I want to feature another wonderful gun today, but I would rather talk about the shooting yesterday at a Oregon university. With 10 dead and 7 wounded it brings the question up again. Would guns on campus have saved any lives yesterday?
This will be a debate that goes on for a long time I assume, but I would like to think that gun free zones just mean free rein for anyone with mental health problems to wreck havoc. While there are personnel on campus that are there to prevent these type of situations I don't feel comfortable knowing that it could take minutes for a response team to arrive let alone take down a active shooter. It does not take a lot of time for active shooters to unload a few magazines causing damage upon unarmed citizens.
Now I want to mention a hero among those yesterday Chris Mintz who was shot 5 times as he rushed the shooter. Mintz is a veteran who was going to classes to be a personal trainer and when presented with this situation didn't take a single thought about himself, but attempted to disarm the assailant.
Not every person wants to be armed, but it only takes a few trained citizens to stop a situation like this. A trained Army vet with a gun would have been a lot more effective and he could have saved more lives.
I have had teachers tell me after these situations that it would be nice to have a gun at least in their office. The problem is that if you have class on the first floor and your office is on the third floor by the time you retrieve your firearm the damage could already be done.
One other thought is this, while there are laws that prohibit the carrying of firearms on campuses is it worth the risk to carry anyway? Most concealed carriers are smart and safe enough to be able to keep a gun hidden. This is a personal question that needs to be answered after much thought, Will you carry a gun where you aren't supposed to in the attempt to defend yourself and others from a shooter on campus. You would risk expulsion and possible criminal charges, but you would be alive.
Whatever your choice, be safe America.
