Gun rights activists say firearms ban would make MSU more dangerous

published on Sunday, July 15, 2007 9:32 PM MDT

By GAIL SCHONTZLER, Chronicle Staff Writer

Montana State University's plan to restrict firearms and ban concealed weapons from campus would actually make students more vulnerable if a Virginia Tech-style gunman were ever on the loose, many gun rights activists are arguing.

“The only thing a gun-banning policy will accomplish is to insure that this madman has a pool of defenseless victims to kill - that he will encounter no effective resistance as he carves a swath of death through the MSU campus,” wrote Gary Marbut of the Montana Shooting Sports Association, an affiliate of the National Rifle Association.

MSU received nearly 100 comments on its proposed update of its weapons policy. Only about two supported the proposed weapons restrictions.

The overwhelming majority, about 70, agreed with Marbut that banning concealed weapons and restricting firearms would make the campus more dangerous.

“Had there been more loaded guns in view, and accessible, the carnage at VA Tech could have been either completely averted Š or minimized, not by a brave professor using his own body as a shield, but by a responsible adult student with a concealed weapons permit,” wrote Danielle D. Emery of Billings.

TJ Reeder of Helena was more blunt, asking, “When will you issue the T-shirts with the bull's-eyes Š (and) a flashing light saying ‘Shoot me!! I'm unarmed!!'”

On the other hand, MSU Police Chief Robert Putzke said he is an NRA member and generally supports concealed weapons permits, but not on campus.

Putzke said he doubts that allowing concealed weapons on campus would deter a shooter, because “they're so intent on what they're going to do.” An active shooter situation is usually chaotic, the chief said, and any student trying to stop a gunman might not have the skill to do it.

“What if one or two of your shots went wild and shot one or two students?” Putzke asked.

MSU's biggest crime problem is theft of students' property, including computers, cell phones, iPods, books and bikes, Putzke said. A high number of students don't lock up their property, so if they had concealed weapons, his concern is that “we might see a lot of theft of firearms, that might be used in a crime.”

Cathy Conover, university spokeswoman, said no decision has been made on whether to alter the proposed policy in light of the public comments.

MSU announced in June that in light of the Virginia Tech shootings it would update its weapons policy, look into a campus-wide emergency notification system and consider how to keep people secure inside buildings. In April, a mentally disturbed Virginia Tech student shot and killed 32 people in a dorm and classroom building before killing himself.

MSU officials said their old policy is too vague, so the new proposal would ban a specific list of weapons, including rifles, shotguns, handguns, knives with blades 4 inches or longer, explosives, swords, nunchucks, throwing starts and other martial arts weapons, crossbows, compound bows, recurve bows, BB guns, paintball guns, dangerous chemicals, real-looking toy guns and pepper spray -- except for small, personal protection dispensers.

Conover said an Associated Press report published by Montana newspapers outside of Bozeman omitted the proposed exception for personal-sized pepper spray. About a dozen of the people who sent comments wanted MSU to allow the smaller sprays, not realizing they would be allowed.

“My daughter lives in a sorority right off campus,” one mother wrote. “Early last fall she was involved with the attempted rape at her house. Š If it would not have been for the therapy and having the pepper spray she would have dropped out of college as she was fearful to walk anywhere.”

A few people argued that the larger bear-spray cans should also be permitted. Rob Ellerd, an MSU food service employee, wrote that he rides his bike to work year round and has been threatened by big, unleashed dogs, so he carries bear spray. “(T)he small, pocket-sized varieties would likely be ineffective against large charging dogs.”

Trevor Majors wrote that his “daughter will NEVER attend MSU nor even step foot on its campus. ... By your new rules my daughter would not even be allowed to carry mace to protect herself from mugging or rapists. Š I would expect this from the People's Republic of Kalifornia, but not from Montana.”

MSU's proposed policy also would ban weapons for dorm rooms and require students to keep weapons locked in a dorm storage locker. Anyone with hunting rifles in their vehicles would be required to keep them unloaded, cased and out of sight. Locking the vehicle wasn't mentioned.

Marbut wrote that he recognized MSU's intent was to make the campus safer, but he argued that banning firearms would have the opposite effect.

“It takes an armed person to stop an armed killer,” Marbut wrote. “(P)olice will not arrive until this theoretical madman has already killed some, perhaps many. Meanwhile, the proposed MSU policy will guarantee that a killer will have defenseless victims.”

Instead, Marbut made several suggestions, including that MSU allow people with concealed weapons permits to remain armed, let students keep firearms in their dorm rooms with the consent of their roommates, and hire self-defense instructors to teach how to use firearms safely and neutralize threats.

Republican state legislators Sen. Joe Balyeat, Rep. Diane Rice and Rep. Roger Koopman also wrote criticizing MSU's proposal. Koopman wrote if MSU bans firearms, “we will be placing an invitation sign at our entrances that essentially reads: Notice to all killers: You are entering a campus where the people are defenseless, because Montana no longer subscribes to the Second Amendment.”

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