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Show WWW.NETXNEW3.NET MONDAY • SEPTEMBER 18 • 2006 Staff Views •>-=-r*>.v/-••-• V ^-' One Person's Opinion • • • . ' * * > • • . • • No time for love Dr. Jones Loaded questions Recent events prompt us to guns and college go together T he terrible events at Dawson College in Montreal last VegorPedersen America defined I w™.,-,^.. week have once again put Opinions Editor gun control issues on col lege campuses under the microscope. And UTAH VALLEY STATE COLLEGE For those of you who don't normal- S:>;iJ$ Utah is no stranger to campus gun ly follow local news (and who could 'fifcii controversy, as last week the state's blame you) you might have missed !^g|;(j Supreme Court ruled the University the ongoing saga of Dr. Steven Jones, !" ' "4' '• of Utah's ban on concealed weapons A Brigham Young University phys- : ; unconstitutional. Michael Young, U ics professor who leads a movement : < , president, has said he will continue of scholars who believe the United ^ y the school's weapon policy and wait States government is responsible for ; $ $ for a higher court's decision, the towers falling on September 11, ; - ^ Gun control is always a sticky 2001. t-.S^'-ij subject for America in general, and Two weeks ago BYU placed Jones torSJ:>; for states with frontier heritage, like A lawsuit ai Ibe University of Utah on paid leave while they investigate J.'>;;;-;i<| Utah, in particular. The right to bare may trigger a change In the state's his research. While normally I would [:• :£":s$ arms is more than just number two concealed weapons law : on object to this kind of censorship of ; .'" v.;1 that top ten list we call the Bill of an academic, for some reason I think ! *: :-'\\ Rights. Gun ownership, much like BYU has made the right decision. fV;'$& SUV ownership, is very wrapped If a public college, like UVSC for \^:^% up in the identity of the independent instance, decided they didn't like the : *•-••'! American. Chances are you won't see direction of a professor's work and : a lot of "You can take my gun from punished them for it I would be the [V. .--'>! my cold dead hand" bumper stickers first to stand up and scream. | . .• \ in France. But BYU is not a public school. ; -:;:,1 At the same time no one, not even They are a private religious institu- &$$& a hunter of delicious animals, likes tion that is clearly not in the academic w'?'?*l to turn on the news and see that anfreedom business. They have nothing :'"•'>*'';] other nut has gone on a rampage and to win by standing by Jones and his : J & gunned down innocent civilians. And conspiracy theories. And while they ^;-:;?V: while violent crime in this country has sit in the heart of Bush Country they ffi^i decreased steadily over the past few have everything to lose. pV/.ii years, America still leads the league m BYU enjoys a very good relation- l^fesj g u n related fatalities amongst our ship with the federal government, re- |\y$.% western peers. ceiving grant money and internship J;;&J;<; No matter what is writen here the The November 29 7 2004 edition of The College Times featured a piece on programs. Perhaps it is better to shut |-|&£>!j gun control debate in this country concealed weapons at Utah's colleges. the mouth of one professor than face fJ5&#$ isn't going to be solved any time soon, the wrath of the Bush administration, f''"^'•••< Like all good debates this one might One of the theories that has dictat- this is a learning environment. It's not Or perhaps they are disturbed by ; always be with us. So while the real ed public policy on concealed weap- a place where we need guns... there the rhetoric that surrounds Jones'way \:.;• ';•.."! world dukes this one out, iet's discuss ons is that an armed citizenry will is no reason to make weapons availof thinking. The College Times re- : ,^;;j guns on college campuses, shall we? reduce the likelihood that a criminal able. Probably the biggest threat of a ceived a letter to the editor last week '. \f$t Do you really need to be packing will use a gun out of fear that an inno- gun on campus is the undue harm it from Shaun Knapp, a defender of : r>xj heat while walkcent bystander might causes." Jones and the Scholars for 9/11 Truth, \ ' '\ ing the halis of actually be a gun-totAfter the recent ruling we thought ing vigilante. The letter, which we will make avail- \ ; UVSC? Is the pos- U/hat WA chmilH all we had better check with the Chief able on our website, is four pages \ sibility of needing "Vllal We SnOUIQ all But really what we to see if his opinion had changed. It long. If you take the time to read the \p~>M to use deadly force f M r j n a f n i i m h i n o should all fear in a hadn't. "If you feel that you are in so letter you will find a lot quotes from f ^ i so real that it war- i e d I " ' d * - u u l » w m e " Columbine-type sce- much danger that you need to bring a nario is the untrained concealed weapon to campus than I LDS church leaders and Mormon i^v'^j rants bringing a t u n a SCCnariO IS t h e scriptures. What you won't find is a f'!:;]'!