Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Gun Rights on Campus...

No thank you. While I'm okay with the right to bear arms, heck I like shooting guns at the target range, I don't think I would enjoy attending a campus that allowed students to bring arms to campus or have concealed weapons.

What's to keep a group from doing vigilante justice? In the event of a shooter, would there really be enough time to respond? Would students really know the difference between the innocent bystanders and the shooter(s)? Would fewer people be hurt? Who wants a shootout in a ResHall anyway?

It's not like these students who will carry arms have gone through the same training that a police officer has gone through. They'll have less knowledge about the situation and may impede and officer's ability to take down the shooter.

I'm a BEC (Building Evacuation Coordinator) and these shootings that have happened across the nation scare the crap out of me. In the event of an emergency such as this, I'm in charge of saving people. I'm in charge of those who panic and run, those who become beligerant and those who just plain don't know what to do in an emergency. Heck, most of my employees don't know how to behave in an earthquake and that's more likely to hit SPU than a shooter. During a lockdown drill I had an employee open the door because the girl was cute.

If it had been a real incident...the girl could've been the shooter. How would he know? He's just opening the door subjecting everyone else in the office to danger. Once a building is locked down it should stay locked down. There's an issue with that though...the innocent bystanders can't get to shelter and safety. That's a problem....but when you open the doors you don't know who you're letting in and what you're letting in. You've just opened the flood gates.

Before you know it, someone good is going to get confused with the bad and they'll be killed. It happens often enough that it shouldn't be magnified in place like a University.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think I know what to do in an earthquake. Isn't that the one where you stand in a doorway, or go under something that seems likely to stand up if something falls on it?

And then afterward turn off your electricity and gas until the lines are for sure repaired?

See I am prepared. The HelpDesk will survive.

Unknown said...

HAHA! I think that makes two of us out of the 30 some people in the department. We may actually survive.

That or in any other emergency I'll just yell at everyone and get angry. It'll be great. :-P

"DON'T OPEN THE DOOR DURING A LOCKDOWN, ARE YOU STUPID??!?"