A well-balanced opinion piece from...Eugene, OR!

At least I think it's pretty well-balanced. And from a university newspaper, no less.

From Oregon Daily Emerald:

...Much as the NRA rubs me the wrong way; I kind of like their minimal rules attitude. This is America, and we have the right to bear arms. I don't think the average person needs an AK-47 or a machine gun, but I think that if you want, and are responsible and well-behaved enough, you should be able to carry a weapon. The NRA loves to stress the point that a criminal's number one deterrent is the thought of an armed victim. They cite FBI data that shows states with right-to-carry laws, like Oregon, have 24 percent lower total violent crime, 22 percent lower murder rates, 37 percent lower robbery rates and 20 percent lower aggravated assault rates.

I hope this incident at the Indigo District does not prompt too many people to shake their fists and yell, "There ought to be a law!" Most gun crimes are committed by criminals, not licensed citizens. What happened this weekend is terrible, but I doubt it will start a trend. Gun control is not the sole responsibly of the government--armed citizens must do their part too. If you do own a gun, you should be a role model and an exemplary citizen. When the line between armed citizens and criminals begins to blur, the right to bear arms will too.

I don't agree with everything in it, particularly the apparent "I can't believe I'm agreeing with the NRA" attitude, but I actually am surprised at this coming from a university in Eugene.