LETTER: Guns could provide safety

Editor,

While I was not aware that USU had a gun problem, it appears as though the debate on gun control has already begun. I’m sure we’ll get an earful from both sides about how principled their views are, and how there would be an easy solution if the other side would just quit being stupid. I just hope this time the discussion might be based in reality.

Everyone agrees that in theory campus would be a safer place without guns. But if you support no guns on campus, can you please explain exactly how you plan on accomplishing this? Are you going to make a new rule, put up signs, and then convince us any threat has been neutralized? What a cop-out to believe you live by higher ideals because you advocate banning guns, when all you accomplish is disarming a handful of law-abiding citizens. The only way to guarantee a gun-free zone is to install metal detectors. Unless you are willing to do this, and guarantee the student body that no aggressor will be armed, why would you want to limit the options students have to protect themselves?

Many times I’ve heard students complain that they don’t feel safe at night because there isn’t sufficient lighting, yet because of budget concerns, the school does nothing. Students can carry pepper-spray, which may help in the event of an attack, but I’m not really sure how many potential attackers are deterred by the thought of pepper in their eyes. On the other hand, the possibility that the assailant might not come out alive can have a sobering effect. We live in the real world. The real world calls for real solutions.

Tai Davis