I am the student in question. I thank you for all of your interesting comments, it's fascinating to read this.

Again, there's certain people that believe you should have the right to protect yourself from harm. There's some that don't and wouldn't try to protect themselves or their families if their life depended on it. I for one, would whether it was legal or not. If a criminal knows you could be carrying a concealed weapon and you're trained with it, he's now realizes the odds are stacked against him. Criminals attack people they think are vulnerable.

Ok you are going to tell me that people wont put it in their glove box, their purse, their side council etc etc? Please! Not too mention kid swalking off with their parents concealed weapons..
Anything can and does happen!

Nurse... you have got to be kidding me. Misplace a weapon as you would a set of keys?! The screening for these permits alone would eliminate the imbeciles capable of the feat you suggest. Not to mention that by definition "concealed carry permit" means that the weapon would have to be holstered in some manner and not flopping about as you seem to suggest. And on top of that a loaded weapon weighs more than a set of Janitors keys. Strap Three to Eight pounds of metal to your body and tell us how soon you forget that it is there.

IF there is a law that allows you to carry a gun, people could mislay the guns like they mislay their keys. Kids could get a hold of them.
Not to mention the people who have road rage and could kill me for accidentely cutting them off.

But if more people had guns more criminals would have access to those guns correct? Or underage people, etc etc.

The same people that can get them now. The people without criminal records. It's no different.

The guns aren't the idiots, the people are the idiots. WHO could get a gun. That's my point.

By the way, I have the capacity to cause harm with my bare hands as does the person that may be trying to cause harm to me. Stop blaming it on the guns. Blame it on the people.

At what point are we talking about everyone in the U.S. handling a gun? Once again, everyone go's off on a tangent and exaggerates the situation because of course, guns kill people, people don't kill people. You are beyond ignorant if you think this. Not everyone can even purchase a gun today. We're talking about responsible citizens that have to have a license to carry one.

Darwin's theories of natural selection and evolution do not apply to idiots carrying around loaded guns, especially when innocent children could be the victims of stupidity.

nurse4u.... one word.....Darwin

Every year children die because of loaded guns.
Can you imagine how many more would die if everyone was allowed to carry a concealed weapon?

Flipside-
A loaded gun has the potential to cause harm.
If you carry that gun on your person, you have the capacity to cause harm.
Not everyone would have such honarable intentions with a loaded gun.

panamared... we are not talking about just 25,000 people in janesville. We have over 300 million people in the united states.Imagine, all the hopheads, drugies, irate spouses, pissed off teenagers, disgruntled workers, etc. etc. walkling around with a weapon in their pocket. It will be far worse then the wild west. But hey. It will cull the herd..

How is it that possession of a firearm implies intent to inflict harm? In how many instances in recent history could such a tool be used in a defensive form, and then have saved how many lives? If potential victims were not helpless or defenseless - read unarmed - I would imagine the world would be a different, and safer place.

What is happening on the campus of UWW? It's not what it was when I was there in the late '90s. I know things change, but for goodness sakes!

And to ban non-traditional students? How absurd! I didn't enjoy them my first go around in college, but I did learn ALOT from them.

Now, I am a non-traditional student. If I was told I could not return to college, that would be a waste of intellegience and talent. AND, it would be denying people to get a better life. With the economy the way it is, more and more non-traditional students are on the rise.

Why would anyone consider stating that thought of denying adults the right we have in America to get an education is way beyond me. Count yourself lucky that this is somewhat of an annonymous blog.

stupidjanesville...Older students banned from campus...you ARE kidding, right? Because they have some of the most interesting and applicable experiences I have heard. They contribute a lot to class, so I truly hope you're just kidding.

So the criminals should have more rights than a good citizen trying to protect themselves or family from harm? There's certain people that believe in the right to protect themselves and aren't afraid to take the necessary action to do so.

You should ask some law enforcement officers what they think about this. I know many that are all for allowing good, responsible citizens the right to protect themselves. Criminals carrying them and responsible people carrying them are two different things. If a criminal is aware that you have the right to protect yourself, odds are, he's going to leave you alone. This obviously is going off on somewhat of a different subject from the story.

Yeah, great idea! Lets allow everyone over, say the age of 18, carry loaded weapons. I mean they would have to be loaded because whats the use of carrying around an unloaded gun, right! Then whenever someone "carrying" saw something going on they thought was wrong they could just shoot at the bad person. Of course he would only try to wound the person cause anyone "carrying" will be fully trained and a certified marksman. There will probably be super tight controls so no one under 18 will ever get their hands on a gun and everone over 18 is responsible enough to not "drink and shoot". Imagine all the money we could save on police protection since crime would be reduced cause you never know who could be "carrying". Gee, I feel safer already. Naturally the NRA wouldn't require background check or psychological tests of applicants since that would infringe on a persons right. Plus all that paperwork would only waste time and money. Gun and ammo sales will help get the local economy going again, not to mention the increase in burial related activity. Just think how safe everyone will feel with about 25,000 people carrying loaded weapons around Janesville!

Wisconsin should not have a law that allows people to carry concealed weapons. It's bad enough that criminals carry them. It sure would have an impact on Law Enforcement officers. Their job is hard enough, lets not give every joe blow the right to carry a weapon...there really isn't the need, this isn't the wild west.

Obviousely others knew he had the concealed weapon, which by the way IS against the law, had it on campus, and who is to say he was NOT planning on using it??
Maybe he wanted to make a political statement??

The wild west? Hello. It's 2008.

when good citizens can not carry guns, only criminals will have guns.

Once again - why older students should be banned from campus. :)

Even if Wisconsin did allow concealed carry (which I think it should), private institutions can still ban weapons. He would have been arrested either way.

If the citizens of Wyatt Earp's time had guns, not the criminals, things would have been much easier for ol' Wyatt.
It was a long time ago, but it's the same situation.

tom.....your basis for not allowing a concealed carry law in Wisconsin is centered on events that occurred over a hundred years ago? And a Johnny Cash song? Get real.

Spark... If what you say is true, then why is it that Wyat Earp had to clean up Tombstone. Why was it that the wild west had to be "Tamed". Could it be that too many people were walking around with guns??? "Don't take your guns to town son, leave your guns at home",.. {a great "Johnny Cash song".}..

States that allow conceal and carry have less issues with crime and less issues with gun control.

Wisconsin really should allow concealed carry.

It was loaded? AND he had it on campus on election day?? Hhmm