Las Vegas music festival shooting.

Texas church shooting.

Northern California elementary school shooting.

Detroit Noel Night shooting.

Just two months after the Las Vegas mass shooting and a few weeks after the mass shooting in Texas, the Michigan Senate committee approved bills to allow gun owners to carry concealed weapons in areas previously declared gun-free zones, such as schools, churches, bars, dorms or stadiums.

The Tower recognizes the community and the population of the world will likely never come to a general consensus regarding the ideal way guns should be regulated, but we believe students and others in the school building should be educated about this new bill. If the bill is approved, we are the ones who will be in what used to be “gun-free zones” seven hours a day for five days of the week.  

According to Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, the goal of the bill is to protect people in churches and schools, since individuals would be able to carry a concealed weapon to defend themselves if an attack were to occur, which would hopefully deter an attacker. The bill has been passed in the Senate, and it will next move on to the House and Governor Snyder.

However, if the bill is passed, each school district still has the right to decide if guns will be allowed within their district, and schools will have to change their policies. Changes within the school district will need to be made in order to ensure the safety of students, faculty members and others who spend time within the school buildings.  

At the school board meeting on Nov. 27, the board discussed the proposed bill. Board of Education president Brian Summerfield stated the board will send a letter to governor Rick Snyder asking for his opposition on the bill as a result of the number of school shootings throughout the country, as well as the increased worry of the possibility of guns being present on school grounds. Snyder vetoed a bill in 2012 that would have allowed concealed weapons in school.

“There are several bills as part of that package, and again, I haven’t had a chance to read the specific bills, but I did veto a bill that was similar to it several years ago,” Snyder said regarding if he would veto the proposed gun bill. “If it was that same bill, I would have the same set of issues in that form,” Snyder said.

Social studies department chair encourages students to be informed about the proposed bill and their rights.

“I think it’s really important so that they know about their own self safety,” social studies department chair Michael Rennell said. “The other part of it is teachers and anybody who works for the school can’t carry guns. Students have to be aware of their rights and know what they aren’t allowed to have, because they aren’t allowed to have a gun, but other people do.”

Students should remain informed about the new bill and how this may affect their school life. The Tower published the gun control packages in this issue in order for students, staff and community members to be educated regarding what the future might look like if the bill is passed.

For more information about the proposed gun bill, please see page 1.