Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

COLUMN: Gun-free zones do not prevent firearm violence
By Brett King
Kansas State Collegian (Kansas State U.)
02/20/2008

(U-WIRE) MANHATTAN, Kan. — Gun-free zones have been used to give the illusion of security and safety for many years in the United States and across the world.

In 1938, Adolf Hitler forced Germany to become one of the largest gun-free zones the world had seen. According to the Nazi Weapon Law of 1938, German citizens were not allowed to possess firearms unless they were authorized by the police force or in military service.

By 1945, the Nazi government slaughtered more than 6 million Jews, gypsies and mentally retarded or otherwise disabled individuals. Last week, we were reminded once again of the "success" that gun-free zones have had in providing security and safety to students.

According to the New York Times on Feb. 15, Steven Kazmierczak entered Cole Hall at Northern Illinois University with a shotgun concealed in a guitar case and three other handguns.

Beginning his assault at 3:06 p.m., Kazmierczak had enough time to reload and continue to fire upon students in the large lecture hall before campus security entered the building.

This shooting has reminded many in the U.S. of the shootings last year on the Virginia Tech campus. These shootings, like all school shootings, have had one common denominator - each has occurred in a gun-free zone.

Knee-jerk responses to school shootings include more restrictions on firearms and tougher policies to keep weapons off campus, but current policies were already violated prior to the shooting.

According to Northern Illinois University's Student Code of Conduct, effective Aug. 8, 2006, firearms are not allowed to be brought onto campus without "written consent of the chief security officer of the university." The policies are only as strong as the paper they are written on. With the slow response by campus police in both occasions, there is little for students to do to defend themselves.

Gun-free zones of the past and present have only one meaning - civilians are unable to defend themselves in times of emergency.

Currently on our own campus, the only solution the Student Government Association and the administration has provided to keep us safe is the ability to send text-message alerts in case of an emergency.

But the alerts provide no benefit to those caught in an emergency situation and can only be preventative to those outside of the situation.

In a grassroots movement, students at universities across this country have been pushing for changes in gun-control laws to allow students who have obtained a conceal-and-carry permit to carry their weapons on campus.

Prior to the shooting at Virginia Tech last year, the Virginia General Assembly would not let a bill out of subcommittee that allowed students to carry concealed weapons on campus.

After the bill was defeated, Virginia Tech spokesman Larry Hincker said to the Roanoke Times, "I'm sure the university community is appreciative of the General Assembly's actions because this will help parents, students, faculty and visitors feel safe on our campus."

Contrary to public opinion, eliminating the "gun-free zone" on campus will not lead to shootouts or put a gun in the hands of every student.

With previous countermeasures failing time after time when it comes to preventing school shootings, the only solution is to allow those in our state who have obtained a conceal-and-carry permit to have the option of carrying firearms on campus.

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