Evergreen students want rifles for campus cops
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OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Some students at the Evergreen State College want campus police officers to be armed with rifles in case of an attack by a gunman.
Located deep in the woods of Thurston County, the campus is in a tranquil setting, and campus police aim to keep it that way.
But some students worry about what they've seen across the country, including the shooting at Virginia Tech University where a fellow student killed 32 and wounded 17.
Also of concern to students is last month's shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut where 20 children and six adult staff members were killed.
"With all of the shootings that are happening all over the country, we are not immune to violence on this campus," said Omar, an Evergreen student.
Students worry their campus police don't have the firepower to fight back. Campus police have handguns, but not high-powered
rifles like the officers at other four-year state universities.
"So these officers, they have committed to responding to a situation like that, but they're not going to have the tools to effectively respond to it. So it's jeopardizing their lives," said student Robb Anthony.
But three years ago, college administrators made the decision to allow handguns but no high-powered rifles. They reasoned Thurston County Sheriff's Office would respond quickly with rifles if they are ever needed.
"The choices here were made to protect the public safety," said college spokesman Jason Wettstein. "As it stands now, we might re-open this issue, but it's highly unlikely. The administration has decided not to go with the rifle policies."
A group of students wants to force the issue with a petition drive. The students have formed a group called Police Awareness of Student Safety, or PASS.
"I was under the impression this was a totally gun-free zone, that the police didn't even have guns. And that violence really wasn't an issue here," said student Brian Hayes. "But now that I find out they have pistols, I wonder what's the problem with having rifles."
Along with the petition drive, the students want lawmakers to pass a legislation to put high-powered weapons into the hands of the campus police.
Located deep in the woods of Thurston County, the campus is in a tranquil setting, and campus police aim to keep it that way.
But some students worry about what they've seen across the country, including the shooting at Virginia Tech University where a fellow student killed 32 and wounded 17.
Also of concern to students is last month's shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut where 20 children and six adult staff members were killed.
"With all of the shootings that are happening all over the country, we are not immune to violence on this campus," said Omar, an Evergreen student.
Students worry their campus police don't have the firepower to fight back. Campus police have handguns, but not high-powered
rifles like the officers at other four-year state universities.
"So these officers, they have committed to responding to a situation like that, but they're not going to have the tools to effectively respond to it. So it's jeopardizing their lives," said student Robb Anthony.
But three years ago, college administrators made the decision to allow handguns but no high-powered rifles. They reasoned Thurston County Sheriff's Office would respond quickly with rifles if they are ever needed.
"The choices here were made to protect the public safety," said college spokesman Jason Wettstein. "As it stands now, we might re-open this issue, but it's highly unlikely. The administration has decided not to go with the rifle policies."
A group of students wants to force the issue with a petition drive. The students have formed a group called Police Awareness of Student Safety, or PASS.
"I was under the impression this was a totally gun-free zone, that the police didn't even have guns. And that violence really wasn't an issue here," said student Brian Hayes. "But now that I find out they have pistols, I wonder what's the problem with having rifles."
Along with the petition drive, the students want lawmakers to pass a legislation to put high-powered weapons into the hands of the campus police.
Probably the most sensationalist title coming out of a story in Olympia this year. When did a handful of students become thousands and thousands, the majority is against as it has been pointed out before that the police kill more people than active shooters. You can tell from the comments that this is the chance for completely uninformed non-students to swoop in and declare the school as supporting a right for some to carry arms.
Evergreen is responsible for "educating" the too-stupid-to-get-out-of-the-way-of the-bulldozer girl.
For the last time ..... AR-15s are NOT "HIGH POWERED" RIFLES!
My campus has no prohibition or regulation regarding concealed-carry firearms. They refuse to touch that can of worms, because quite simply, it's a distraction and is unnecessary for concern.
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On the other hand, it frees up responsible students to be able to deal with situations that require an armed response. We also have campus police as well, and half of them are typically armed as well.
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 @NKato where is your campus at?
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Read the comments and behold the thought process of the true conservative. If you go to college, you must be a liberal. Conservatives hate education, their actions show it. Dumb sheeple are much easier to control, much easier to get them to do your work, and be just happy enough to make other people rich. The ones already in the machine are the happy frogs in a pot of warm water.
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Not everyone that goes to Evergreen is a hippie. Not everyone that goes to Evergreen is a liberal. Not every college student is against guns.
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The request the students are making, seeing how there is already an ARMED police force there is actually, pretty reasonable.
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But oh no, we've got scary kids who are getting an education - education means harder to control. Good Lord, the last thing we want is citizens of this nation capable of their own thoughts!!!
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I now allow you to go back to your pot of lukewarm water, feels good little froggies, doesn't it.
