Gun Crazy in Arizona

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Oh, the macho shit that people can deceive themselves into believing. "If I'm packing heat, I can defend the world." This "Superman complex" will only get you killed.

Police training exercises on campuses for years have demonstrated that a determined shooter will wound and kill numerous people before any teacher or student carrying a weapon has the reaction time to respond, and even if they do, to hit their mark. Police have to train for hours at the firing range on a regular basis to develop instinctive muscle memory response to fire their weapon accurately and to hit their mark.

Some Yahoo with a concealed weapon carry permit and little to no professional training with a firearm (the Arizona Legislature is even trying to get rid of concealed carry permits and the minimal training requirement) is not going to defend anyone. They are a target and pose a shooting threat (friendly fire) to others, and complicate the response of police officers. Just ask any cop.

This is why Sen. Jack Harper and Rep. Jerry Weiers are such buffoons for pushing a bill to arm professors at state universities. Campus-gun bill advances:

A proposal to allow faculty members to carry heat on college campuses has the gun lobby and police drawing down on each other, with each predicting dire consequences.

Sen. Jack Harper's controversial bill would allow any faculty member at a public college or university with a concealed-weapons permit to carry a gun on campus.

Harper, R-Surprise, said his striker on Senate Bill 1014 would deter a gunman from opening fire on an Arizona campus, knowing that some faculty members are armed and would save lives.

You jackhole. If professors are presumed to be armed, who do you think the first target of any classroom shooter is going to be? That's right genius, the professor. And then anyone foolish enough not to drop to the floor immediately for cover.

Arizona State University Police Chief John Pickens and Yavapai College Police Chief Joe Cappelli testified before the House Military Affairs Committee on Wednesday that Harper's idea is a bad one that might cost lives, not save them.

Despite police opposition, the committee voted 5-2 to approve the bill, giving a new life to an identical proposal that died in the Senate earlier this session.

Cappelli said everyday residents with concealed-weapons permits have far less training than police officers and are apt to fire wildly when confronted with the stress of a campus shooting.

An instructor at the Northern Arizona Police Academy, Cappelli said that even police hit their targets only about 25 percent of the time during officer-involved shootings.

Capelli added, "I'm not sure with all the hustle and bustle that we can discern an active shooter from a faculty member."

The bill now goes to the House Committee of the Whole for a vote. The entire House would then vote on the bill before it returns to the Senate.

Earlier this session, Harper proposed the same measure as Senate Bill 1011, but it died after it was held in the Senate Public Safety and Human Services Committee.

Harper gave the measure a second chance by tacking it on to an otherwise routine bill that would have expanded assistance to the Military Family Relief Fund.

Chairman Jerry Weiers, R-Phoenix, said having faculty carry guns is no different than allowing airline pilots to arm themselves after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Oh good, another genius. There's a big difference. Passengers on airlines all go through metal detectors and are subject to searches. In international airports they are also subject to full body scans and chemical detection devices. The odds that an airline passenger is carrying a gun is next to zero. (And by the way genius, the flights on 9/11 were hijacked using box cutters with a razor blade, not a gun).

There are few college campuses that require students to go through metal detectors and subject them to searches. Any individual with a backpack could be carrying a load of weapons and ammunition on campus. The risk of a disturbed individual with a gun on campus is astronomically higher than for airline pilots on an airplane. Especially when the Arizona Legislature is increasing the risk by making it easier for disturbed individuals.

So cut out all this macho shit and get over your "Superman complex." You buffoons are endangering lives with this bill. Listen to the professional police officer associations who live with this threat on a daily basis and actually know what the hell they are talking about.

UPDATE: On Thursday, the House delayed consideration of a measure regarding carrying of concealed weapons. Under HB 2347, people who have permits to carry concealed weapons would no longer have to have the permit with them when they carry the gun.

People also would be exempt from the prohibition against carrying a deadly weapon into a public establishment or event, unless there is a sign at the business prohibiting it.