Letters to the editors

By editors
Posted: Tuesday, January 25th, 2011 at 11:12 pm | Last Updated: Tuesday, January 25th, 2011 at 11:12 pm

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The Michigan State Legislature has ruled that no local unit of government (i.e. county, city, town) may impose laws or ordinances concerning firearms that are more restrictive than state laws. However, Oakland University’s ordinance does just that. Does the administration believe they should have more power than the cities of Rochester or Detroit?

I’m sure every student and faculty member appreciates the job that the OUPD does to keep our campus safe. However, unless an officer is in a classroom when a gunman starts shooting, the only thing the police will be able to do is deal with the aftermath. In most of the mass public shooting cases, the police don’t arrive in time to actually stop the gunman.

I’m not saying that if concealed weapons were allowed on campus that violent attacks would not happen or that they would be stopped before someone is killed or raped. However, I (and Students for Concealed Carry) believe that any individual who is trained and licensed in accordance with state law, to legally carry a concealed weapon for personal protection, should not have that right taken away because they cross an imaginary line as they walk onto campus. The only thing “pistol free zones” accomplish is disarming law-abiding citizens. Criminals do not follow laws or ordinances.

The article states that “this is not a partisan issue; it’s an issue of human life.” I agree. Personal protection is an issue of human life and it should not be infringed.

Jeff Orin Lamkin

Junior, Sociology

President – Students for Concealed Carry at Oakland University

If OUPD Chief Lucido believes “our rules regulating firearms are correct”, he hasn’t spoken with Victor Zambardi, Vice President of Oakland University’s General Counsel {sic}, who, along with OUPD Campus Police Lieutenant Mel Gilroy, found that OU’s firearms ordinance “did not comport with state statute” and is therefore unenforceable.
Perhaps Chief Lucido will don his investigatory cap as to the recent dismissal without prejudice of a concealing a handgun charge against a Wayne State University student.
The State’s contention was that the student was carrying in a pistol free zone; the student’s defense was that the hallway is not a PFZ. The judge found that the State’s case had no legal standing. Chief Lucido is bound by Michigan rulings and law and is not “backed up” by the Supreme Court of Virginia.
Your editorial correctly noted that Michigan law prohibits concealed pistol licensees from carrying concealed pistols in college classrooms and dorms but failed to mention that according to Michigan State Police Legal Update No. 86, unconcealed pistols are legal in classrooms and dorms by CPL holders.
I provided the Oakland Post this information last semester. How sad and unprofessional those emotions of current events cloud your journalistic judgment and you renege on written promises to freelancers, denying critical balance to readers. I will provide “The Story the Oakland Post Does Not Want You To Read” to anyone who e-mails a request.
I hope Oakland University institutes a ban on poorly reasoned and researched editorials and that the ban stays in place.

Joseph Corlett
Junior, Writing and Rhetoric
loosedeckcannon@comcast.net

CC Student

Finally some reasonable & factual views to balance the hysteria of the pistol-phobic (dare I say, 2nd Amendment haters) “journalism” all too common in media today.
Joseph Corlett

CC Student:

Excellent point. If I can get my schoolwork out of the way, I’d like to write an article on the counterproductive in loco parentis attitude of the Oakland Post. (Fat chance it would be published.)

With emotional editorials on firearms and how to behave at tailgate parties along with modesty instructions for pant-wearing women and warning of the dangers of Miley Cirus videos, it shouldn’t be too tough to make my case.

Oakland University students are tuition and taxpaying adults. We own this place. It’s time the Oakland Post started giving students the respect we deserve.

Joseph Corlett
CJ

I don’t like guns, but I can understand and respect the laws pertaining to them. However, I don’t understand why anyone would have the desire to bring a gun into a classroom (if it is for defense why would you want to go to a school where you think you might get shot in class?)

Also, it seems like some people are confused, editorials are just that, editorials, they are meant to be opinions. And if anyone ever bothered to read The Oakland Post, they’d know that it is an independent newspaper. As a student I’ve found that The Oakland Post is the best source for OU news, and every time I’ve met one of their journalists they have been completely respectful.
Joseph Corlett

CJ:

We should go to the range sometime, recreational shooting is a blast. You’ll be a gun lover in no time.

I can assure you the victims at Virginia Tech never imagined they would get shot at school. An armed student would have had the opportunity to defend himself and others.

The Oakland Post is entitled to its opinion, but it is not allowed to be illogical if it expects to have and maintain credibility. Their editorial made a nonsensical connection between magazine capacity and mental illness.

In December the Oakland Post promised me, in writing, that they would publish my story of the OUPD admitting the campus ban on pistols was unenforceable in a January issue. Instead of honoring their committment, after the events in Tuscon they wrote an emotional and poorly reasoned editorial. Again, if the Oakland Post wants credibility, they have to honor their written committments despite the news of the day.

As for the ability of the Oakland Post to report news, I suggest you take a look at their completely sanitized versions of police reports. If they keep on their present course every story in the column will consist of “Something happened somewhere on campus to someone somehow. We don’t know why, aren’t going to speculate, and are witholding names to protect victims.”

Frightening, all. Especially considering these are young people training to bring us news and opinion.
Josph Corlett

In my letter, the Oakland Post placed {sic} behind the word “Counsel” implying that the word was misspelled or misused. It was not. From Oakland University’s website:

Victor A. Zambardi
Vice President for Legal Affairs,
General Counsel and Secretary to the Board of Trustees

Mr. Zambardi knows the proper spelling of his title. Unfortunately the editors at the Oakland Post do not, or were too lazy to check.
editors

Note: The editors of The Oakland Post did check Mr. Zambardi’s title and changed it to its current, correct form. The {sic} was used to show that while the transcription from the original letter was accurate, it was not confirmed at the time of publication whether Mr. Zambardi did indeed say that.
Danny

More guns do not equal more safety. In fact, most likely the opposite is true.

Those who would carry on campus receive significantly less training than OUPD officers. I do not doubt their intentions, simply whether allowing a mass amount of guns on campus is a good thing.

Move to Texas.
Rich

Concealed carry on OU campus is something that should be allowed for those with a CPL license. All of you that say “why would you need to bring a gun to class” do not realize how many mentally unstable people there are in the world. Any day a shooter could be on OU’s campus and take the lives of innocent people. The only way to equalize the playing field is to put everyone on the same level and allow those with a CPL to carry a handgun. The OUPD is not everywhere on campus at the same time so they most likely will arrive too a dentramental situation when it is too late. It is pointless having a gun free campus because if someone is going to shoot up the campus and then blow their head off, nothing is going to stop them. The only way to end college shootings is to start letting the mentally stable people carry guns on campus just like they can in most other locations.