Max Bickley – General Assignment Reporter
One of the biggest issues in our modern day political environment is the matter of Gun control in the United States. The issue itself is very polarized with many people strongly adhering to the Second Amendment of the constitution which says that the people of the United States have the right to a militia and the right to bear arms for protection. “A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”
However there is also an extreme reverse where many people believe there should be no guns allowed to be carried in the United States; their position citing events such as the Colorado Theater shooting and Sandy Hook as reason enough to ban firearms.
When it comes down to it though, how does this issue effect and matter to students here at Southern? There is a gun range just off of campus, and hearing about shootings, robberies, and other such incidents become almost mundane. However, the question was posed to students here at Southern about how they felt regarding gun control and gun-related issues near campus.
When it came to their opinion, no one was more definite than Katelin Rowe, freshman and psych major. “No guns. Nope, I don’t think that they should be something so readily available. Look at all that’s happened.”
In regards to her adamant feelings, I asked her how realistically she thought a complete ban on guns was. The amount of effort needed to not only restrict the sales, but also how the legislature would handle people who had guns before a ban would be imposed. “Well, I guess thinking about it, heavy restrictions would make more sense. I mean, you can’t just take away every gun ever purchased by people. I think then we need heavier restrictions. Look, you can hear shots during the week.”
This feeling was mimicked by sophomore Jayson Menders, a fellow psych major, who said something similar. “What we need are more restrictions. If I take a simple class I can be registered for a handgun and with a simple screening buy a pistol. There is no guarantee that I won’t do anything bad with it. If anything they need to impose a psychological test to screen potential hazards and crazies when they want a gun.”
This idea of psychological testing was a recurrent theme when talking to students. Many believed that guns should be put under heavy restrictions and that there should be some form of psychological testing in regards to the eligibility in gun-buyers.
The last student spoken to was Courtney Mills, a history-education major, and friend of Jayson Menders, was of a similar mind. “Look, when things like Pine Rock happen, and we get an email about an armed robbery on campus it is a little freaky. The fact that someone would be able to pull that sort of thing, especially when we even have a police station on campus is frightening. I don’t want to get mugged, people need heavier restrictions, they need psych testing so that a nutjob won’t be able to get a weapon of any sort.”
So, how did Southern students consider the idea of gun control in regards to nearby campus? Overall the general feel was that guns needed to be restricted to the utmost. The issues brought about by gun violence not only in New Haven, but in the country as a whole have sent the drive to end or at least dampen the availability of guns so that no more tragedy is faced in the nation, and at home.
Photo Credit: Elvert Barnes