 @Howard Beale Most of the conservatives I know have at least a bachelors degree. Many have masters degrees, too. We are not against education, but we ARE against indoctrination, and the teaching of non-fact-based stuff. (Please note, I do NOT speak for the religious cons on the topic of faith and god, which is a different subject), but on matters of economics, science, history, and so-forth. You know, where there is NOT strong support that gun bans of any sort work, and there IS good evidence that they are counter-productive if the goal is to reduce murder and violent crime rates.
@Howard Beale please tell me you're kidding. Conservatives hate education? Dumb sheeple are much easier to control. YOU'RE actions here prove, to me, that the latter is not true. As for the former, I am conservative, and am educated. I loved my college days, because they prepared me to make the high income that I earn every day. Oh, and thank you for "allowing" me to return to my pot of lukewarm water, because I'd rather be in here than outside where you are. Doesn't seem to be much fun. Have a wonderful day, won't you?
Ironic.
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The most liberal, anti-government, anti-establishment campus in our state pushing to have Men With Guns carry the Big Scary Assault Weapons whilst their compatriots are pushing to limit those same guns for the rest of us, and to keep them off of educational campuses.
 @theToucan Campus police already carry weapons. Read (if you know how) the article again. (No one mentioned assault weapons. Even Ronald Reagan supported a ban of assault weapons.
 @mac14 Campus police carry sidearms (pistols) but are being asked to carry high-powered rifles which I guarantee will be tactical in nature (and likely will be listed on the Feinstein bill as an "assault weapon") and not some bolt action 30-06 wood-stocked hunting rifle.
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I can read just fine, maybe you should save the lame personal attacks for someone else.
I am a card carrying NRA member and believe all schools and educational institutions should be gun free
 @Harrison It would be nice if everywhere was gun free, but that's not reality. It would be nice if we all didn't eventually have to die too, but that to isn't reality. If you ban guns, only the good people will honor those bans, which is why these mass killings are primarily happening in "gun free zones". The 32 victims at Virginia Tech were killed over a 2 hour period. Could you imagine what might have happened if even one good person on campus had a gun that day besides the killer? The solution to less murders is more good people with guns and less "gun-free zones" that prevent them from protecting themselves and others when bad people do bad things.
 @Harrison In other words, you live in a fantasy land where good intentions are what count, not actual results, and you think that banning guns will deter people who are not deterred by laws banning murder.
 @Harrison Thank you, you restored my faith.
Rifles?? You have got to be joking, this is s joke right?
Just put up signs all over the place making it a gun free zone. That always works.
@Alex Clayton That is basically what the current president of the NRA said back in 1999.
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"We think it's reasonable to support the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act. ... We think it's reasonable to expect full enforcement of federal firearms laws by the federal government. ... That's why we support Project Exile -- the fierce prosecution of federal gun laws...we think it's reasonable because it works. ... We only support what works and our list is proud."
â NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre
Congressional Testimony, May 27, 1999
Hearing Before 106th CongressHouse of Representatives Committee On The Judiciary Subcommittee On CrimeFirst Sessio
@Justaguy Clinton brought guns onto school campuses in 1998, and increased that in 2000 (COPS). Not saying that either side is necessarily right or wrong, but both sides have been both FOR and AGAINST the same subject. Just thought I would point this out.
Evergreen students should also push to bring shooting cubs, firearms safety and training classes. When I was in school we used to say the pledge of allegiance every morning, and students could bring and store rifles in their lockers to go shooting with their buddies after school. Today we have an all out assault on
the second amendment by main stream media (KOMO included). The rhetoric is nothing short of hate speech toward firearms owners.Â
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 @fubar I am completely against the cowardly act of shooting cubs. If you want to be a manly man then take on an adult grizzly with a .22 and make it a fair fight, not even Roosvelt in the good old days would shoot a tied up bear, and that is why we have the Teddy Bear. Cub shooting. Disgusting.
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What?
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He meant club?
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He wants to club cubs?
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Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh....shooting club.
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Nevermind.
 @fubar Ah yes... the good old days... except for blacks, women, asians, native americans... I realize you are implying this only towards guns, but sir... the good old days weren't all that good for everyone.Â
I'm not buying this guys motives. I'm an alum of Evergreen (yeah like you couldn't guess), and these students are either setting the school up, or are just playing this  little cynical game to make themselves look more hip on campus. There were too many assclowns like them at TESC then and there will always be a big herd of them.  Its sad that they must use this recent  tragedy  to play their stupid games, but its the same clowns who gave us Rachel "Dozer Girl" Corrie a few years back, so what do you expect.
Good. People need to wake up and realize we don't live in 1950. We aren't living a world of rainbow and butterflies. We are the trash on top of the Earth...lets be real.
Don't forget the deterrent effect of AR rifles. I would go elsewhere ...
So, yes, good idea.
Uh aren't these the hippies who destroyed a police car and block the road when the military uses the port? The first time an officer has to use the rifle, the hippies will be screaming bloody murder.
Why are they "rifles" or "high powered rifles" when in the hands of cops, but "assault weapons" or "military style assault weapons" in the hands of regular citizens, whether they be law abiding or insane/criminal?
