Varied opinions are held by students at East Tennessee State University regarding legislation that could allow guns to be kept in vehicles parked on campus.
Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, speaking Monday at a luncheon for higher education officials and legislators at Northeast State Community College in Blountville, said he hoped to have a bill passed in the next legislative session that would allow handgun carry permit holders to keep their weapons locked in their cars.
Similar bills have not passed in recent years.
ETSU Director of Media Relations Joe Smith responded to an inquiry about the legislation via email Tuesday.
“We have not seen the proposed new legislation, so it is too early for us to respond,” he said. “We know this will be an issue that the Tennessee Board of Regents will continue to follow closely.”
Campus police chiefs and others in academia have opposed previous versions of this legislation.
TBR Communications Director Monica Greppin-Watts said the Regents oppose weapons on campus as a safety measure.
“TBR has historically not supported any bill that would open the door to allowing guns on our college campuses because of concern for the safety of our students, faculty, staff and visitors,” she said via email. “ We have not yet seen anything as it relates to any specific legislation, and we will wait to comment further until we have more information.”
Brandon Roy, a freshman majoring in exercise science at ETSU, said he was largely neutral on the legislation, though he did not think he would necessarily be against people holding guns in their cars on campus.
“I guess it would give students more of a sense of safety if they have one,” he said.
Jennifer Benson, an ETSU sophomore majoring in psychology, supported the measure.
“I’m for it because if people know there are guns around then they’re not going to want to pull their gun out, because they know other people are going to have their guns,” she said.
Dwanye Jordon, a graduate student at ETSU studying information technology, did not support guns in campus parking lots.
“As a student, I don’t think I’d be really OK with that,” he said.
Jordon said people have varied interactions with others on a daily basis on a university campus. Adding guns to the mix could add difficulties to any interaction and cause problems because of the ease with which people would have access to their weapons.
“It’s something simple for you to run to your car and get your gun for the slightest lack of reason,” Jordon said.
Northeast State Community College Director of Police John Edens said while he could not comment specifically on the law Ramsey was referencing because he has not seen it, he did think more guns on campus means the campus is less safe.
Speaking personally and for police chiefs of TBR schools, Edens said he opposed guns on campus, except for law enforcement officers.
masonjar writes:
December 5, 2012
6:52 AM
I am a hand gun permit holder and have been for many years. I don't carry my gun on me very often as most of the time it is tucked away in my vehicle. I usually don't feel a need to carry it or even have it with me, but if just one person had a gun with them, they could have stopped the mass murder at the theater in CO and same thing for the VA Tech shootings several years ago. Permit holders have had back ground checks, hours of training, and hours of practice with their weapons, although not as much as a police officer, but in the same regards they are responsible people who want to protect theirselves. Letting permit holders keep their weapons stashed in their locked cars on campus is not going to create more problems, it will only increase the level of safety if a situation ever arose such as those mentioned above. Just remember, guns don't kill people, people kill people. If you take guns away, people that chose to take other lives will resort to an means necessary such as knives, bombs, etc. I appluade Mr. Ramsey and fully support this bill. I have a daughter that is in school and I will feel so much better when she is able to legaly keep her gun in her car with her, and by the way, she is well trained in using it to protect herself, God forbid she ever have to.
breakout writes:
December 5, 2012
9:27 AM
Campuses are like cities, as they usually have several thousand students plus faculty members living and working on the grounds. What many people don't consider, is like any small city there are a number of disturbed and mentally ill individuals on campus. The gun law is double sided coin. If these disturbed people feel more comfortable in bringing their guns on campus, what happens when something raises their ire? And yes, disturbed people have gun carry permits, as well. And if something goes wrong on campus, how are the public safety officers going to be able to tell the good guys from the bad guys if they both have guns? Now, I am a gun permit holder myself, but I see some issues that may arise from this measure.
MajorofReality writes:
December 5, 2012
4:18 PM
Rules are for people that will follow them.
People who have planned an assault on someone or who are committed on causing a terrible episode will not be deterred by anti gun laws no matter where they are enacted.
Didn't the theater where the shooting occured have no firearms or a no weapons sign posted?
How did that work out for them??????????????????????
If a student that is deranged or a faculty member that is deranged wants to bring a gun on campus and cause great death and damage do you think for one minute they will be concerned about being charged with the crime of bringing a gun on campus after they have killed and injured several on their tirade? If they survive themselves?
Why should a law adiding citizen then be encumbered with a silly law, when that law isn't worth the paper it is written on, when it comes to what they can do????????????
I am all for the gun bill allowing guns in cars on company parking lots and school parking lots.
Anywhere else for that matter too.
If they taught commonsense in school we would be better off in the log run.
Then we wouldn't have to lean on the warm and fuzzy feelings in life.
jms7417 writes:
December 6, 2012
12:26 AM
This story is silly. Who cares if guns are kept in students' cars? We all know how terrible ETSU's parking is... It would take someone hours to get to their vehicle and back even if they did want to commit a crime.
provided.