In Context: 5 Web Perspectives On A Story In The News

Carrying guns on campus

(The Arizona Republic) The shocking number of multiple victim shootings at schools across the United States has, unfortunately, become a frequent news topic over the years. Now a proposed bill in the Arizona legislature may mean that faculty at community colleges and state universities will soon be carrying guns on campus as long as they have concealed-weapons permits. Bill 1011 is being supported by Republican Senator Jack Harper and it comes just a year after another bill was passed allowing guns to be stored inside locked vehicle trunks on public college campuses. Most states prohibit guns on campuses and critics of more lenient gun laws argue they would make campuses dangerous. However, advocates of guns on campuses believe the shootings in the past could have been prevented or minimized if people had been able to retaliate.

1.

Student group pushes for right to carry concealed weapons on campus

Students for Concealed Carry on Campus
This site is run by Students for Concealed Carry on Campus. The non-partisan, grassroots organization was formed after the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre and it claims to have over 40,000 members. It argues that concealed-carry permit holders should be able to bring weapons to school to protect themselves and their classmates against a shooter. "Gun free zones" like college campuses only disarm law-abiding citizens who are careful with their weapons. The "Common Arguments" section has arguments people usually make against carrying guns on campus, followed by a rationale as to why they should be permitted. If you click on the "Media" section, you can find videos of appearances the group has made on CNN.

2.

The campaign to keep guns off campuses

GunsFreeKids.Org
This site is run by GunsFreeKids.org. According to its president, Andy Pelosi, it was founded in 2007 and is an Internet-based organization that provides tools for people to take action on "pending state and national legislation and assists voters nationwide in learning about and supporting state-based candidates who favor sound gun violence prevention policies." The organization claims to have over 10,000 nationwide subscribers. If you click on the "Making a Contribution to GunsFreeKids.org" at the bottom of the main page, you will be led to another page where you can make donations to the organization. The donations are apparently used for the organization's "nonpartisan civic engagement projects."

3.

Protesting lax gun laws

Protest Easy Guns
This site is run by Protest Easy Guns, which is a social movement of Americans protesting lax gun laws. The group believes stricter gun laws that extend the waiting period to buy a firearm would help reduce access to dangerous weapons. As of April 16, 2008, members of the group staged 109 lie-ins in 31 states and D.C. They laid down silently on the ground for three minutes to demonstrate what they believe is the typical amount of time it takes to buy a gun in the U.S. They claim their approach is "simple, civil and peaceful." If you click on the "Protest in a Box" tab, you'll find documents to download that will apparently help you organize your own protest.

4.

Campuses are safer without concealed weapons

Students for Gun Free Schools
This site is run by Students for Gun Free Schools. It is an organization that opposes efforts to force universities and colleges to allow students and faculty to carry concealed guns on campuses. The organization was started to honour the memory of Reema Samaha, a victim of the Virginia Tech shootings and it aims to prevent future tragedies. The "About Us" section has a link for the Angel Fund website. Once you click on that link, you can visit Reema's website that includes a biography and pictures of her.

5.

U.S. school shooting sprees

Tamil Archives
This site was created on May 13, 2008 and provides an extensive timeline of all the school shootings in the U.S. from 1966 to 2008. Although all of the shootings are not listed chronologically, the website provides a description of each shooting, including where it occurred and who the shooter was.