Letter to Reps on CCW for schools

[KeithPA]

Senator ______,

This week we as a nation mourn the tragedy at Virginia Tech; attempting to understand what sick individual would commit such heinous acts. I would like to bring to your attention a bill that was introduced in the Virginia Assembly which died in the Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety. HB 1572 would have overridden school policy to allow for professors, students, and other employees that were licensed to carry a firearm in the Virginia to carry on school property. As you may well know it is not against the law in the state of Virginia or Pennsylvania for a licensed individual to carry a firearm on school property; in most cases though, this would violate school policy. Leaving the safety of students to police officers is not always a practical option. Even if they are trained properly in confronting an active shooter they cannot respond as quickly as someone who is already at the scene. This tragic shooting may have ended sooner, possibly saving lives. Students and professors should not have to put their safety second to keeping a job or continuing their education.

Many say this would be a horrible idea. That we should have more restrictions on the locations guns may be carried. Please remember two things. If someone is intent on going on a shooting spree, a sign that says “Gun Free Zone” does not matter to them. It would in fact advise them that people in that location would not be armed. Secondly, in our great Commonwealth, unlike many states, firearms are not prohibited in bars. One might think this is a horrible idea, but I do not see reports on the news of shootouts taking place in bars. Pennsylvania is not the “wild west” even though firearms are permitted in a bar. Most who own guns and carry guns are responsible people, who have decided to make their personal and family safety a priority. Please think of these people and those at Virginia Tech when you go to work each and every day. Thank You

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/find.cfm

Working copy
Note: I didn't major in English!

[lexington86]

Nice job so far!

I am also working on a letter to send to the administration here at Penn State. I'll try to remember to post it here once I'm finished drafting it (sometime this weekend).

(oh... 100th post for me... woohoo!)