Steve Bohnenblust, Mankato
April 30, 2008 12:28 am
—
Imagine a problem student walking into a classroom carrying a concealed weapon. The police are called, but can do nothing. Why?
If Rep. Tony Cornish and friends have their way, students will be able to legally carry guns on Minnesota college campuses.
Cornish, as quoted by The Free Press (April 18), said, “... we have seen our college students being chased down and executed like animals.”
While acknowledging the horrible tragedy at Virginia Tech, Cornish’s statement reflects an appalling ignorance of college campuses.
There is no safer or welcoming place than U.S. college campuses. Diverse groups — often with long and bitter historical hatred — manage to peacefully coexist and interact in an atmosphere of tolerance, respect and, yes, safety.
What is the underlying problem when violence suddenly erupts? What Virginia Tech and other campuses often have in common is a mentally-ill student who has not received adequate psychiatric care, had easy access to powerful weapons, who “snapped,” and we all know the “rest of the story.”
Cornish and his friends are consistently unresponsive and ignorant of the mental health issues of college students, and painfully unaware of the core of American values that are part of our daily campus life. What they do is pander to the child-like instinct for immediate and violent retaliation.
The very next day, Cornish criticizes Mankato legislators for funding the Alltel Center as a “regional center.” He concludes “all we want is a vote.”
Rep. Cornish, we want a vote, also. Vote “no” to guns on campus. In November, vote “no” to Cornish.
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.