Monday, March 24, 2008

OU Profs Take Aim at Campus Gun Bill

The University of Oklahoma Faculty Senate voted last week to oppose a proposal that would allow students to carry concealed guns on campus.

The vote wasn't even close: 27 of 30 faculty members voted against the gun bill.

The OU faculty vote puts them in line with a growing number of Oklahoma college officials. OU President David Boren has publicly opposed the bill, as has the Council of Presidents, a group made up of Oklahoma's 25 public colleges and universities.

OSU's new president, Burns Hargis, has also spoken out against the bill. "While we all share concern for the safety of all our campuses, this proposal is fraught with unnecessary risks," Hargis told the AP last week.

The legislative proposal would allow veterans, active-duty military personnel, and several other categories of people to carry concealed weapons on campus. Supporters of the bill, including the NRA, claim the legislation will make Oklahoma campuses safer.

Based on last week's vote, the OU faculty feels otherwise.

2 comments:

Maria said...

I fail to see how carrying a concealed weapon would make campus safer.

Anonymous said...

(This topic also discussed in 3/3/2008 AT item, Guns won't make campuses safer.)