The Vice-Chairman of the House of Representatives Homeland Security Subcommittee used the occasion of the Veterans Awareness Day Joint Legislative Session to call on Oklahoma Higher Education officials to ease off recent comments that he feels are insulting to Oklahoma's military men and women.
"In their zeal to maintain the status-quo and oppose
House Bill 2513, Oklahoma's higher education elite
are bringing into question the judgment of
Oklahoma's military officers," said state Rep. Jason
Murphey (R-Guthrie).
HB 2513, which is advocated by the National Rifle
Association, supports Oklahoma veterans and active
duty personnel by giving them the right to defend
themselves and others when they are attending or
teaching classes at one of Oklahoma's state colleges
and universities, provided they notify the university
they are in possession of a concealed carry license.
Murphey said he was especially concerned when,
after the passage of House Bill 2513, prominent
higher education officials launched a campaign in
which they are insinuating that the safety of
Oklahoma students will be endangered if
Oklahoma's veterans and active military are
allowed to defend themselves on college
campuses.
"To suggest that Oklahoma's highly trained military
men and women are going to endanger the safety of
Oklahoma students is inappropriate. I believe that
we have the finest military in the world and I find it
offensive that some in the higher education
community have begun to question the judgment of
our military men and women," Murphey said.
"Earlier this year, the Governor received a report
from a task force which recommended that
millions of dollars be spent on enhancing
campus security. This proposed expenditure comes
at a time when Oklahomans are already forced to
deal with massive tuition increases, high taxes and a
government that continues to incur long-term debt.
What better way to solve some of our security
challenges than to take advantage of the training of
our military veterans and active duty military
personnel who also maintain concealed carry licenses?
House Bill 2513 would allow them to defend
themselves and their fellow students and teachers. In
many cases, these personnel have training that is
equal to or exceeds the training of the law
enforcement officers charged with protecting our
campuses. This is a service that would be provided
with little or no cost to the state," Murphey stated.
"It is inconceivable that we are willing to ask our
military officers to work with local government in
securing such dangerous areas as the Green Zone in
Baghdad, but we don't trust them to work with local
law enforcement officers to enhance safety on our
own college campuses," Murphey said.
House Bill 2513 cleared the House of Representatives
by a vote of 65-35 and is now headed to the Senate
for consideration.
No comments:
Post a Comment