I’ve always considered myself to be a strong proponent of our second amendment rights to keep and bear arms. After all, I am a tried and true Bible-belt midwesterner who has been around guns for most of my life. With that in mind, I’ve always been a strong supporter of the existing concealed carry laws in Kansas, as well as the other states that allow citizens to legally carry concealed firearms. There’s also no denying that I usually view most gun-control advocates with a certain amount of suspicion as to their true motives. In spite of all of this, I do draw boundaries when it comes to where we should allow firearms. I’ve always considered myself to be a pragmatic when it comes to where firearms could be lawfully carried. Let’s face it, prisons are probably not a good place for firearms to be carried on a daily basis. The neighborhood daycare center probably isn’t a good place either (the parents probably wouldn’t be too enthused if they knew the proprietor was packing a .45 around their toddlers), nor is the local tavern where everybody is celebrating with a fifth of whiskey. But in addition to all of that, I also have to draw the line with schools, colleges and universities. With all of the school shootings in recent years, a few people have asked me why concealed carry permit holders shouldn’t be allowed to carry their weapons in schools to defend themselves against these potentially heinous attacks. The following are my most compelling reasons. Anytime there is a firearm present there is always the possibility of an accidental discharge. This is true even with the most experienced gun handlers. I learned that from experience when I was in law enforcement. A police officer faces a greater risk of being accidentally shot while he/she is at a police station than by being intentionally shot by a criminal. My reasons against concealed carry on school campuses go even further. Let’s say for a moment that the current bill in the state legislature became law and it made it lawful for folks to carry concealed weapons at the college. That means that anyone over the age of 21 who has a permit would be able to bring their concealed handguns to school and wear them into the Wellness Center, the pool, the restrooms, gym class, etc. In all likelihood, when these folks go into these places they have to disarm themselves to conduct their business. That brings us to another question. Would these folks all be courteous enough to lock up their firearms, and if so, would they leave it locked in a locker while it is loaded? If they unload it, will they re-load it when they leave? Loading and unloading a weapon always carries inherent risks, and more accidental discharges occur when the weapon is being handled. Remember the police stations? These are just some of the possible problems that we would be presented with if the proposed bill became law, and the only way that schools could prevent these problems would be to install expensive metal detectors, man each of them with security officers to detect the weapons and then tell the permit holders that we will not allow them to carry the weapon into the building. I truly believe that once we begin to truly rationalize this current legislation, we begin to see the unforeseen problems. As a supervisor in charge of public safety, I cannot support this legislation with any good conscience. — Ray Petty SCCC/ATS Security Department