Concealed weapons laws and faulty thinking

One of our family friends just turned 21.  She is an amazing young woman attending an excellent, highly respected (and tremendously expensive) college.  She is on a trajectory that will probably lead to law-school and some sort of work in international law or business. 

I'll call her M.  M's father has been a competitive shooter and paramedic.  M's younger sister can handle an M-1 Garand.  M's brother is a Marine, in training to do security work for the Corps.

M was recently excited to finish her training for a Concealed Weapons Permit.  I don't blame her!  I was excited to receive mine.  She is exactly the sort of person who can be trusted with a firearm.  She is a devout Christian with outstanding morals.  She is level-headed and she comes from a family that has long been comfortable with assorted rifles, pistols and shotguns.

But of course, one of her friends said she was 'freaked out' that M might have a gun on campus.  M reassured her that it was illegal for her to have a gun on campus, so her possibly life-saving tool would be forbidden.  Hopefully, her friend slept better knowing that a rule existed which would limit her capacity to respond to danger.

And what a brilliant rule it is!  M, who could save lives in the case of a stalker, rapist, serial killer or mass shooting, is not allowed to have a dangerous weapon.  Said stalker, rapist, serial killer or shooter is not prohibited, because he or she cannot be prohibited. Except by force or identification and prevention.


It always reminds me of the signs.  'No concealed weapons allowed.'

They must be the answer to every problem.  'No invasions allowed.  No theft allowed.  No rapists allowed.  No insider trading allowed.  No cheating allowed.  No Meth allowed.'  All you need, especially on a campus, is a sign.  And a rule that regulates exactly the wrong person.

How about this:  'No rational, intelligent, capable people are allowed to carry weapons on this campus.  Killers and assorted sociopaths are a law unto themselves and may do as they wish.'

Pity M and all the other smart people who know how to save their own lives and others.  But who, in the process, might freak someone out.

Murder freaks me out.  But what do I know?

M, it's another in a long list of rules that simply has to go the way of the dinosaur.

edwin