tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post3820703617329144053..comments2024-02-16T09:00:32.845-06:00Comments on FromDC2Iowa: Peace Through War; Security Through WeaponryUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-5159971818765858012007-09-06T12:20:00.000-05:002007-09-06T12:20:00.000-05:00Let's look at the data. If campus police are to b...Let's look at the data. If campus police are to be armed, then the question is why? Hypotheticals do not matter, because we could be attacked, hypothetically, by uzi-carrying crips from Compton, which would mandate our police not only buy weapons, but also automatic weapons, light armor, and armed vehicles.<BR/><BR/>The latest report on campus crime (http://www.uiowa.edu/~pubsfty/stats.htm) indicates no murders or manslaughters on campus at the Univ of Iowa. There was one robbery in 2006. That might not have been an armed robbery.<BR/><BR/>There were 2 weapons violations in 2005 (and not in residence halls) and 4 in 2006 (again not in residence halls).<BR/><BR/>There were no disciplinary referrals for weapons arrests in ANY YEAR.<BR/><BR/>So where is the problem? Is it simply police machismo?<BR/><BR/>Having served at a hospital where the only gun death was that of a police officer, by an intoxicated patient, I can tell you with this record, the largest threat is something going wrong in an arrest. The arrest goes wrong, the violence increases, and a drunk student grabs the officers weapon...with deadly results.<BR/><BR/>Keeping officers unarmed on patrol, frankly keeps the threat of violence low. In emotional or intoxicated situations, a weapon involved clearly destabilizes the situation. And don't let anyone try to cover up that fact.<BR/><BR/>Yes there are crazies out there. However a crazy with a firearm is much more lethal than a crazy with a knife or a bat.<BR/><BR/>One can always look for wisdom to the movies :-)<BR/><BR/>Doc Holiday with a shotgun emboldened the law enforcement of Tombstone :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-40158067331766159502007-09-06T09:06:00.000-05:002007-09-06T09:06:00.000-05:00I share your pain here as someone who grew up in I...I share your pain here as someone who grew up in Iowa City of the 70's.<BR/><BR/>There is no logic to it really. It would not have stopped Gang Lu or things like Va Tech. How long now before a segment of students demands to be allowed to have firearms on campus?<BR/><BR/>Iowa City has lost a lot of its luster to me, and perhaps some of that is that I still see Iowa City through a child's idyllic vision delivering my papers or going to my grandparents house. I am not sure now I would ever return to Iowa City.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com