Justin, Tulsa (3/15/2008 3:21:44 AM)

"We should stick to the laws that have worked so well and allow our colleges to continue to improve safety on their campuses."

Yeah, they have worked sooooooo well. I guess all of those school shootings never happened because the current laws have worked so well.

Boren: It's called reality; time for you to come back to it.

Antony Bhal, Tulsa (3/15/2008 6:41:34 AM)

Concealed weapons on campus would make it a safer place.
Fact 1) no gunman who goes on a mass killing spree would care if there was a no weapons rule on campus on not. You really think he would go gee I was going to get a gun and kill some people but the rules say I cant? Nope he dont give a care.
2) If the gunman thought, You know I better not because someone else might have a gun and shoot me before I carry out my plan. He just might not do it.
3)) IF student or teacher had a gun at the other college campus shootings, How many more lives could have been saved? Maybe half maybe one.. If just one it would be worth it.
No evidence of anyone with a concealed weapon has ever went on a mass shooting spree.

To not let our college students and teachers carry a gun is in itself a crime.

a, tulsa (3/15/2008 6:59:06 AM)

I think you're wrong, Justin and Anthony. The violence that has occured on our campuses is a symptom of our society's violent atmosphere, and not a problem with the campus itself. I don't believe that these people are going to care if others might be armed or not-they are going to do what will regardless, like suicide bombers.
I support the second amendment, but I believe Boren's points are valid, and I hope he prevails.

Guy Thomas, Tulsa (3/15/2008 7:59:13 AM)

Given the number of unarmed students slaughtered by students vs the number of students killed by concealed carry authorized veterans, military and law enforcement carry students the FACTS are clear. All responsible schools have emergency response plans the police are trained to deal with complex situations not to merely show up and count the dead. Those plans should include clear instruction on how concealed carry persons are to respond once police are on the scene.

Lawrence, Tulsa (3/15/2008 8:40:37 AM)

I support Boren's efforts.

Native American, (3/15/2008 8:58:15 AM)

The 2nd Amendment guarantees U.S. & OK Citizens The Right to Keep & Bear Arms. Mr. Boren only is afraid his homosexual boyfriends could get hurt?

Graychin, Eucha (3/15/2008 9:36:12 AM)

David Boren is one of the few leaders remaining in this state with common sense.

It's been over 100 years since the Gunfight at the OK Corral. Let's keep it that way.

mike, tulsa (3/15/2008 9:42:53 AM)

yeah now they can just step outside and have a show down on campus woo hoo bunch a rednecks!

KENNY, TULSA (3/15/2008 9:45:38 AM)

YOU WOULD BOREN. I DIDN"T EVEN READ THIS ARTICLE BUT STILL KNOW YOU ARE AGAINST AMERICANS AND THERE BELIEFS IN FREEDOM. HOW ARE YOU STILL IN OFFICE WITH THIS MENTALITY.

KENNY, TULSA (3/15/2008 9:52:23 AM)

"Current law protects the constitutional rights of our people, but it wisely bans guns from schools and colleges," he said. "We should stick to the laws that have worked so well and allow our colleges to continue to improve safety on their campuses."

NICE OUT with your comment BOREN....notice how this bill is for carrying guns on College Campuses, not schools. How is it wise to ban guns on college campuses? Here, there,....schools seem to be a high target area. How can you sit there and say that we (FREE AMERICANS) are not allowed to bear arms in a high target area? WELL ofUP YOURS BOREN

Bill Hader, Jenks (3/15/2008 10:08:01 AM)

Mike, No one as mentioned a "showdown". It is really simple. I should have the right to protect myself. If in class someone pulls a gun and starts shooting people, I should have the right to pull my legal gun, of which i am trained to carry and kill him before he kills me or someone else. No showdown. Just simple protection.
You not going to stop shootings by outlawing guns. Drugs are outlawed. yet still available. Booze at one time was outlawed yet people still drank. Murder is illegal yet people still murder. All these things were or are outlawed yet still happened.
This is so simple. If you dont want to carry a gun then dont. But please dont take away my right to do so. I promise that I wont shoot you unless your shooting at me or someone else.

mike, (3/15/2008 10:17:14 AM)

King Boren packs a gun around campus himself. He is the only one he allows to defend themselves from criminal attack on campus

What a phoney!

