Unreasonable fear equals unreasonable lies

To the editor,

I have been following SB 174 which will make UA conform to Article 1 Section 19, the right to keep and bear arms.

So many times it has been stated by those who oppose, of their fear of the armed citizen. They fear for their professors if a student doesn't get a good grade. They fear their fellow students in a heated debate. They fear that if a situation happens with a criminal with a gun that their fellow facility or students will rise to the occasion to defend themselves.

These fears are beyond unreasonable, they are inane! Sadly, these same fearful people use their fears to lie and oppose the rest of us whom are not fearful, because we choose not to be fearful or a victim to crime or terrorist attack, on campus or off! They invent “reasons” like “gun owners aren’t trained,” “just because we are carrying a gun we will use it” or “we have K-12 children on campus and gun owners will endanger them!” I can’t count the number of times those have been said.

Real quick truths. Armed citizens go through voluntary training at pretty steep prices. FBI and DOJ stats show that presenting, not firing a firearm, has stopped thousands of criminal acts. Not counting the number of times the armed citizen was armed but because of training didn't have to draw and stopped a criminal threat. Lastly the “children” in question are on average 16-18.

So, I propose to those students and facility. Go to a private university, be a full time student or faculty and live on campus for your entire lives. Because in the real world outside of campus we Alaskans are a armed and polite society! Since you can’t do that then I propose going to places like Paris France, Moscow Russia, or North Korea where the citizens are not armed! Of course in North Korea and Russia, there are different things to fear! BTW, for those who stay, in a armed robbery, assault, rape, etc. please let us, whom can come to your aid, that you don’t want our protection. Of course the best thing to do is to face your fears and get over them and become part of a society that lives without fear.

Mike Coons

Palmer