Making Sense of Today's News ... Not!

"There was a shooting today at the Ft. Collins campus of Colorado State University. Hundreds were killed after a student opened fire in the main dining hall. Within minutes, the scene was described as an old-fashioned shoot-out at the OK Corral. People were firing on each other from behind over-turned tables, chairs and anything else they could use as cover. An investigation into what occurred is difficult since very few who were in the cafeteria are either alive or able to talk."

What a horrific news story this would be! How outraged people would be if this actually occurred! But, from what I heard on NPR this morning, a scene like this is not too far beyond the imagination. Colorado State University is considering a policy that would ban carrying concealed weapons on campus. I believe that is a prudent move in light of the increase in school shootings. But many on the campus oppose the policy. First, Colorado state law allows for people to carry concealed weapons. Most people do not think that the school should, or has the right, to go against state law. (They can by the way.) Second, many students see it as a violation of their rights. The kicker, in my eyes, is that the local sheriff will not jail anyone found in violation of the policy, if it goes into effect, because he doesn't feel the school has the right to make this policy.

In another news item this morning on NPR, people now be allowed to carry concealed weapons in national parks as long as the state that the park is in allows it. I'm not sure why. Travelers could keep their guns locked away in their trunks if they were visiting a park so this one is baffling. It becomes even more puzzling when you consider that it is still illegal to discharge a weapon in a national park. Last time I checked, the rate of violence in national parks was low, you can't hunt in national parks and you still would not be able to use the concealed weapon against rampaging squirrel. Someone please help me make sense of this, beyond the NRA giving key congressmen some nice vacations.

I think what we have here in both cases is a lack of common sense. It makes no sense to allow weapons on a campus when the rate of violence on campuses is increasing. It makes no sense to allow people to carry weapons in very peaceful environments. What does make sense is that the world is one step closer to being a more violent place. Instead, of encouraging non-violence and harmony, we are enabling disharmony. As if there wasn't enough of that in the world already.