March 06, 2007
Hope For College Students Yet
Rightwing Prof directed me to this inane commentary in the Western Kentucky University College Heights Herald (free registration required), written by Brandon Wilson, a senior who is a journalism major. Some highlights:
I was in a sociology class not long ago and noticed that an off-duty Bowling Green police officer was in the room. He was in his full uniform, including his utility belt, gun in holster.
Just thinking about it now, I am still in shock. A gun in a classroom! This is by far the dumbest thing I have seen as a Western student. There is no excuse for this. I do not care that he is an officer.
I was discussing this with some of my classmates and I am convinced that there is no logical reasoning for this officer to have his gun.
First of all, lets say he doesn't get out of class until 30 minutes before he is supposed to be at work. I don't care. If he can't find a place to lock his gun up until he is on duty, then he should reschedule his classes so that he gives himself more time.
Someone even argued that if something happened he could provide protection. Well, what if it happened to him? Now there is a gun in the room and anyone has access to it. If it were someone with a knife, then now the situation has become much more dangerous. God forbid it was a person with another gun, because now that person has more ammo.
This is a school. Have we all forgotten about what happens with guns in classrooms? I cannot think of one good thing that has happened with a gun in that environment, but a number of tragedies do come to mind.
The least of my concerns about this is that a gun in a classroom does not create the type of relaxed atmosphere that students desire in the classroom. There is no way that a gun will ever comfort me while I am trying to learn about Karl Marx's views on society.
This is a senior in WKU's journalism program? And we wonder at the state of our MSM today. And no, I'm not just talking about his point of view, but the childish writing style. I'm sure, however, the AP will find a place for him.
Not only does he have an irrational fear of guns, but is opposed to an off-duty police officer having one while taking classes, supposedly to better himself. He suggests that the officer reschedule his classes so he, Wilson, won't have to be subjected to seeing a *gasp* gun as he studies Karl Marx's theories. (Marx, what a surprise.) The same officer who would not hesitate to put his own life in jeopardy in order to save Wilson's thin-skinned, arrogant hide.
Now I know the title of this post says there's hope for college students yet, and so now I come to that point: the comments.
As of this writing, there are 47 comments. Each and every one, without exception, calls Wilson on the carpet either for his disrespect toward the officer, his disrespect for the Constitution, or his sounding like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum because something happened that he didn't like and had no control over. Here's a sampling:
This is the worst thing I have ever read!
Mr. Wilson apparently you don't keep up with the news around the country. Just a couple of weeks ago there was a young man who walked into a mall and started killing people. The first person to respond to the incident was an OFF DUTY POLICE OFFICER!! Not only was he off duty, he was eating dinner with his PREGNANT wife!!!
You have no class Mr.Wilson. And you sure have no business writing for a college news paper!
Grow Up!
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It sounds like you just have a problem with police in general. I would much rather have an officer in every class in my University than have 1 student carry one in class. The odds are better that the officer will protect you with the gun than get it taken away from him. I'd like to see you try and take the gun away from him without getting yourself killed or seriously hurt.
And I also have to agree with the rest of the posters on here that say you sound like a whiny 12 year old with nothing to do but bitch.
***
Wow, Hysteria is alive and well on our college campi. You have the right to be uncomfortable. You even have the right to wet yourself at the site of a gun. You however, have no right to impose your beliefs on others.
That officer and other CCW carriers are law abiding people and have no childish sense of firearms as you seem to. They don't have the "Mommy, make them stop or ill hold my breath till I turn blue" mentality. They see the firearm as a tool, neither evil or good. It is used in self defense, in defense of person, property and country. It is a tool. Get over your childish sense of entitlement and please, for the love of god, don't go into journalism. You are far to involved with yourself to be an objective journalist.
Absolutely delicious. Read them all if you have a few minutes. Bless the students of WKU who had the sense to see through this nonsense.
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