It is amazing how many statues, paintings, posters, portraits of the man exist at the HSC!

It is like the USSR under Stalin or Iraq under Saddam with pictures of the leader everywhere!

Marguerite, Tulsa (3/15/2008 11:08:52 AM)

I worked in the student center of a university for 12 years. If certain people were allowed to carry guns on campus -- yes, including and in some cases especially veterans -- I can tell you with certainty there would have been more trouble, injuries and possibly deaths. We had enough problems with the mentally unstable who should have been institutionalized but instead were going to school on the equivalent of vocational rehab. This is a scary and stupid idea.

Ed Morse, Mid-town (3/15/2008 11:14:06 AM)

Great, just what Oklahoma needs. This year alone we've gotten national exposure because of Randy Terrill and HB 1804 and Sally Kern because of whatever messed up value system she's got going. Now we're arming our campuses. There's a large measure of you out there who think all of this is grand but when you combine all these things and get it out in the national media, Oklahoma risks furthering its reputation as a backwater, reactionary state, not a place where forward-thinking people want to locate their bueinesses and raise their kids. It's quality of life in reverse.

Guh'head give them all guns, (3/15/2008 11:30:35 AM)

The inmates have taken over the asylum anyway in Oklahoma.

The state of Oklahoma used to be only in the top 4 or 5 states that are the laughing stock of the United States.

Looks like the loonies are vying to taking OKLA. to #1 nut state in the union.

The morons in the OKC legislature can't wait to chant, "We're number 1, we're #1"

JOHN KLINE, TULSA (3/15/2008 12:53:38 PM)

The legislators are not morons. With all these screwy people and laws, they are taking our mind off the fact that they are doing very little to help their state and their constituents.

mike, (3/15/2008 1:58:52 PM)

Back wen the SDA was first passed, all the anti-gun folks screamed how there would be "Wild West Shoot-outs" in the streets and gunfire over every fender bender.

Over a decade later, none of this happened and now all those people look really stupid!

Boren and the latest group of university bureaucrats are now trying to recapture the stupid look of ten years ago by screaming the same stupid arguments again.

OF course, Oregon law has allowed permit holders to carry on campus for almost 20 years now. Utah has been legal almost as long. The same with several other states that allow Licensed CCW's to carry at schools and universities.

None of this predicted nonsense has occurred! No shootouts by drunk students or any other gun-battles or accidents.

Several schools and universities (unreported by the news media of course) HAVE had rampages stopped by armed individuals.

History will show once again what a bunch of alarmist boobs these people are!

Larry, Rogers County (3/15/2008 7:44:04 PM)

In the last 6 years over 70,000 Oklahomans have received concealed weapons licenses. (OSBI stats). Less than 1% of those people have had their permit revoked for committing a violation with a firearm.
there are around 60 college campuses in the US that allow concealed weapons permit holders to be armed on campus. to date there has NEVER been a crime committed by a legally armed person on one of those campuses.
How a person in authority, be it an elected representative or some like Boren, views my 2nd Amendment rights and my natural right to self defense tells me if they see me as an equal citizen or as a subject to be controlled and I vote accordingly.

Mike, (3/15/2008 8:33:53 PM)

Boren is a narcisstic egotist.

He packs his own gun but doesn't want the lowly peasantry to enjoy his "Privilege" over them.

When you see how many quads and rooms are tricked out with portraits , statues, plaques, and other items with his face on them, one has no doubt about this guy.

Stephen, Tulsa (3/15/2008 10:28:20 PM)

Just a couple of questions for Mr Boren. Are these campus police in every classroom every hour of everyday it is open? Or how about at least every building every hour it is open of everyday? Probably not. So if someone were planning an attack they might notice where the police were during what times, would that be fair to say? Now if this bill were to pass would there always be an armed person, police, student or otherwise in every building every hour of every day? Probably not, but would someone planning any kind of attack know for sure? That is really the point of the bill.

The our laws have worked fine statement is funny if you would have interviewed the president of Virginia Tech or NIU one day before the killing sprees at each of there campuses they more than likely would have said the same thing. Just in case you forgot the VT killer chained the doors shut to keep out anyone who might legally carry a gun (the police) and to keep all those law abiding unarmed students in where they were easy targets.

