Security For All

This week my alma mater, Colorado State University, is engaged in a bit of bureaucratic theater that has once again thrust the city of Fort Collins into the national media spotlight. Ok flashlight. This article in the Denver Post covers it thusly.

Colorado State University today distributed a draft of its proposed weapons policy that would ban all weapons on the Fort Collins and Pueblo campuses, including guns being held by those with a concealed-weapons permit.

The issue became controversial late last year, when the CSU faculty voted for such a ban while student leaders voted against it. The CU Board of Governors will decide whether to implement the policy at their February meeting in Pueblo.

Drafted by campus administrators, the policy and its risk management approach is consistent with best practices of other colleges and universities, CSU spokesman Brad Bohlander said. It is essentially an extension of the current campus weapons policy banning weapons – including weapons owned by concealed-carry permit holders – in resident halls. The policy now expands those regulations to the entire campus with some exceptions.

So what problem does this proposed weapons policy address? Is CSU reverting to the wild west? Are gunfights erupting in classes and dorms? Are teachers and students threatened by gun-toting thugs? Well… not exactly. The raison d’être for this policy is best described in the preamble to the draft policy itself [emphasis mine].

Colorado State University recognizes that the possession, use, or display of Weapons on Campus should be subject to reasonable control to manage the increased risks associated with having Weapons on Campus, which is consistent with the best practices of other colleges and universities. Some of the data and analysis supporting those best practices are contained in the position statement dated August 12, 2008, by the Board of Directors of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, Inc. (“IACLEA”). According to that statement, the presence of students carrying concealed weapons would not reduce violence on campuses and that having such weapons may dramatically increase violence on campus arising from (a) the potential for accidental discharge or misuse of firearms at on‐campus parties or student gatherings, (b) the potential for guns to be used as a means to settle disputes, and (c) that campus police officers responding to a situation involving an active shooter may not be able to distinguish between the shooter and others with firearms. Colorado State University concurs with IACLEA’s position statement and believes that safety on Campus will be improved by reasonably controlling Weapons.

Ahh, I get it. This is one of those keeping up appearances kind of deals. For those woefully uncultured readers [in case there are any] Keeping Up Appearances is a British sitcom wherein the heroine, one Hyacinth Bucket – who insists her surname is pronounced Bouquet – is a social-climbing snob who passes her time visiting stately homes, hosting “executive” style candlelight suppers, and maintaining the integrity of her woodblock floor, wallpaper, and status in the community. Her aim in life is to impress neighbours, friends, and important people.

“Okay…,” I hear you saying, “so this policy only addresses potential problems, and mainly brings CSU in line with other colleges and universities. What’s wrong with removing guns from college campuses? And what does this have to do with security?”. Great questions. Glad you asked.

The problem is that this policy, like far too many security and anti-terrorism policies, does absolutely nothing except display political correctness. Aptly put by Shakespeare in Macbeth, “It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”. Manifestly, the danger of violence involving firearms on college campuses is real and present. Recall the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007. In fact the 2008 IACLEA position statement referenced so prominently in the CSU draft policy includes this not-so-veiled reference to that incident in it’s potential threats: “campus police officers responding to a situation involving an active shooter may not be able to distinguish between the shooter and others with firearms“. Certainly sounds reasonable. Except for these inconvenient facts – the “active shooter” was already actively violating any number of state and federal laws and there were no “others with firearms” except those who would be exempt in the policy. In other words it does absolutely nothing but keep up appearances.  That and waste time with debate and media coverage diverting attention from the fact that CSU, other colleges and universities – and pretty much everybody else including me – have no idea how to address the real problem. Will this policy prevent a tragedy involving guns at CSU? No. Will it make CSU students and staff safer? No. Will it make CSU appear more concerned with campus violence? Bingo! A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing; but keeping up appearances.