According to FOX News, "last October John Wahlberg and two classmates at Central Connecticut State University gave an oral presentation for a communications class taught by Professor Paula Anderson. The assignment was to discuss a 'relevant issue in the media,' and the students presented their view that the death toll in the April 2007 Virginia Tech shooting massacre would have been lower if professors and students had been carrying guns." To make a long story short, Wahlberg (23 years old) was called to the police station that evening, and the cops asked him about his registered guns. Since Wahlberg lives off-campus (a whole twenty miles off campus, to be exact) and keeps his guns locked away like any normal and responsible gun owner, no one pursues further action. "According to The Recorder, Anderson cited safety as her reason for calling the police" (FNC). "'It is also my responsibility as a teacher to protect the well-being of our students, and the campus community at all times. As such, when deemed necessary because of any perceived risks, I seek guidance and consultation from the Chair of my Department, the Dean and any relevant University officials" (FNC).
Also, "in 2007 . . . a student at Hamline University in Minnesota was suspended after writing a letter to an administrator arguing that carrying concealed weapons on campus may help prevent tragedies like the one at Virginia Tech. The student was allowed to return only after undergoing a psychological evaluation" (FNC). And last year at Colorado College, "campus administrators denounced a flyer as 'threatening and demeaning content' because it mentioned guns . . . the students who produces the flyer were found guilty of violating the school's violence policy, which was added to their school records" (FNC).
"Anderson cited safety as her reason for calling the police." Prof. Anderson called the police because a student mentioned concealed carry, thus endangering her? If a German or a Palestinian mentions the Holocaust (well, maybe not the Palestinian) and a Jew happens to be in the classroom, is the aryan or Palestinian going to be taken to the station and investigated? If I create a flyer in an attempt to bring awareness to the Mumbai bombings, am I going to get a slap on a wrist and a black mark on my record because of the word "bomb?"
The college I currently attend is not located in a reputable city, and late-night trips to Wawa will most likely result in a mugging. There have been a few instances of sexual assault and quite a few muggings -- college does not equal immunity. One evening, a friend and I were walking back to our dorms after a late-night study session, and, while walking through an isolated tunnel all alone, were approached by two men who were supposedly looking for their puppy. We decided not to help them find their puppy.
I carry pepper spray at all times (it's attached to my lanyard, and frequently dangles out of my coat pocket because I have so many other keychains and paraphernalia that there's no room left for my pepper spray or my hands), and have a back-up in my dorm.
Speaking of dorms, sometimes the sensor (which only acknowledges IDs of students living in a particular dorm) malfunctions, and on days when students return from breaks, the doors are not locked at all. There's also an unspoken rule that people hold the entrance doors open for others. I will admit that we are entirely too trusting. Most students do not lock their doors at night, and I'm guilty of shouting, "Come in!" whenever someone knocks on my peephole-less door.
Also, parts of the campus are not well-lit at night, especially the crucial call boxes or "blue light system" (though this is to updated in the future). The buildings, aside from dorms, do not require IDs to gain entrance, and with the overnight program (which enables a student to host a prospective student and take him or her to classes the following day), people can randomly appear in classrooms.
Therefore, it is the student's right and obligation to be proactive in regards to safety. In lieu of concealed carry, pepper spray, mace or tasers can be easily obtained; however, a police officer I spoke with told me he doesn't recommend that people carry pepper spray or mace. Some colleges and universities may offer self-defense or RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) classes. Gyms may also offer classes, and martial arts schools definitely do. However, if you are ever confronted by an armed aggressor, I suppose you'll probably be shot before you can reach your mace, and I don't think even a ninth degree black belt can stop a bullet. In which case one of your thoughts might be, "Gee, I wish I'd been packing heat."
If you'd rather not have to consider that thought, check out Students for Concealed Carry on Campus.
But, I believe the main point of the article is that "'colleges and universities are dedicated to the free flow of ideas'" (FNC). This clearly was not the case in regards to Wahlberg, and indeed it is not the case in other colleges, as well.
If anyone has information on "tea parties," (the political sort, not the high tea variety) please let me know via comment or e-mail at licentialoquendi@live.com.
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