Sunday, March 9, 2008

Common Sense Prevails: Oklahoma College Officials Oppose Concealed Guns on Campus

Promoting guns on college campuses never struck us as a good idea. But no one ever accused the Oklahoma legislature of having too many good ideas.

To wit: Guthrie's Republican Rep. Jason Murphey, the "father" of the recent proposal to allow state college students to obtain concealed carry permits into the classroom, just in case he or she should need to dispatch a campus lunatic.

Fortunately, wiser heads have prevailed. The state's Chancellor of Higher Education, Glen Johnson, told the Tulsa World this week that Oklahoma college presidents and law enforcement officials "have serious concerns about the proposal of having guns on our campuses."

We can't imagine why. Could be the fact that Oklahoma college campuses could turn into every-man-or-woman-for-himself-or-herself armed camps?

House Republicans are apparently divided over the campus gun bill. House Speaker Chris Benge, R-Tulsa, is sitting on the proposal for now.

Let's hope that Benge and the bill's supporters listen to Chancellor Johnson and the leaders of Oklahoma's colleges. More guns on campus won't make Oklahoma students safer.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Yes. Heaven forbid we stop stripping students of their god-given, constitutionally-protected right to defend themselves.