By: Karl Spaulding

Karl Spaulding
Tue, 25 Feb 2014 14:30:37 +0000

Alex, I’m a supporter of concealed carry, and would support “campus carry” as well. However, in Ohio we only have Concealed Carry Licenses for handguns, and most students in dorms would not be old enough to earn one (21). Also, the nature of dorm life may also present some peculiar problems which would make “dorm carry” a bit dicy, especially if one were of age in a dorm that houses mainly younger students. That being said, most arguments against “campus carry” do not make reference to the places where it has been allowed for years (Utah and a few other colleges in other states).

Now for the first “anon.” “Drunk students in the res halls with guns” is not supported by the experiences in the real world. See above. In fact, last I heard, no students at one (or more?) of the Utah universities have availed themselves of the dorms that were designated for them. If there are stories of legal “campus carriers” getting drunk and shooting up campus, please post them, by all means!

Second “anon.” Your link goes to an article referencing mainly public health journal “studies.” Dr. Arthur “Bodycount” Kellerman and his buddies are well known for their inability to accurately moonlight as criminologists. Check out Dr. Gary Kleck’s chapter in “Targeting Guns: Firearms and Their Control” examining in detail the many faults in health journals, which apparently continues to this day.

The criminology of weapons and violence began in earnest with Wright and Rossi in the eighties and continued with Kleck and others later on. There are many variables involved and if one does not understand all the pitfalls, one can come away “impressed” with any particular journal article. Unfortunately, it ain’t that simple. Familiarization with all the literature in this area will often raise more questions than it answers, especially for those who think more firearms restrictions are “the answer.”

“Women in abusive relationships and guns” or “acquaintance rape and guns” are not subjects to be dismissed with a few sentences or an article link.

In this case, I see no reason to disbelieve OSU-PD’s evaluation of the situation. Like “guns on campus, “rape on campus” is not a subject to be discussed lightly or with only partial or ASSumed information.

Why was this case treated as such, over a long amount of time? What exactly is the relationship between suspect and survivor? We don’t know, and perhaps the police don’t either. The questions are certainly legitimate, however. Complaints may be legitimate as well, and should be addressed to the proper authorities.

One more thing: Please think about how the rape survivor might feel and consider your postings carefully in that light.