After recent tragic events in our nation, our government has taken steps towards punishing law-abiding citizens for acts committed by criminals. When a madman takes advantage of the trust he has built with his mother and steals her legally owned weapons and commits acts of violence with them, our government immediately assumes all gun owners are possible criminals. This is entirely the opposite; gun owners are crime deterrents. When criminals acknowledge that someone is a gun owner, they avoid making that person a victim. Thankfully, our great state of Wyoming has recognized this fact.
Recently our state took a huge step towards protecting our children in their classrooms. House Bill No. 105 was passed in the Wyoming House of Representatives in Cheyenne. This bill would have revolutionized public school safety and set a standard across the nation that could possibly do away with any violent crimes committed inside public schools.
This five-page bill was quite simple.
First, it would allow any person holding a valid concealed carry permit issued by the state of Wyoming to carry at any sporting event located on public property at any school, college or professional event. Also, any person with a valid permit could carry on any public college or university.
Second, any employee of a school district with a valid permit could carry inside the school’s facilities if they notify the principal of the school and the superintendent of the district.
Third, a parent or legal guardian of a child in the school, with a valid permit, could carry into the school if they notify the principal upon entering.
Fourth, the person carrying the firearm must maintain the firearm on their person at all times.
What are the important things to understand about this bill? All persons who are able to carry under these circumstances have gone through proper firearm training and received background checks to even be eligible for a concealed carry permit in the first place. Only Wyoming concealed carry permits are valid under this bill.
For elementary and secondary schools only parents of students and faculty can carry on school property with proper notification. At post secondary schools only students or citizens who are eligible can carry, meaning over age 21, proper training and background checks by local police department. This doesn’t give children, teenagers and “strangers to the district” who don’t have valid permits permission to carry a firearm; that is illegal and only that person should be punished.
Imagine a school where even 25 percent of the faculty were carrying firearms. Would a crazy gunman dare step foot in that school? Imagine a college campus where even five percent of the students were carrying a firearm. Would a crazy gunman dare choose that campus over a gun free campus?
Notice how I use the word “crazy” to describe the gunman. History shows that most gunmen are not law-abiding citizens who go through the proper channels of obtaining a firearm. They are criminals and thieves. Adam Lanza stole his mother’s weapons and now law-abiding citizens are getting more restrictions thrown at them.
Our President, Congressmen, Governors, celebrities, sporting events, jewelry stores, banks, office buildings, factories, courts etc., are protected by guns. Our children are protected by a sign that reads, “This is a gun free zone.” As future parents, current parents or relatives of children, would you prefer your child’s teacher to have a stapler to protect their students from a crazy gunman or a firearm? Unfortunately, the Wyoming Senate killed this bill. Our children remain unprotected. And all we have left is the hope that these crazy gunmen will start obeying the many laws that our Congress enacts against guns.
