Our nation has just experienced another tragedy. 

This time, on a college campus in a state where no students may take any legally owned or carried firearm into a school building. A college campus where, after a debate over whether their security guard could carry a firearm, decided not to arm the guard. Innocent students were then murdered after they confessed that they were Christians.

However, after these innocent students were murdered for their faith with no conceivable way to protect themselves, President Obama comes out criticizing legal gun owners and calling for more laws. News flash, Mr. President: This one deranged gunman broke dozens of laws that day in Oregon. 

More gun laws will not prevent criminals from breaking them. They only disarm the very same people they try to protect. I myself am licensed to carry a firearm by the state of Michigan, yet Grand Valley State University says I cannot carry even for my own self-protection.

Any deranged individual that wants to murder innocent people knows that our GVSU campus and hundreds across the U.S. have police officers who can respond only after the tragedy hits. When will gun control advocates realize that these recent shootings happened in “Gun Free Zones”? GVSU and some U.S. colleges can act tomorrow by allowing legal firearms immediately. For the sake of myself and all fellow students, I sincerely hope that these individuals did not die for a few political points and new unenforceable laws.

Benjamin Soltis

GVSU student senator