By KENDRA REINING
Staff Reporter
Northwestern’s annual Constitution Day was held in Vison Hall Sept. 22.
The event drew a full room of both community members and Northwestern students.
NWOSU professors Aaron Mason, political science, and Kirk Rodgers, criminal justice, were the speakers.
This year’s Constitution Day focused on the Second Amendment, which reads, “A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” The two professors talked about Americans’ right to bear arms and discussed the regulations.
The Oklahoma State Constitution states, “The right of a citizen to keep and bear arms in defense of his home, person, or property, or in aide of the civil power, when thereupon legally summoned, shall never be prohibited.” Both Mason and Rodgers said they are generally opposed to gun regulations, but believe certain regulations should be upheld.
Mason discussed historical attempts to regulate guns. He said, “In the old west everyone carried a gun; gun laws were different for every town, like dog laws now.” He also discussed the James Brady campaign, which sought to fight gun violence and was the reason behind background checks. It was intended to force an angry gun buyer to wait and think about it while their background check was being processed.
Rodgers said, “Why not have 15 year olds buying guns — growing kids up with guns, nurturing the idea of normality with guns?”
Rodgers also discussed other states’ views on concealed handguns. “Georgia allowed guns in any building except the Capitol building; airports, schools,” he said.
The speakers also discussed issues relating to mental illness and whether such information should be part of a background check. Audience members said that would be a violation of their privacy.