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Yes, I know the answer to my own question. It bugs me.
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 @nwbackpacker Yes, only the State should have such dangerous tools. You and I are not worthy.
Why would anyone want to be a police officer at that school without firearms? From the sounds of it, there was a time where the cops there didn't have guns??
https://www.change.org/petitions/active-shooters-get-20-minutes-to-murder-at-evergreen-state-college-stop-them
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@PassEvergreen I hate to break this to you, it isn't a problem with state law. If the campus police are peace officers, then they are allowed to have rifles there. If they are not, as long as they have equivalent training to a police officer, and have the administrator's permission, they are good to go: From RCW 9.41.280 Â Â Â Â (b) Any person engaged in military, law enforcement, or school district security activities. However, a person who is not a commissioned law enforcement officer and who provides school security services under the direction of a school administrator may not possess a device listed in subsection (1)(f) of this section unless he or she has successfully completed training in the use of such devices that is equivalent to the training received by commissioned law enforcement officers;
What's going on here? Someone is actually using common sense and asking for security? Someone else here has mentioned something about depending on government. Security is right there at the top of the many reasons for having government. Sure, if everyone is armed it does work. People tend to avoid doing stupid things when they know everyone around them is packing. I saw, experienced it firsthand in Chicken, Alaska. 12 gauge with a pistol grip always slung across my shoulder, no issues. No gun, all kinds of issues. But there was no law enforcement that was present and packing a gun there. It took Alaska state troopers two days to respond to a shots fired, kidnapping in progress. It won't work here. Besides, the shots fired, kidnapping in progress was a result of someone enforcing the law themselves. It's just not smart. Put a gun packing officer friendly in all schools.
 @uscit16791949 I say let the community decide if they want to place armed guards in the schools or not. You certainly can't force it on people and if they feel safe without, so be it. These kids obviously want them so the administration should listen.
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As for banning guns, I don't think more guns necessarily equals more safety. That said, I certainly don't feel any less safe any time I bring a new one home.
"I was under the impression this was a totally gun-free zone, that the police didn't even have guns..."
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words fail me. Just what are these kids being taught?
 @Iconoclast "Just what are these kids being taught?"
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Mostly a doctrine that is meant to dumb-down and indoctrinate our kids into socialism.
 @komoispropaganda It isn't even real socialism. Old school socialists are disgusted by much of this stupid nonsense as well.
Evergreen Police have been armed for many years with Glocks. They do not have rifles but have had guns. Not sure who the reporter spoke to but that text states they have only been armed for 3 years is incorrect.
 @Public Servant They were finally able to carry back in 95-96 when a former Sgt. at WSU became their Police Chief.
Leave evergreen state a GUN FREE zone. PLEASE!!!!!
 @Rick4001CS So in other words, you are saying teachers and student need to cower in a corner and hope the shooter doesn't decide to kill them. Why don't you tell Barack Hussein Obama and David Gregory that their kids at Sidwell don't need the 11+ armed security guards. Â
@Rick4001CS you do realize gun free zones are most susceptible to mass shootings - right?
 @Rick4001CS Gun free zone= target rich environment.
 @Rick4001CS Yeah, because "gun free" zones really work out well for all the people who get shot in them.
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And FYI, the police already have guns.
 @HuskyKMA  @Rick4001CS Like the avatar. Appropriate for a story like this.
 @Rick4001CS If only you were at risk I am certain everyone would be in favor of keeping Evergreen a low-risk target zone.
No, its not about the "Liberal" students comeing around. Its about thier growing dependency on "thier" government. "Liberals" are always thinking of themselves as victims, so they look to thier messiah for help and comfort. So the answer for them is, disarm the law-abiding citizens and arm up thier government protectors. And its a result of the continual brain-washing that these students recieve on a daily basis. America, we are done..........
 @Busyhands We truly ARE done, if people come out spelling as well as you do.
 @sims  @Busyhands no making fun of the "non-speller"
How about student awareness for student safety and let student pack firearms?
 @Exiled_Patriot That would be a great idea. There is an organization promoting that common sense idea--http://concealedcampus.org/
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But some would rather keep college campus a safe zone for violence.
 @Exiled_Patriot So when the police arrive and 40 people are waving guns around what happens next in that fantasy?
 @Citizen#3457899654 The fantasy is yours. Just another improbable scenario. Maybe when you return to reality there can be a discussion.
 @Citizen#3457899654 Well seems likely you'd have 39 people trying to hide behind cover and one roaming around looking for victims. Or, you'd have silence as the original gunman would be down and the rest would be waiting for help to arrive. Yea, before you say it, someone might get hurt in the crossfire. I'll take that risk over the assurance of more death.
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It's never perfect, in any scenario. Never will be. But if I'm ever placed there, I'd sure like to at least be able to TRY to help myself, instead of waiting to die at the hands of a madman.