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NC should keep schools gun-free
Opinion
NC should keep schools gun-free
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North Carolina is once again making headlines for news regarding regressive policies coming out of our General Assembly. This time, instead of creating horribly bigoted and discriminatory laws, our politicians have changed it up with a bill that is reckless and ineffective.
Being advertised as the “School SelfDefense Act,” the policy proposal would create the new volunteer position of a school safety resource officer (SSRO), which would allow staff or faculty to carry a firearm on school grounds. These teachers would need to have a valid concealed carry permit and would be required to complete 16 hours of active shooting training in order to fill the position. To incentivize teachers to take on this responsibility of being an SSRO, a 5 percent salary raise would be offered for those who accept the new role.
The policy has been met with overwhelming disapproval by both the general public and the educators the policy is most oriented toward. An Elon University/News & Observer poll found that 78 percent of educators in North Carolina believed it was a bad idea to arm teachers. Even when informing the participants that these teachers would receive specialized training, 65 percent of educators still disapproved of the concept.
One of the major concerns with this bill is whether or not it would actually be effective in serving its intended purpose. Many critics question if teachers who wield these firearms would be capable of minimizing the threat in active shooter situations. A John Hopkins University study found that trained law enforcement have difficulty zeroing in on targets. Lightly trained teachers would likely struggle to hit a moving target in a gun range setting, much less in an adrenalinefilled situation where children’s lives are at risk.
Efficacy is of the utmost importance when discussing a bill as risky as this one. Storage of these guns would require them
to be in a secure place, inaccessible to students but also readily available to the SSROs in the case of an emergency. Another serious risk that comes with putting firearms in schools is the possibility of a tragic accident occurring. In the event of Kevin Moye Staff Columnist a school shooting, allowing another unprofessional gunman to insert themselves in the chaos would make these types of situations even more precarious. Given our nation’s recent history of racialized shootings, like that of Trayvon Martin, there are warranted mounting concerns regarding what may happen in the event of an SSRO being forced to deescalate situations involving disorderly, unarmed students. The bill in consideration enables guns to be carried during any violent situation, not necessarily one involving a shooter. Research has concluded that students of color are pun“An Elon University/ ished more severely than white News & Observer poll students for the same infractions, found that 78 percent which is causing policy analysts of educators in North to wonder if the Carolina believed it was a presence of guncarrying teachers bad idea to arm teachers.” could jeopardize the safety of kids of color. The question grows even larger when taking into consideration Title I schools, which are more prone to these types of incidents because of the at-risk backgrounds of their students. Supporters of the bill are attempting to paint it as a simple matter of school safety, but those against the proposal have been quick to point out their hypocrisy. A true measure to ensure school safety would involve limiting access to firearms for individuals that may carry out these heinous attacks in the first place. In a state like North Carolina, where it is easier to purchase an AR-15 than it is to buy a handgun, enforcing gun restrictions may be one of the simplest ways to strengthen school safety. North Carolina legislators should heed the advice of educators by ensuring that this bill does not get approved. Instead of attempting to bring more guns into what should be safe learning environments, we should ensure that there is as little access as possible for firearms to make their way into our schools.
TECHNICIAN
PAGE 6 • THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019
Thoughts from our readers:
A selection of comments sent to us from readers in short form over the past week, with their sources listed below.
In Response to: “I’m a legacy student: It shouldn’t matter”
In Response to: “NC voter ID law must incorporate more student IDs”
In Response to: Jonathan Murphy’s comment
-Terry Leitner, via Facebook
-Jonathan Murphy, via Facebook
“Most do, sure, but not all. There are plenty of people (mostly low income minorities, something the drafters of this law were acutely aware of when they wrote it) that don’t have acceptable id’s and that face relatively substantial obstacles to getting one. So you’re right that most people have id and this scenario doesn’t apply to most, but your implication that these folks don’t exist is entirely wrong. Seriously, there’s tons of information out there on why this law disenfranchises voters, you’re just choosing to ignore it.”
-Terry Leitner, via Facebook
Opinion
TECHNICIAN
PAGE 7 • THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019
It’s time for a real on-campus grocery store
I live off campus and have a car, so I have a few options for picking up my groceries without paying too much, such as the nearby Food Lion and Walmart. When I lived on campus last year, though, I wasn’t as fortunate; I was just another lost first-year who didn’t even know whether or not there were grocery stores nearby. I’m grateful for having ease of access to grocery stores now, but recent changes on campus mean there are even more first-years on campus who might not know about food options besides dining halls.
As you may know, as of fall 2017, a university policy has required first-years to live on campus. While I disagree with this policy, it’s the reality we have to deal with, and we have to work on accommodating the massive surge of students. There’s a lot to that task: the quantity and quality of housing, class sizes, and of course food.
Until now, calling the grocery options “light” would be an understatement. A convenience store in Bragaw and the Talley Market – which true to its word does carry some “staples” – by no means constitute a full grocery store. Off campus, your options within walking distance are limited as well. Some may point to Target on Hillsborough Street as a reliable grocer, but their selection is limited, and the prices are relatively expensive.
It’s time for a real grocery store on campus. One that is conveniently located for a bunch of car-less freshmen, with all the fresh meat, produce and other products that you expect a quality grocer to provide. One that is genuinely affordable for college students, first-year or otherwise. And one that should be able to cater to the diverse dietary needs of the NC State student body, as our dining halls must.
MIT opened a grocery store on its campus late last year to provide convenient and affordable food security for college students. There are other schools doing the same, but it’s an uncommon practice. NC State can and should lead the pack when it comes to students’ nutritional needs. There are plenty of places an oncampus store could go, the most obvious one being somewhere in Talley Student Union. Other possibilities include somewhere along Dan Allen Drive or Cates Avenue. But we shouldn’t stop there; plenty of exhausted
STEM students on Centennial Campus don’t have the time or energy to stop at a grocery store all the way on main campus, so a smaller-scale mart there would accommodate even more students. True, there are C-Stores and dining halls, Colin as mentioned earlier. But these shouldn’t McKnight be the only options for students. People Staff Columnist should have nearby, affordable opportunities to purchase the goods they want and not have to take a gamble on every meal, hoping something that fits their diet is served. More variety than the standard snack-food fare offered at C-Stores is also needed. It just doesn’t make sense for NC State to welcome on-campus students without accommodating them appropriately. Now’s the best time for a new grocery store because the need is greater than ever. It should be affordable, convenient and wellstocked, because a public college student body is a diverse and fickle consumer audience. A lot of students’ lives could be made much easier by the change.
