Campus gun control in the cross-hairs after recent court decision

This archived article was written by: Chase D’Ambrosio

Gun control on college campuses was again brought to the spotlight when the University of Utah administration lost a two-year fight costing over a million dollars trying to ban guns on its campus, a belief contrary to Utah law.
College of Eastern Utah officials watched the U’s legal battle concerning guns while strictly abiding by the state of Utah’s law.
Gun control has been a controversial issue which at times can endanger the lives of many American citizens.   As a citizen of the United States of America, you are granted the privilege to posses a fire arm, whether it be for hunting purposes, self defense purposes, security purposes, or recreational purposes, it is a given right for those who have earned it.  
However, due to serious incidents that have occurred in recent years, the right to posses a fire arm has become somewhat debatable.   Especially when it comes to fire arms in the educational or a congregational atmosphere.
To completely regulate the control of fire arms is an impossible task due to how easily fire arms can be acquired.   Any person over the age of 18 is able to gain control and freely own a fire arm, as long as the person has not been convicted of any serious crimes.  
Allowing people to purchase firearms is giving them the ability to take another’s life, but trusting them not to.   Although the background checks that an individual must go through before purchasing a firearm is extensive, they do not guarantee that the future owner of the weapon will not commit a crime with the gun.  
The punishments that convicted criminals are forced to endure are helpful in keeping serious crime to a minimum, but do not completely eliminate the possibility of a serious crime occurring.  
Gun owners most often do not commit crimes using their weapons because they are afraid of the consequences, but it tends to come down to the moral integrity that is found in the human being for them not to commit a crime using their weapon.   Unfortunately we live in a society that values many things over a citizen’s moral integrity, which more often then not leads to disaster.  
The fire arms policy at the College of Eastern Utah follows verbatim the policy that is outlined in the Utah State Criminal Code.  
Utah’s state policy title 76 chapter 10 section 504 (le.utah.gov/~code/TITLE76/htm/76_0C033.htm) says that a citizen with a concealed weapons permit is able to posses a firearm in any area unless otherwise posted.   Meaning student or instructors are allowed to posses a firearm in and around campus, including their classes, as long as the person has acquired concealed weapons permit from the state; however students may not carry their weapon into any residential hall.   For more information regarding the acquisition of a concealed weapons permit you can visit www.utah.gov.  
CEU offers a number of courses introducing students to gun control and the safety measures that must be taken when dealing with firearms including introduction to firearms and trap and skeet shooting.   Students are allowed to posses firearms in their vehicles but are encouraged to keep their weapons unloaded and out of site.  
Gun control has been a problem throughout the world for years, and the problem doesn’t seem to be ending any time soon.   However there are many actions that citizens can take to try and help alleviate the problem such as enrolling in safety awareness classes and keeping all firearms and dangerous weapons locked up and out of the reach of children.   Any questions regarding this issue please contact Officer James Prettyman of the CEU Police Department or any law enforcement agency.   Questions regarding Utah state law can be answered at www.utah.gov.    
Although the government has many laws and regulations regarding gun control, it is impossible to completely eradicate all problems pertaining to the control of fire arms.   In the last ten years there have been over 45 fatal school shootings according to www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0777958.html.   Most of the incidents concluded with juveniles and young adults being the gun men, using any weapons that were available to them.   Although the deranged gun-men were to blame in all incidents, someone is at fault for allowing them to gain control of a fire-arm.   The assailants in some of these cases were as young as 6 year old, proving that gun control is a serious issue.