Missouri House votes to allow concealed weapons on college campuses

[usregimechange]

JEFFERSON CITY — Exactly two years after a gunman killed 32 people and himself on the campus of Virginia Tech, the Missouri House voted Thursday to allow concealed weapons on college campuses.

An amendment to a proposed gun bill, which was approved 105-50 Thursday, would pertain only to gun owners who are properly licensed in the state. The bill will now move to the state Senate for consideration.

Republicans speaking in favor of the concealed-carry amendment said college students have a right to defend themselves from violent people who would disregard designated gun-free zones.

"I believe in concealed-carry," said state Rep. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg. "If you can carry a gun in other public places, why should an open college campus be any different?"

Although the bill passed with support from a strong majority of state representatives, it has been criticized by university officials. The presidents of MU, Rockhurst University and Missouri State University have all spoken out against the amendment, as have many newspaper editorials around the state.

http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2009/04/17/house-votes-allow-concealed-weapons-missouri-college-campuses/


See my response here:
http://community.cnhi.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/55410432/m/5241026081?r=1351026081#1351026081

[MichaelHarris]

1. I think that's a wonderful idea

it'll sure stop instructors from giving out bad grades to unstable people.

[tammywammy]

3. An unstable person that would hurt a professor over a grade

won't let the fact that colleges are gun free deter them from bringing a gun to campus.

[MannyGoldstein]

4. You'd Be Amazed At How Lazy People Are

Or how much more rational they are when given a few minutes to chill.

[MichaelHarris]

10. yeah but

now they get to bring them legally.

[MannyGoldstein]

2. Why Not High Schools?

Silly gun-grabbers.

(:sarcasm:)

[Cali_Democrat]

8. Elementary and Preschools as well

We need all our citizens to be armed to the teeth!!

That will surely stop gun violence.

:sarcasm:

[tammywammy]

12. You have to be at least 23 to get a concealed carry in Missouri

I would hope that there's not many high schoolers that would qualify.

[hileeopnyn8d]

15. Just an FYI

This law would lower the age limit to 21.

I know that has nothing to do with high school, but I just wanted to point it out.

[tammywammy]

16. Thanks for the info. n/t

[Bill McBlueState]

27. Oh, so only seniors and non-traditional students

can open fire on professors who give them bad grades. That's a relief.

[AspenRose]

5. WTF?

:wtf:

A disaster waiting to happen

[anonymous171]

6. Because it is physically impossible to bring a gun onto a gun-free college campus

:sarcasm: If someone wants to shoot up a school, nothing can stop them.

[bluestateguy]

7. And I predict that universities will respond by expelling more mentally unbalanced students

nt

[rwheeler31]

9. Horrible

Missouri is Prozac paranoid land.

[smoochpooch]

11. Immature people in bad relationships, living in close quarters with one another, depression,

stress, binge drinking, and guns....what could possibly go wrong?

Additionally, what happens when the police show up? If everyone has a gun, how are they supposed to know who to shoot?

[hileeopnyn8d]

13. You took the

scary words right out of my mouth.

Scarier still, my step-daughter will be attending a Missouri university next year.

[ccjlld]

25. Scary for me too

I work at Mizzou.

[FailureToCommunicate]

17. Exactly right. Just what I was going to say, but you said it betta...

[billyoc]

24. How are the police supposed to know who to shoot? Are you out of your fucking mind?

I have heard some fucking retarded arguments for gun control, but that is the all time grand prize winning suckfest.

:rofl:

[Telly Savalas]

28. Cut the Missouri GOP caucus some slack.

Most of them have never been on a college campus and thus aren't aware of the dynamics in play.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

14. I was just curious

Not trying to be critical here but I was just wondering if there have ever been any reported cases where a mass shooting was ever foiled in an area where concealed weapons were allowed (i.e. bystanders shot and wounded/killed a would-be mass murderer)? I'd be afraid if tons of people were packing when somebody goes on a rampage that it might become a shooting gallery which may end up causing more innocent deaths.
Any news stories where something like this might have happened-that I might've missed? I've never heard of any.
:hide:

[FailureToCommunicate]

18. 30,000 gun deaths/year divide by 365 and 24 = 3-4 per hour killed by guns...

Of all those only about 3% have anything to do with "self defense" (Most are murder, suicide, accidents) or about 400. Not sure there are reliable stats on mass shootings foiled by people that just happen to have legal concealed carry but I'm guess the number is about ZERO. Allowing guns carried by kids with raging hormones and lots of pressures...
like the poster above said: what could possibly go wrong?

http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/firarmsu....

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/weap...

[Proud Liberal Dem]

21. Thanks

I was just afraid that I missed something because these concealed weapons laws seem to be popular with gun enthusiasts and "tough on crime" pols but I've never thought that they were a good idea nor had I really even heard many stories (outside of Reader's Digest- a right-wing rag) about people actually defending themselves with guns and/or stopping any mass killings because they happened to have a concealed weapon. Baaaaad idea!

[bluestateguy]

22. The Pearl, Miss. school shooting in 1997

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Woodham

He (Woodham) went on to wound 7 others before Joel Myrick, the assistant principal, retrieved a .45 pistol from the glove compartment of his truck and subdued Woodham while he was trying to drive off campus. The outraged educator demanded "Why did you shoot my kids?". Woodham replied "Life has wronged me, sir".

[FailureToCommunicate]

23. Interesting, but still doesn't change the success rate of ZERO. As your cited piece

mentions: "...Myrick, the assistant principal, retrieved a .45 pistol from the glove compartment OF HIS TRUCK and subdued Woodham while he was trying to drive off campus." In other words it wasn't concealed carry, and the shooter had already stopped and was leaving the scene. (You get a participation ribbon for playing though, thanks)

[Proud Liberal Dem]

26. That doesn't sound like self-defense

Nor does it apparently have anything to do with concealed weapons. The scene you're describing sounds more like vigilantism or revenge rather than self-defense since, according to your account, the perpetrator had stopped shooting and was attempting to flee the scene. Pursuing and subduing suspects AFAIK is the rightful job of the police- not the average citizen.

[jberryhill]

31. "I've never heard of any"

Well, there you are then.

See how well it works?

[appleannie1]

19. Just think of the noise they can all make at keg parties.

[KansDem]

20. Now, when will the Missouri House vote to allow C&C in the House chambers themselves?

Don't you have to go through a metal detector now to enter the House? Or how about C&C for all Missouri public offices?

[LiberalFighter]

30. Wouldn't that be fun allowing weapons in the chamber?

Maybe they should allow duels while they are at it.

[salguine]

29. I wonder when they will vote to allow concealed weapons in

Missouri's House and Senate chambers.

[usregimechange]

32. Damn good point