I"m not very comfortable with the idea of students having guns in the classroom, dorms, etc. Anybody have any thoughts about this bill to force Georgia public colleges to allow students to have guns?
http://keepgunsoffcampus.org/blog/2016/01/28/pressreleasealga/
in Boston some are complaining about the campus police having guns!
I don’t think it is any more of an issue than gun violence in downtown Atlanta.
@dcplanner how is violence in Atlanta? Is gt located in a dangerous area? Sorry im a midwesterner and havent visited gt yet.
Violence in Atlanta is normal for a city that size but yes GT is located in a relatively dangerous area. The area around GT has gentrified quite a bit especially the past few years but muggings and car break ins are not that uncommon. I would still be willing to let my child go there but I would stress not walking alone and general safety tips like always handing over what the mugger wants and always carrying at least $20 to have something if you are mugged. The dorms are totally safe its more being out and about at night.
The Georgia Tech Police Department has jurisdiction over the campus and the surrounding area of the city. This is no ordinary campus security detail. They have over a hundred sworn officers with full patrol, arrest, and investigation powers. They have a huge fleet of vehicles (cars, bikes, segways, motorcycles, even horses) with constant presence everywhere. They have some of the coolest technology you can imagine, including cameras everywhere monitored in a war room 24/7, with the tech guys on campus working on new stuff and the industrial engineers working on productivity and crime prevention. It might be the safest enclave within a major city anywhere in the country.
Well that sounds pretty good @chardo. Why does Georgia Legislature want to outsource campus security to students? Doesn’t seem like a good idea when you factor in heavy alcohol usage, stress of college, hormones and scorned love, etc…
They’re not outsourcing anything. They’re just utilizing the brainpower around them (students and professors), while those brains get to work on real world applications.
^^im not sure if we have a difference in ideology or just talking about 2 different things lol. Im concerned about the Georgia legislature voting on allowing students to carry on campus…in dorms and classrooms. I am fine with guns on campus security. …I dont like the idea of students carrying.
When will this bill be voted on? It seems unlikely that students would be allowed to bring guns on campus, but I agree with @d101parent, that its a very bad idea. Even in Georgia. Certainly parents from liberal states would rethink Georgia Tech if they allow students to bring guns to the dorm rooms I bet. Since GT has quite a few out of state students, I am sure there is a GT lobbyist going crazy to block this, but I will follow up and see what I can learn.
"A Georgia House committee has approved a bill allowing guns on state college campuses with little notice.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (http://on-ajc.com/24a3hxQ) reports that the House Public Safety and Homeland Security committee approved the “campus carry” bill Tuesday.
The state’s university system has long opposed changes to existing law that prevents weapons on its campuses. Democrats protested Tuesday’s vote because the bill was not included on the committee’s agenda for the day; committee chairs typically can add bills unannounced.
The bill now goes to the House Rules committee, which is responsible for determining when bills receive a vote."
This bill is very close to being passed. Yes there are organizations fighting it, but the NRA is very strong.
http://www.keepgunsoffcampus.org is the website that explains all. Yes, @coloradomama, my out of state (full boat) tuition dollars (x 2 sons) is definitely at stake.
I am wondering if @D101parent is a scammer, who has a gripe such as her sons flunked out of GT??, as all legislatures in the deep south are talking about this, including Texas. So this is a problem for ANY university in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Texas as well as maybe Florida. Florida has so many guns among its average citizens I see no way for the state of Florida to keep them off U of Central Florida campus, an urban campus in Orlando. It seems no one else is concerned about guns at GT that has read the thread so far, or is not speaking up yet.
@D101parent - Is misrepresenting the bill. It states:
“would allow anyone 21 or older with a weapons license to carry a gun anywhere on a public college or university campus, except for dormitories, fraternity and sorority houses and at athletic events.”
So the whole post about guns in the dorms is WRONG. I agree that the post seems anti GT.
Several states have legislated guns on campus. I think it is a BAD idea. Non fully matured brains, potential irresponsibility, alcohol and guns are a bad mix.
@Coloradomama I assure you I am not a scammer. I am a parent who has 2 sons who might go to tech next year…both have been accepted there. However the gun culture of the south is a huge concern of mine. I agree with @jym626 that its a BAD idea. The vote is taking place TODAY in the Georgia house. More information can be found on act.keepgunsoffcampus.org
I think you are mistaken if you think there is a “gun” culture in the south that is somehow hugely different than in say the Midwest. While I am not for this bill. As a parent of a GT student I am not concerned that this bill is going to lead to students being killed at GT either. Back when I went to high school in Michigan the kids used to check their guns in the office in the fall because they would go hunting after school… Gun don’t kill people. People do. If some student wants to kill someone they are going to do it regardless of whether this bill is passed.
It is simply not true that students are going to kill someone “regardeless.” The likelihood of getting shot is higher in areas where it’s easy to get and carry a gun. That’s just a fact, and it’s one reason my daughter is not applying to any colleges in the south.
Everyone has to do what they think is best for their kids. If you don’t think GT is safe for your kids then don’t send them here. There are plenty of schools that I would not send my kids to because of the drugs,drinking and assaults on campus. But for me I am a lot more concerned about my sons safety while he is driving the 1 & 1/2 hours each day to/from his co-op than this bill. Atlanta traffic is scary.
I have a daughter at Georgia Tech. I am really surprised this passed and I think it is a terrible idea. I am from GA -we don’t ALL love guns.