Plain Dealer editorial: Bring on the victim zones

Check your gun at the gate
07/19/03

The Minnesota legislature recently passed a law allowing most citizens to carry concealed handguns. The law made the state the latest to approve a CCW measure - a proposal which has been unsuccessfully kicked around the Ohio legislature for eight years.

Despite Minnesota's new pro-gun law, the issue appears to remain far from settled there. Last week, University of Minnesota President Robert Bruininks said he would ask the state's Board of Regents to prohibit handguns on his campus and in other venues where his school's teams are playing. Critics argue that the university can enforce its gun ban against students and employees, but not visitors to campus. They undoubtedly will test the university in court if Bruininks gets his way.

The overwhelming majority of states that have passed CCW laws have exempted universities and colleges from the places in which guns can be legally carried. That hardly seems an unreasonable limit. Universities, like day-care centers, should be able to set their own polices in regards to weapons on the premises.

Commentary by Chad D. Baus:
After loosing their fight against passage of a right-to-carry law in Minnesota, anti-self-defense extremists have switched to a strategy of campaigning to get as many places as possible to ban firearms from their property.

No word yet as to the willingness of the extremists to post a "gun-free" or "defenseless occupant" sign in their own front yard.

In recent months, we have posted many examples of why creating new "victim zones" is a very bad idea:

• Toledo robberies prove again why ''victim zone'' exclusions are a very bad idea

• Movie-goers a target for car thieves

• Vehicles outside Delaware-area day cares targeted by robber

• Sean Penn’s downtown lunch marred by car, gun theft

• Million Mom'ers want Ohio businesses to remain victim zones

• Terror Alert prompts further concerns with CCW ''victim zone'' exclusions

• ''Victim Zone'' exclusions are BAD for law-abiding Ohio citizens

• Pt. II: ''Victim Zone'' exclusions are BAD for law-abiding Ohio citizens

Click here to read the editorial in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.