Leave your guns at home. That was the message delivered to some Ohio University students last week in e-mails from the OU Police Department. The e-mail informed students, some of whom have conceal and carry licenses, that because of restrictions written into the law, carrying firearms is illegal on the university's campus. Despite concerns expressed by some of these students about the regulations, the restrictions are necessary and completely legitimate.
The culture of OU -or any other college for that matter -is far too volatile for students to freely carry firearms on their person whenever or wherever they go on campus. In an atmosphere of high stress because of academics, drug and alcohol use and anxiety stemming for tumultuous personal relationships, the chance of these weapons being misused is a real threat. The only possible way to ensure that such misuse is never witnessed on university property is to completely abide by the restrictions of the law.
This debate is not a Second Amendment issue, it centers on the logical need of carrying firearms when a person is on campus. In a town the size of Athens the crime rate does not warrant the need for citizens to arm themselves for their protection in public. Further, the police forces in the area can adequately provide protection and enforcement of the law and do not need private citizens -without the years of experience and proper training -to assist them.
Even though some might consider the university restrictions unwarranted, the examining of other restrictions in the law further shows that carrying weapons around Athens is pointless. Firearms are also banned in bars -Uptown's main attraction -, government buildings and some retail stores. Surely, those in favor of the Conceal Carry Law would not oppose these restrictions concerning other public establishments, so it makes little sense to demand the campus be free from the restriction.
Owning a firearm is a personal choice and should be permitted as long as the owner complies with the letter of the law. But it is not acceptable for gun advocates to denounce certain aspects of a law that permits them to carry their weapons in reasonable public situations. No student needs to carry a gun to class, to extracurricular activities or when strolling around the campus. The vast majority of students are perfectly safe in Athens when taking simple precautions, like walking in groups or avoiding potentially violent social situations.
Crime is inevitable but can most often be avoided with common sense and adequate precautions. Statistics about gun ownership and crime are not clear-cut. Until it is proven that carrying firearms at all times prevents crime, while still avoiding misuse by individuals, these restrictions are necessary and should remain in place.
Dividing church and state
After a 25-year silence on the issue, the Supreme Court has agreed to consider whether the Ten Commandments can be legally displayed on government property. The commandments are often displayed in town squares, courthouses and other government property across the nation. The locations of the displays have resulted in bitter legal battles, and the court will finally rule on this issue. Because of ties to Christianity, displaying the Ten Commandments violates the nation's separation of church and state. The court should recognize this violation of the Constitution and waste little time in ordering the removal of material from all government-owned buildings and property.
It is not the government's place to dictate the ideals of right and wrong to the citizens of America, instead the government can only make judgments concerning the legality of its citizen's actions. It is crucial that the court issues a final, ironclad ruling that ends this debate.
Any decision short of the removal of the commandments would set a dangerous precedent for further religious intrusion into the secular world. America was founded as a nation with no religious allegiances and should not allow the Christian majority to have influence over Judaism, Islam, atheism or any other set of beliefs. Only the removal of this questionable material will result in a fair, unbiased solution. The justices of the Supreme Court also must take extra care to not let their personal beliefs influence their vote. The arguments from both sides of the fence are inconsequential; the only document that matters is the Constitution, which explicitly states church and state are supposed to remain separate in the government.
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