I oppose this bill because I do not believe that guns
on campus will make any of us safer. I was a high school teacher in Colorado Springs,
Colorado, when the Columbine tragedy occurred, and I have been following school
shootings ever since, including the shooting on the FSU campus. This bill
concerns me and many of my colleagues greatly.
In fact, the Florida State University chapter of the
United Faculty of Florida passed a resolution opposing this legislation because
an increase in deadly firearms on campus will not enhance the safety of our
students, faculty, or staff because of the potential increase in collateral
damage, accidental shootings, and confusion regarding who the aggressor is in a
given situation.Lieutenant Matthew Rushton of the Bridgewater State University Police Department recently contacted me supporting the faculty union’s opposition to the bill. I would like to read part of his email because it demonstrates some of the major concerns universities and colleges have regarding guns on campus. He said, “Responding officers are faced with making life and death decisions; determining who is an aggressor, who is just trying to flee the scene, and who is looking for help. All of these groups will typically run at the police as they enter the scene, and are faced with them quickly advancing for a variety of reasons, placing police officers in a position to make a life or death decision in mere seconds. Having unknown members of the campus community potentially armed will not only lead to confusion for responding officers, but students, staff and others. Most are not trained in the same active shooter techniques and are not proficient in the use of a firearm against a fluid target.”
With all due respect to the people supporting this
bill, I think it is important to note that student
organizations such as FSA, faculty organizations that have taken a
position, all 12 public universities, the university police chiefs, and the
university system itself are all opposed to this change. So I humbly ask all of
you here to vote no on this bill and not impose this change on a community that
does not need it and does not want it.
