Don't bring a notebook to a gunfight
By MARK W. WEBB | Feb. 19, 2010I debated how to broach this topic; it's certainly a charged issue, but there's no other way than to simply lay out the facts. The events of this Tuesday at Lockwood Library were a near miss for the University at Buffalo, and at the very least it should serve as a wakeup call. As we waited for news, it was hard to not think of school shootings in the recent past, Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University among them. School shootings are not the domain of high schools anymore; college campuses, and you, are equally under threat. There was a lot of confusion, as there would be in a real shooting, and as another Spectrum writer aptly mentioned it is sad to say that social networks delivered us our information faster than UB officials. However slow or fast we got our information though, according to The Spectrum's 'Chaos on North Campus' article, it took campus police a full 35 minutes to evacuate Lockwood from the time the report of a suspicious person came in. What if there had been a shooting? At Virginia Tech, the gunman had killed 30 people, wounded 17, and committed suicide all within 12 minutes. There would be no time for orderly evacuations, no time for e-mails that took an hour telling students to go home, and no time to sip coffee in Alfiero discussing the unfolding events across the street. There would only be a moment to flee, if that. By the time the police even got a call, many would be hurt or killed, and far more by the time they arrived. What if I told you there was a better way, in which students didn't have to run for their lives, that they would have a chance, and a good one, in such situations? The concealed carry movement, an ideology that has been steadily gaining ground over the last decades, offers a valid solution. Recognizing that each and every person is their own first line of defense, able to respond in seconds rather than the time it takes for the police to arrive and draw chalk lines. It has embraced the Second Amendment right of Americans to keep and bear arms–a majority of Americans affirm it is an individual right. As of 2010, 48 states, including NY, allow private citizens to apply for and obtain a Concealed Carry Weapons permit. This, though varying by state, allows those who pass FBI background checks and complete mandated training classes, to carry a pistol in public for their own defense, and that of the public at large. Yes that's right, out in public, right now, are millions of your fellow countrymen and women legally packing concealed heat, ready to act in situations they hope never come to pass. The reason you haven't noticed is that these individuals aren't the ones you see on the nightly news; they value this hard won right, and exercise great responsibility. Despite what its detractors may say, the 2nd Amendment is not only alive and well in the USA, but needed no less than 230 years ago. It is really our first freedom, securing all the rest. While concealed carry is accepted in almost every state, not all places in public are treated the same. Ever wonder why school shootings occur as much as they do, or why so many are harmed? It's because even those with CCW permits are banned from carrying on campuses; not in all states, but in NY. Law disarms off-duty cops, students, security guards or anyone who has the proper training and license that would stand ready at our side to defend us at a moment's notice. Gunmen such as the, 'Lockwood Monster', as some have called him, know we are defenseless in ironically named, 'Gun-free zones', and obviously would feel no need to obey such foolish legislation themselves. It didn't stop VT, it didn't stop NIU, but it did stop an effective response and the beating hearts of those who could've been saved. Students for Concealed Carry on Campus is a nation-wide organization of 50,000 students in all states who support the belief that self-defense doesn't end at the campus property line. They feel that those who are ready and licensed for the unexpected should be no less prepared at schools. Utah values their students' lives and refuses to let them be victims by allowing CCW on campus. Life is a precious thing; recent events should make us reconsider how New York treats its students' safety. No one is saying you need to go out and get a gun; you may even dislike firearms, but if you too believe that we are no less apt for self-defense here than off-campus, join our Facebook group: 'Students for Concealed Carry on Campus – SUNY Buffalo'. Help remind UB, NYS, and your fellow students to never bring a notebook to a gunfight. E-mail: SCCC1337@gmail.com
