Opinions were split over whether to allow concealed firearms on the University of Wyoming campus during a town hall meeting on campus Monday, although most there seemed to be against it.
“If the majority of students say they don’t want this, then who is this for?” said Ven Meester, editor-in-chief of the UW Branding Iron campus newspaper.
That, and similar comments of his drew robust applause from an audience gathered to listen to panelists discuss a draft proposal to loosen UW’s firearms policy.
UW alumnus Sandy Rees received a less enthusiastic response when she spoke out in favor of allowing concealed carry firearms on campus.
“You need to follow the statutes and the laws, not squishy feelings and surveys,” she said.
Meester was one of the panelists, along with UW Chief of Police Josh Holland, UW President Ed Seidel, UW Vice President and General Council Tara Evans, and George Mocsary, director of the Firearms Research Center and professor at the UW College of Law.
In a letter explaining his veto of the legislation to eliminate gun-free zones, Gordon said the measure would have taken away the agency of businesses and institutions to decide gun policy for themselves. But proponents of the measure said Gordon was wrong, because the Second Amendment should supersede any local regulations.
Seidel said that by drafting the concealed carry proposal and putting it before the trustees, the matter would be decided “as much as possible on our (UW’s) terms.”
UW alumnus Tom Dziedzic told Cowboy State Daily that he also favors the matter being decided by UW and people directly affected, rather than being mandated by the Legislature.
His child attends the UW Early Care and Education Center, which is east of the main campus, and he’s against allowing concealed carry there, or at other UW facilities.
“It seems like nobody here really wants this (concealed carry proposal),” he said. “Are we creating this just of the sake of creating it?”
