What do LEOs think about armed citizens/armed students?

[JBHorne]

Well, there was an article in the ASU Devil paper:
ASU Web Devil - Opinions: Up in arms

I wrote a letter to the editor in reply and it was published!!! I know, I could have spent more time on it, but I only had 10 minutes between classes, lol!

I'm sure you can guess which one I wrote
ASU Web Devil - Opinions: Letters to the Editor

Tell me what you think, PLEASE BE HONEST. I APPRECIATE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM!!!

[StevePVB]

Excellent letter. The only thing I would add to letters to the editor like this is to add in response to their "guns in the hands of untrained kids" that hundreds of students have their Honorable Discharges and combat experience. (But, not to try to narrow down those that may carry to former military).

[Python]

Originally Posted by StevePVB

Excellent letter. The only thing I would add to letters to the editor like this is to add in response to their "guns in the hands of untrained kids" that hundreds of students have their Honorable Discharges and combat experience. (But, not to try to narrow down those that may carry to former military).

A 21 year-old is not exactly a "kid", especially after going through the CCW process.

[StevePVB]

Originally Posted by Python

A 21 year-old is not exactly a "kid", especially after going through the CCW process.

Exactly. And he covered that in his letter. He asked for constructive criticism so I suggested something additional that could go in a letter such as his.

[r_einan]

Just a quick qoute for you:

"An armed society is a polite society." - Benjamin Franklin

That just about sums it all up...

RE

[usmcxd]

all the way.

i am sure someone wishes there would have been a sane student armed at the VT campus when that nut walked into those buildings and decided to rittle the rooms and innocent students with gunfire.

honestly, that story still puts fire in my chamber.

[JBHorne]

So I got one "NO" response. Any comment?

[jblakk]

When my wife goes to class, I would like to know that she is safe from lunatics that just want to share there missery. she has a 1911 CCO, and has been shooting for over 12 years.

People seem to be more affraid of the people leagaly carrying firearms to class more than the crazy people. This boggles my mind.

[JBHorne]

Originally Posted by jblakk

When my wife goes to class, I would like to know that she is safe from lunatics that just want to share there missery. she has a 1911 CCO, and has been shooting for over 12 years.

People seem to be more affraid of the people leagaly carrying firearms to class more than the crazy people. This boggles my mind.

Thank you! That was put perfectly. Many people that I talk to that are not directly involved (i.e. other parents) say that if they were a teacher, they would no longer feel safe at all teaching if students were armed. They would be afraid that giving a student an F on a test would yield their own termination. I personally give some college students more credit than that. We treat our future successors as "kids", which many are.

I do feel though however that tightening the CCW requirements would help. Having to take a test in Arizona that isn't really even a test, but a "see what you think, and if you are wrong, the instructor will "instruct" you to the correct answer" is laughable. I think 8 hours is too short. I can just imagine frat boys being like, "really? that's all I have to do?" and get a CCW with absolutely no firearms training. I wouldn't mind if the ABOR (Arizona Board of Regents) had their own requirements to carry on campus, such as psychological exams, tests, firearms qualification, etc. Basically basic training to become a 'civilian officer'. I would do it. This would have the similar effect of the plainclothes marshal system on airlines. Do you really want to be on an airline knowing that everyone is wielding a gun? Even though I would know that I am, I would hate to have to take a shot in a pressurized cabin. The same would be true in a classroom setting. Unlike civilians generally carrying around town, there is a lot less density of human lives usually where self defense shootings occur. In a classroom, however, the stakes are quite high. The shooter could stand up in the middle of a 300+ person lecture, making a shot VERY unsafe. Having the proper training would hopefully mitigate someone's movie-based knowledge of firearms. I would be afraid that people (and they DO think this -- the general population) that bullets travel in the EXACT direction you want them to go in and stop IMMEDIATELY when they hit something or someone, instantly killing. Obviously you guys understand this is not true. What happens in a classroom setting where there are a row of classrooms down a hall and some student takes a shot in the direction of the hall, not realizing that a bullet can travel through the walls and potentially hit students in other classrooms?

It's just my thought that a marshal-type program would be a better starting point that a fully-open system of allowing anyone to obtain a CCW and carry. They stakes are too high. But I would rather senate-bill 1214 pass than not pass, so my idea is kind of irrelevant, isn't it?

I know many of you would say, "but that defies a citizens 2nd amendment legal right to carry" to which I would respond, "yes, it does, but there are those who could pass the CCW requirements (status-quo) without ever handling or shooting a firearm and many 'students' are short tempered. Carrying should be for protection, not because 'everyone else does it' logic or because 'it's the cool thing to do'."

[hotpig]

Originally Posted by JBHorne

So NO ONE yet has voted "no". It doesn't make sense. If all you LEOs are OK, and even encourage CCWs, then why would the police chiefs at all of the state's universities, the Arizona Fraternal Order of Police, the Arizona Association of Police Chiefs, the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the Arizona Highway Patrol Association ALL make public statements AGAINST the new bill?

Most of these guys are political appointees. They have to say what the Politicians tell them to in order to keep their jobs.