Michigan Lawmakers to Consider Guns on College Campuses
(We are pleased to post the following joint press release from the Campaign To Keep Guns Off Campus, Freedom States Alliance, Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence, and Students For Gun-Free Schools).
LANSING, MI - A state House Committee says it will hold a hearing tomorrow morning on a dangerous measure that would force all public colleges and universities in Michigan to allow many students 21 and over to carry loaded, hidden handguns into college classrooms.
Similar bills have been killed 34 times in 22 states in the past two years.
The bill that will be considered by the House Committee on Tourism, Outdoor Recreation and Natural Resources, HB 5474, was introduced by Traverse City Republican House member Wayne Schmidt. The bill, if passed, would prohibit any institution of higher education from enforcing any ordinance or regulation on “possession of pistols or other firearms, ammunition for pistols or other firearms, or components of pistols or other firearms, except as otherwise provided by federal law or a law of this state.”
“America’s college campuses are among the safest environments for students because they do not permit guns on their premises,” said Andy Pelosi, president of GunFreeKids.org and head of The Campaign to Keep Guns off Campus. “We need to keep guns off college campuses, not bring in more guns.”
“We need to do more to make it harder for dangerous people to get dangerous weapons,” said Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. “Michigan should reject this bill, just as all other states have done.”
Similar bills have been categorically rejected, over and over, for the past two and a half years since the Virginia Tech tragedy where a student brought guns into classrooms and murdered 32 students and teachers.
All told, 34 independent efforts by the National Rifle Association and Students for Concealed Carry on Campus to pass guns-on-campus bills in 22 different states have failed miserably, with even ultra-conservative state legislative leaders who have been longtime reliable allies of the NRA opposing the idea. The broad opposition to such bills included students and universities who felt under attack.
The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus, which is organizing a national coalition of universities and colleges to reject the gun lobby’s agenda, lists support from 90 schools in 23 states and counting. (Click here to see list of colleges).
The following states have rejected bills in 2009, 2008 or 2007 to force colleges and universities to allow students to carry concealed firearms into classrooms: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington.
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It is rather nondescript. It looks mostly like any other door in the neighborhood. White with brass door knob. However, just eight inches above said door knob there are two decals (or stickers) which state the following: "Proud Owner of a Magnum Research Firearm," and "Nevermind the Dog - Beware of Owner." Despite living in a neighborhood where muggings, theft, and home invasions take place we have personally never had an issue with such things.
All of my neighbors? Quite the opposite.
It could be the four large dogs in the house . It could be the warnings posted on the front door. There's no definitive proof that it's one or the other, but one thing is for certain: Nobody messes with objects in the carport or the vehicles and I like it that way.
Gun free zones offer a path of least resistance to criminals and killers. I'd understand such a measure only if the campus, store, or bar had AT LEAST one armed guard in the area. Most campus security, however, don't even have a non-lethal weapon much less something to counter a psychotic with a lethal one. "Hold on while I radio for someone to call the cops." While they're doing that, people are dying.
ok, here's what we'll do, you post a big sign in front of your home "this house is gun free", and then we'll see how safe "gun free zones" are.
this bill would clarify the MI firearms preemption law , to confirm that it applies to colleges, uniform guidelines, that's a good thing, reminding the schools that CIVIL RIGHTS, including the right to self-defense (also known as the Right to Keep and Bear Arms) are not removed when students walk onto campus.
I think free speech is dangerous, look what happened when Hitler was able to speak his mind, and lead the masses. I think we need to ban free speech anywhere except the home, we need to license it, and regulate it, because I'm scared of it.
so there, I've just made a case against free speech, that's about as strong as yours against carry on campus.
nonfactual
biased
bigoted
hoplophobic
fear driven drivel.
CPL holders are statistically the most law-abiding segment of the population. they are trained(at least here in MI) on the laws pertaining to the use of lethal force, and how to handle their firearms. they are required to prove that they can shoot, and that they understand firearms safety, and that they understand the laws, and when they should/shouldn't use their firearm.
these laws and rules that the colleges and legislature have in place, denying these people their right to self defense, are recklessly endangering the lives of the students, not only while in the classroom, but on their way to and from school as well.
I would advise the author to take a look at some REAL numbers, look at the REAL statistics, and maybe even meet some REAL CPL holders
I'll give you a tip, if you live in the continental US, not including HI, WI, and maybe CA, you've already met them, stood next to them in line at the supermarket, and passed them on the sidewalk, they carry next to you at the bank, in the movie theater, and at that nice little concert you went to last month. you don't even know they're carrying, unless they need to use it. wake up people, there's no difference between a college student in a movie theater, and a college student in a classroom. there's no magical line that turns them into cold blooded killers, but there is a line that disarms them. a line that leaves them defenseless in the faces of animals like Cho. it's time to stop letting the administrators of these colleges take students lives in their hands, usurping their rights, and placing them at risk.
PASS THIS BILL
I'm recommending based not only on content, but on your excellent choice of firearms . :-) I have an XD9SC and XDm40. Great guns . And neither has killed anyone since I bought them.
Springfield Armory XD 9mm w/ ported 4" barrel and crimson trace laser grips is my carry weapon. I only turn the laser on if I am going somewhere at night because the muzzle flash can tamper with my ability to line up the iron sights and I don't want to shoot blind.
Because if the state of Utah - which allows handguns on their campuses - is any indication, this will result in no mass shootings on college campuses. Stop the common sense.
As has been shown time and time again, "gun free zones" are the only way to protect against gun violence . Just about every shooting of 3 or more people happens in "gun free zones" because the criminals run screaming at the sight of those scary little signs with the red circle and slash.
Stop the insanity. Make your place of work, home, school , grocery store, restaurant, and neighborhood a gun free zone so criminals will know not to go there.