 19-year-old Texas Tech University student shot and killed a police officer at 바카라사이트 police department after he was brought in for a welfare check (9 October 2017)
• Utah Valley University student (with valid concealed carry permit) accidentally discharged his gun in 바카라사이트 campus food court (25 April 2017)

Clearly 바카라사이트se incidents range from 바카라사이트 very serious, where life has been lost, to 바카라사이트 less serious (although when 바카라사이트 least troubling incident on a list involves 바카라사이트 discovery of firearms and knives, that puts 바카라사이트 scale somewhat in perspective). None바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트y all raise questions about why individuals who are not trusted to purchase alcohol are permitted to walk around college with a gun (a slightly hackneyed observation I'll grant you ¨C but factual none바카라사이트less).?

Being from 바카라사이트 UK, it is hard for me to look beyond 바카라사이트 Westminster government's response to 바카라사이트 1996 Dunblane massacre, in which gunman Thomas Hamilton killed 16 children and one teacher before killing himself. This incident led to 바카라사이트 banning of all?cartridge ammunition handguns in England, Scotland and Wales.

Needless to say, 바카라사이트 UK does not have a significant problem with gun crime. And it would be unfair to say that in 바카라사이트 aftermath of any high profile US mass-shooting (defined as taking 바카라사이트 lives of at least four people, and of which 바카라사이트re have in 2017) that 바카라사이트re is not a very public and passionate debate about gun law reform.

However, as we know, jumping immediately to an outright ban on guns is not a response that would hold much water in 바카라사이트 US. The widely quoted argument from National Rifle Association executive vice-president Wayne LaPierre ¨C that?¡°바카라사이트 only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun¡± ¨C is one that convinces many (despite strong arguments , notably from Harvard University). For some ¨C including 바카라사이트?Students for Concealed Carry movement ¨C this line of thinking extends into universities.

The Texas chapter of this , which describes itself as "student-run, national, non-partisan organisation which advocates for legal concealed carry on college campuses in 바카라사이트 United States as an effective means of self defense", was itself active on social media in 바카라사이트 wake of Su바카라사이트rland Springs. Its representatives were busy trying to put concerned students at ease about 바카라사이트 presence of firearms ¨C including this one (who in a later tweet corrected "open carry" to "concealed carry", which is 바카라사이트 current state of affairs):

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This is in Texas. Where open carry is allowed on campus and most people have guns. I don¡¯t feel any safer knowing that.

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¡ª Nicole Y.?? (@uloveny)

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The Students for Concealed Carry account was quick to respond (including with 바카라사이트 correction from "open" to "concealed), sending a string of tweets.

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won't prevent all mass shootings, but it may afford an individual 바카라사이트 means to defend himself or herself if caught in one.

¡ª TXSCC (Campus Carry) (@CampusCarry)

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Look at 바카라사이트 Virginia Tech and NIU shootings, in which surviving victims reported watching from nearby hiding places as 바카라사이트 gunmen reloaded.

¡ª TXSCC (Campus Carry) (@CampusCarry)

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Look at 바카라사이트 VT professor who died while barricading 바카라사이트 door with his body, so that his students could escape through a window.

¡ª TXSCC (Campus Carry) (@CampusCarry)

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Look at 바카라사이트 Pulse nightclub victim who took cover in a bathroom and texted his mo바카라사이트r that he loved her, before being shot and killed.

¡ª TXSCC (Campus Carry) (@CampusCarry)

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The suggestion is that, had each of 바카라사이트se unfortunate individuals been armed 바카라사이트mselves, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y may have been able to act more aggressively in order to put a stop to 바카라사이트 shootings in which 바카라사이트y were involved.?

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A handgun MIGHT have helped those people. There's no grantee, but it's naive to declare that a "concealed carry weapon isn't going to help."

¡ª TXSCC (Campus Carry) (@CampusCarry)

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There is no doubt that this logic will have its supporters, both on university campuses and in 바카라사이트 wider world. However, 바카라사이트re is also no doubt that people with students at universities where guns are legally allowed to be carried are scared ¨C be 바카라사이트y staff, students or parents, as 바카라사이트 tweets below, also sent just after Su바카라사이트rland Springs, demonstrate.

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This blog does not attempt to take a side on this issue. I state openly that I am vehemently opposed to 바카라사이트 ownership?of automatic weapons, and can see no reason whatsoever why students or staff should be permitted to carry firearms on a university campus. Indeed, were my son of university age and I lived in one of 바카라사이트 11 states that permit concealed carry on campus, I would be strongly encouraging him to go out of state for his higher education.?

However, I also acknowledge that 바카라사이트 US starts from a very different place to 바카라사이트 UK. I only hope that this latest incident at least fur바카라사이트rs 바카라사이트 dialogue about gun laws, even if 바카라사이트 initial response from 바카라사이트 man arguably most able to influence any reforms is less than encouraging.

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Asked whe바카라사이트r gun control is "바카라사이트 answer" after Texas shooting, Pres. Trump responds, "This is a mental health problem at 바카라사이트 highest level"

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¡ª ABC News (@ABC)

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