$j loaded weapon to ™ citizen who pulls out suggest you take online classes," said lot of scientific evidence. £§•& campus? Are you untrained Citizen WflO a gun and attempts Marrott. to be a hero. Real life Marrott went on to say that while I his is consistent with many of ^ ^ safer with a gun on isn't a Chuck Norris currently UVSC doesn't explicitly Jones' followers who see him as a g § £ | | your person? DUllS OUt a GUn a n d movie. When a gun ban concealed weapons if the police fulfillment of Mormon prophecy, that 'ffi'iiQ Well some :: is pulled chances are find out you have one, than you aren't church elders will be called on to save | ;./;•;• might look at the a t t e m p t s tO someone is going to doing a good enough job concealing the US Constitution as it is "hanging L:/;;::'^ recent shootings die, and in most cases it, and they will take action. by a thread." | | | | | in Montreal and b e 3 herO. it won't just be the For a church that is making strides H - - : i say "Hell ya! If So let's all put our left hands on bad guy. to be seen as normal by mainstream > ' ^; I was there with The College Times and swear that we America this kind of radical disJ my trusty 9mm I When The Col-will never bring a weapon, concealed course couldn't come at a worse time. '^^M could've saved the day." Some folks lege Times first raised this issue a few or otherwise, to campus. I think we While shutting the mouth of a college :':'-&'A think that in a dangerous situation you years ago here is what UVSC police will all feel safer knowing that the professor might be seen as trouble^ ; can't always wait for a cop to show chief Tracy Marrott had to say: only guns around here are in the holsome, for BYU it might be the smart- ; ; up. After all, we Americans take care "We have police officers on cam- sters of the police. And let's pray they est move. ;^.v.-^ or ourselves. pus, we have them around campus, always stay there. jy.'- YOUR LiFi | * I YOUR SPOUTS f Optnon « u m on P THE COLLEGE TIES INu u u u n w i Who's Packing? .. :1M L n . IJirrt. lUi: i j - i " H : i!]> JJ.-. .=.r •;(£.- f.-Ji:l IUM" I 1 , V f d Kjn-' t ] * - • i Li •JJT khnci .'-J >• LJ.C l< V-sI' ,i Ljtlis tnr ibr n-ti Ulr = =!J Uslfct >JJ^ 111 Sid (••.! . - J ? IT p-^ 1 • Uil J VCIT-! 1 ^ t ^ -.-rtj r Got an Opinion? Put a stamp on it! * E-Mail lellere la ': uvscopinions@hoimail.com .*. * The NetXNews room is located on campus in SC220. * All tellers become property of NetXNews and may be edited for conirnt, specifically clnrity, length or oilier concerns at the discretion of ihe Opinions Editor. * Letters between 50-250 words *'••-•*" are encouraged and those letters marked by their succinctness are more likely to be published. * Letters must be accompanied by full name, address, and phone number for verification purposes (contact information will not bo published). Cutting funds Parking headaches Dear Editor, With he rising cost of education and everything else in this country, I understand that it is necessary to cut school programs that students aren't interested in. one of these programs that have recently been pit on the chopping block is the Welding program here at U.V.S.C. The recruiting for the welding program was hardly stressed and the typed of training, or education provided was neglected. Due to the fact that the equipment and materials needed were available, but the enthusiasm and interest of students were never reinforced in this program. The reasoning behind this, taking into account the situation here at U.V.S.C. with the adding off more "intellectual" programs, is to bring money into the school and cut all other programs that are leaching off of the U.V.S.C. funds. The welding program I certified from was Arizona Welding Every morning I promptly arrive at the school ten minutes to 10:00. Now, under normal circumstances, this should be plenty of time to park and get to class on time. Unfortunately, with the construction of both the Digital Learning Center and a new Testing Center, parking has been reduced precisely at the same at the same time student enrollment is increased. Although I am excited to have these new facilities, problems with parking have crashed the party and sucked all that fun out. Seriously, if the administration' feels it appropriate to carve out parking lots for new buildings, they need to carve out other lots and parking areas to accommodate students. Now, granted there is the bus, but frankly, has anyone ever visited our bus stop, especially the south bound stop across the street from the roundabout? If a smelly, |