Just a couple thoughts, colleges are "Gun Free Zones" but is there really a barrier to bringing a gun on campus to protect yourself? So would it not be fair to assume that there are people with concealed firearms on campus? Oh and since there are no barriers other than moral ones who would be the person to show up angry with a professor and have a gun? Oh the criminal.

I spent quite a bit of time in the military. I do not currently have a concealed carry permit. I am considering enrolling in college again this fall. Would I carry a gun to class? Probably not. Should I be allowed to? Possibly. If I have a concealed carry permit and am carrying my weapon would you know just by looking at me? I hope not otherwise it is not really that concealed is it?

Now just wondering where everyone got the info that Boren carries a gun on campus. If he does and it is common knowledge why dont you gun fearing people out there find a police officer and make a citizens arrest? Do your part to prevent all the gun violence he is causing.

So according to some people more guns=more violence. If that is true when was the last time someone was the victim of a violent crime (mugging, robbery, rape, assault etc.) at a gun show? Now when was the last time someone was the victim of a violent crime either during or after a concert (or any other event guns were not allowed and patrons were searched or had to walk through a metal detector)?

Ted Kennedys car has killed more people than my gun.

oh and If guns kill people then spoons made Micheal Moore fat.

mike, (3/15/2008 11:01:46 PM)

The law is written that one needs his written permission to legally carry.

Of course that means only him andpossibly some of his cronies.

Sorta like the Sullivan Law. Big Timmy Sullivan and his Tammany Hall friends got guns but the Italians, Jews and other NYC undesirables/Irish-mob victims didn't.

Doug, (3/17/2008 10:48:02 AM)

If Mr. Boren really believes that guns make people less safe, then I issue the following challenge. Give away all your guns to people who believe the opposite (like me) and put a sign up in your front yard:

"This is a gun free house." Really big, where everyone can see it.

If your not willing to put your "money" where your mouth is then you're nothing more than a hypocritical POS.

Wendy Weinbaum, Provo, UT (3/17/2008 12:30:55 PM)

I believe adult student already HAVE the right to carry, open or concealed, on campus. It's called the 2nd Amendment! As a Jewess in the US, I would like to remind everyone that criminals are stopped by FIREARMS, not by talk. Furthermore, America wasn't won with a registered gun! That is why all REAL Americans put our 2nd Amendment FIRST!

just me, (3/17/2008 3:38:13 PM)

uhm, doesn't boren himself have a concealed weapons license??? i guess he is scared that he will lose his privilege since he is neither specially trained nor is he a veteran...

Wildfire, (3/17/2008 3:44:12 PM)

What a stupid individual, well-intended maybe, but stupid.

"If it would help for me to get down on my knees to plead with the Legislature for the safety of our students, I would do so," Boren said in a prepared statement.

Such a touching sentiment.
But let’s see what his pleas for victim defenselessness offers as far as “safety”.

"Police would not be able to sort out dangerous gunmen from others on campus with guns," he said.
Let’s also look at this uneducated comment under the harsh glare of reality; instead of the rosy glow of stupidity and propaganda.
Instead of playing stupid “What-If” games? Why not compare ACTUAL armed vs. helpless school attacks as well as public massacres?

Helpless-VA Tech: 32 murdered innocent
ARMED STUDENTS-VA Appalachian School of Law: 3 murdered innocent

Helpless-Columbine: 13 murdered innocent
ARMED Vice-Principal-Pearl: 2 murdered innocent

Helpless-Red Lake: 7 murdered innocent
ARMED-Parker Middle School: 1 murdered innocent

Helpless Luby’s Killeen, TX: 23 murdered innocent
ARMED Customer Shoney’s Aniston, AL: 0 murdered innocent despite the 21 hostages held in the walk-in cooler by the 2 murderous robbers who in a previous robbery had murdered the manager of a restaurant the week before.
Who stopped them? ARMED customer Thomas Glenn Terry.

Oh! And HOW was the police “able to sort out a dangerous gunman from others with guns”?

In each incident the “Good-Guys” were the ones WITH THE GUNS when the police FINALLY arrived, with the donut crumbs on their shirt, minutes later. (In a life-or-death situation, when each seconds count . . . the police are only minutes away!)

As a side note on the benefits of waiting for the police to save the innocent: How many of Cho’s victims died AFTER the police arrived on the scene?