Campus carry has been at high risk of passing across the University of Wisconsin System for years now. After the recent vote on the state budget, I find myself preparing once again to face the threat of potential legislation being promoted that does not take into account what our campus wants.
The fact of the matter is that guns on campus is a horrifying prospect. After a widespread voter education campaign this past school year, thousands of students and parents called Speaker Robin Vos’s office and pleaded with the him to prevent passing campus carry legislation. The response was telling — the legislation was not introduced.
Recently, a student wrote an opinion column asserting that carrying on campus will make campus safer. I feel I would be remiss if I did not remind this student that their opinion has received harsh backlash from both students and law enforcement. As if the noted outcry to the speaker’s office last year is not evidence enough to the opposition to campus carry, the UW Police Department released strong statements against the legislation as well.
To ensure safety of UW campus, it is crucial that students be allowed to carry firearms
Our law enforcement officials — the people who arguably have the most training and knowledge of how to operate a firearm — maintain that without uniform trainings or background checks to obtain a concealed carry permit, there is no logistical sense in the argument that a so-called “good guy” with a gun will stop a bad guy with a gun.
The painful reality is during chaotic situations, taking down a mass shooter is an unbelievably difficult task. That work is best left to trained law enforcement officers as to allow for the least amount of bullets and loss of life. It is also worth noting that the notion of promoting campus carry does no favors to law enforcement officials and first responders who would have to respond to an emergency by taking precious time to try to separate the good guys from the bad.
Further, I would like to remind the writer of this opinion piece that on a campus with high levels of alcohol use, introducing guns is a dangerous concept. Campus carry would permit guns in Camp Randall, a space where drinking is practically a given.
Student legislative affairs committee protests unauthorized campus carry legislation
Though I respect the passion of that opinion, I cannot help but point out its fundamental disconnect from the reality of life on this campus and its callous disregard for the concerns expressed by law enforcement and their ability to do their jobs. I believe proponents of campus carry are in the minority and we must resist their efforts because they will put our campus in danger.
Katherine Kerwin ([email protected]) is a junior studying political science and geography.
