President's Message - March 17, 2008

Thursday, March 20, 2008

To the OSU Campus,
 
The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed House Bill 2513 last week which allows certain persons to carry concealed weapons on Oklahoma’s College campuses.  While we all share the concern for the safety of all of our campuses, this proposal is fraught with unnecessary risks.  
 
We all honor our veterans and members of the armed services, but they are not immune from the few who act irrationally.  And the training the bill requires for others is minimal.  In the end, additional weapons on campus only increase the risk of a weapon in the possession of the wrong person. Moreover, there is no assurance that guns left in dorm rooms or in lockers by approved carriers would not fall into the hands of others.  
 
This is not the solution.  If it were, similar authorization should be allowed in the State Capitol as well as state, county and municipal offices.  Tragedies happen in all areas of society, not just on college campuses.  Witness the events at Tinker, post offices and other public places.  
 
What we need is more training and better distribution of our security services, unique alarm systems on campus, increased counseling and training of our students, faculty and staff.  We need more thought and discussion on the steps necessary to make our campuses safer.  We must all become more aware of our surroundings; know what to look for, how to react, and utilize new and more effective means of sounding alarms. Higher education, through the Governor’s Campus Life and Safety and Security Task Force, has developed a comprehensive statewide plan that is an excellent starting point.  We don’t believe increasing the number of guns on campus is the answer.
 
Let’s all take a deep breath, study this critical issue and come to a reasonable consensus.  Require an interim study.  Allow the Task Force recommendations to be considered and implemented.  We owe as much to our best and brightest.
 
Burns Hargis