TO THE EDITOR:
I think that the recent armed robbery on campus sheds a whole new light on arguments which argue for stricter gun control.
First, this incident reveals that determined criminals will sneak guns onto campus, well-intentioned laws notwithstanding. Others and I have argued that criminals, by definition, have no regard for the law and will bring guns into so-called “Gun Free Zones.”
Monday’s robbery reveals several serious flaws in the University’s own response to a gunman on campus.
After pouring in untold amounts of money in Alert Carolina and other response systems, the University failed to send out so much as a text message informing the campus community about the gunman running around campus.
Apparently, we only have Alert Carolina so we can enjoy the sound of its test siren once a semester and never intend to actually use the system for what it was built for.
For these reasons, it is important for students to be able to protect themselves and others, as the University is clearly incapable of doing so.
Arming students in accordance with the law would even the odds when a student is confronted with a gunman in his dorm and allow him to take his safety into his own hands.
Fortunately, no one was injured this time, but next time we may not be so lucky.
