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January 16, 2008 OPINIONS SHOULD CAMPUS POLICE BE ARMED? Arming Them Would Create High Safety We live in tumultuous times and our society is a violent one. Our country is at war overseas and experiences near-constant skirmishing within its borders. A day doesn’t go by without a violent death occurring somewhere in the Bay Area. There are reasons for this. The Second Amendment to the Constitution is the justification for private citizens to be allowed to own guns. According to a report released by the Police Foundation, a Washington, D.C. lobbying group, one quarter of American adults own a gun, 42 percent men and 9 percent women. The total number of guns according to the same report is 192 million, which includes handguns and rifles. The rules governing who may own a gun aren’t sufficient for keeping weapons out of the hands of people who shouldn’t own them. The Virginia Tech shooting last April shows that a mentally unbalanced individual was able to legally purchase guns for the purpose of committing the rampage. An armed security team at City College would make the campus a safer place by entrusting lethal stopping capabilities to well-trained, top-of-the-line civil servants. A shooting spree like the one at Virginia Tech could have been stopped before too many lives would be lost or changed forever. Imagine lying on the floor of a classroom that has just been shot up by a crazed student. Groans of pain fill the air, as you lay perfectly still, playing dead, praying you aren’t the one selected for the head shot at close range. Wouldn’t you want that campus officer running to your aid to be capable of completely stopping your assailant? Opponents of arming the campus police try to scare the public by saying that guns on campus would increase the chance of violence on campus. That is a ridiculous assertion, violent crime occurs where there is an absence of police protection. City College students and staff deserve such protection on their campus. e-mail: editorials@theguardsman.com Arming Them Will Only Cause Panic on Campus With a long-time no-gun policy, City College has maintained a safe environment for its students. So why arm campus police officers? Wouldn’t that create panic on campus? Keeping a gun-free campus not only assures City College represents a safe place, but it allows students to focus on the idea that a college is like a second home specifically for education. A no-gun policy “is a reflection of the overall culture and climate of the school in terms of nonviolence,” said Chancellor Philip R. Day, Jr. on City College Police Chief Carl Koehler’s resignation in an interview. Campus shootings like the one at Virginia Tech last April have increased recently and made headlines, but fortunately City College generally isn’t dangerous despite an incident that same month. City College police officers have the support of the San Francisco Police Department which will intervene at any incident. Such an intervention took place during an April 24 incident in which a student threatened to kill other students in the Science Hall. Fortunately, it all ended as a false alarm. In a worst-case scenario, campus officials can do much to guarantee that determined killers are kept away, whether armed or unarmed. Also, with the new and advanced technology available, campus officers should maintain a good communication system to report anything to keep students aware and safe. Such a system could be a cell phone text message alert system. Arming on-campus police requires firearm use training. Imagine if someone steals a gun from a police officer and shoots that officer or anyone else. As a student, that idea doesn’t leave my mind. Violence begets violence. So why create more? e-mail: editorials@theguardsman.com
Martin Luther King Jr. is the only person in the history of our country whose birthday is celebrated by a federally mandated day off from work and school. King’s leadership in the civil rights movement was key in helping foster equality through our society, especially in education. City College, an epicenter of educational opportunity for thousands of students from diverse backgrounds and varying economic levels is a byproduct of his work. Students can take inspiration in a man like King who came from humble roots but raised himself to inspire so much positive effects on our society through achievement in higher education and work within his church. After graduating from Boston University, King organized and led key campaigns that succeeded in raising awareness of the racial disparity and tensions that existed in the south in the 1950s. America was rudely awakened from its postwar materialist glut to the images of black people being beaten, hosed and set upon by police dogs for daring to gather in protest against laws which prevented them from being recognized as fully enfranchised citizens. Suffering personally through numerous arrests, several assaults, ultimately giving his life for the cause of equal rights, King always led by example. His message was always one of nonviolence, sacrifice and service in the Christian tradition. Mainstream society’s acceptance of the cause for which King worked allowed the critical mass to build to a level where nothing could prevent its realization. The Civil Rights Act, which outlawed segregation and discrimination was passed in 1964 and signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson. King was murdered four years later, but his legacy lives on today in integrated institutions of learning like City College. By undertaking a higher education, students acquire the skills and tools to make an impact. By taking the example of King they can see that impact realized in positive progress in any field they choose. Remember Dr. King while enjoying your day off. e-mail: editorials@theguardsman.com Springing Back Into the Semester The calendar year of 2008 has started and so has the spring semester. After a winter break of vacation, family gatherings and the hit of Mother Nature through the worst storm to take place in the Bay Area during the first weekend of January 2008, we are ready to start another semester at City College. Many of us made New Year’s resolutions and for many City College students, “Do well in college,” was one of them. It’s important to start the semester with energy, ready to attend class, do homework and write papers. It might sound overwhelming, but these are some of the things needed to achieve educational goals in any field and ensure success. For students set to graduate, there’s no doubt this semester represents a decisive step in achieving what they have been working toward during the previous semesters. Whether their goal is to get an associate degree or transfer to a four-year institution, there is more need to do well. It might be one of those semesters in which students can’t fail a class because that could keep them from moving on academically. For other students, this semester is probably their first. Although high school students normally enroll in the fall, others sign up in the spring. For them, it might be a little confusing at the beginning, especially because of the added pressure that comes in the first few weeks of classes. Many will need to figure out whether they need to add or drop classes. Also, they will have to take some time to shop around and find out what’s available for them to make their stay at City College easier. City College is here to help all of us and we should take advantage of the different resources and services it provides. e-mail: editorials@theguardsman.com PHOTOS & TEXT BY ANNE-MARIE STARK What was your New Year's resolution? ““Oh God! Cut back on smoking. I took a semester off from school, so to really focus on school this semester. Loose weight.”"
“Buy less packaged products to be less wasteful.”
“Work on interpersonal skills and my relationships with fellow students and friends. We are only here for two years and then everyone leaves and I want to keep in touch.” “Try to quit smoking. I have moved from [Marlborro] reds to ultra lights.” “I didn’t make one.” “Be a better student and better person. Get good grades and stay focused in school.”
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