For 25 years, the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, has had a strict policy prohibiting guns on campus. A case before the U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City might change all that. According to the Christian Science Monitor, the case is considering whether the Utah concealed weapons law is a state or federal issue. Should the court send it back to the state, there is chance Utah's courts will decide that college campuses are not off-limits to concealed gun permits.
"Given the unique environment of a college campus, that is not a place for guns," stated Bernie Machen, president of the University of Utah, in the Monitor.
Machen is the distinct minority in a state renowned for lenient gun laws. That, however, has not stopped him from asserting his right to set policy at the university. The Utah state legislature went as far as to attempt to halve his salary as punishment for advancing such a radical notion as keeping deadly weapons from his campus.
If the University of Utah is a truly safe campus, the arguments in favor of concealed weapons hold no water. If there is an active University Police, there would be little credence to a claim of self-defense.
College residence halls especially would be prone to needless violence. That atmosphere easily creates tensions ranging from roommate conflict to noise to academic stress. Add guns to that equation, and frightening consequences could result.
Residence halls are also not private property; they are owned and operated by the host university. Private homes provide places for storage, proper maintenance and safety, all things dorms simply cannot guarantee. In such an enclosed space as a residence hall room, the possibility of a gun going off accidentally or falling into the hands of an unlicensed person cannot be ignored. The state legislators of Utah seem to fail to realize that they, as U of U professor John Flynn believes, put gun rights above all other rights.
Students have the right to engage in debate with classmates without having to worry whether their opponent is carrying a gun. They have the right to walk outside at night without the increased risk of being accosted by a gun-wielding aggressor.
The University of Utah administration has the right to set its own policy regarding what is allowed on their campus. Most college campuses, including all SUNY campuses, are gun-free, and many have policies that do not allow alcohol in certain areas. If there is no issue with prohibiting drinking, it makes little sense not to prohibit something far deadlier.
Guns make for an uncomfortable environment in school, for student and teacher alike. The problems that can result from such an irresponsible decision by the Utah government are too weighty to ignore. Machen has made the right choice by standing by his convictions, in the face of statewide controversy, and the government's attempt to force him into line by cutting his pay.
It is imperative that pragmatic people in Utah and elsewhere show their disapproval of those that take the right to bear arms too far. The Second Amendment was drafted for the purpose of creating a well-regulated militia. The legislature of Utah has taken this sentiment in its constitution and broadened its interpretation. While the legislature is entitled to do so, logic must prevail when it comes to weapons and students - the two must be kept apart on campuses.
