American universities are hotbeds of anti-gun animus. No uniform? No gun on campus! Because criminals, crazies and terrorists obey gun laws. Or all gun owners are potential criminals, crazies or terrorists. Or something. This “logic” leads anti-gun rights campus dwellers straight into the realm of paranoia.
Idaho University at Pocatello revealed its paranoia last Monday when a student reported seeing a man carrying what she thought was a gun case. I repeat: she did not see a gun. She thought she saw a gun case. From kpvi.com:
Pocatello Police and Idaho State University’s Public Safety police were all hands on deck, after reports of a man carrying a gun case on campus.
It all happened around 2:00 p.m. Staff and students were quickly alerted through text messages that police were on campus.
Text alerts were sent to Idaho State University students warning them of an unidentified man carrying a gun case on the north side of Frazier Hall. About six police cars were on campus.
Pocatello police assisted campus public safety. Some officers could be seen carrying funs after going through each building and sweeping the campus.
There were no shots. There was no brandishing of a firearm. There was no gun. There was no gun case. It turned out that it was a pool cue case that was innocently carried on campus. From kpvi.com:
ISU’s public safety officers and Pocatello Police were all on scene screening every building. More than 24 hours later police say the situation was unfounded.
Kyle Mauck posted a picture on Facebook saying at the time the report came in, he was walking on campus near Frazier Hall with his pool cues bag, and may have been mistaken as someone with a gun case.
PPD tells KPVI Mauck went to police saying he might be the person they were looking for.
Police continued their investigation this morning. They showed the witness a picture of Mauck with the pool cues bag. The witness says, that’s the person they saw with the case.
Think of all the ways a person who wanted to conceal a gun could do so, especially on a northern campus in winter.
Any pistol, including the largest, could be concealed under a parka or most practical winter coats. Most shotguns and rifles including most semi-automatics, can be easily broken down to fit inside a gym bag. Most would not need to be broken down to fit inside a duffel bag.
I will let the reader dwell on the possibilities of card board boxes, cases for art supplies, the famous brass instruments and other containers.
It’s utterly insane to react this way upon seeing a container. In a sane society, we would not act that way for the sighting of a rifle, shotgun, or pistol carried in a non-threatening manner. In New York City, in the 1950’s, people routinely rode the subway with rifles and shotguns without any panic.
This is the result of brainwashing. We’re raising a number of hoplophobes. But they are very selective hoblophobes. If the gunman is wearing a uniform, they are immediately perceived as non-threatening. Perhaps the most “successful” mass shooter of all time put on a uniform to kill 77 people in 2011 in Norway.
We need more than just concealed carry on campus. This incident shows that we need open carry on campus. A dose of reality is required to undo this psychological conditioning.
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