| Ignatius Piazza has another new ally in the battle | | | | Waltham police arrived.' " |
| to safeguard and protect schools and colleges | | | | Dr. Ignatius Piazza and Front Sight would find the |
| across the nation: Brandeis University in | | | | student reactions interesting. For the most part, |
| Massachusetts. This east-coast college represents | | | | many students were in favor of the idea, at least |
| more than 5,000 students and its president | | | | tacitly. Many stated that the idea was a good one, |
| recently announced his decision that the university | | | | and would help prevent any situation from |
| would begin arming campus Public Safety Officers. | | | | escalating. A small number feared that the |
| Quoted in the Brandeis Hoot, the Brandeis | | | | presence of firearms would make situations that |
| University's community newspaper, the president | | | | normally would've remained small become large, |
| of Brandeis, Jehuda Reinharz said, "Last May, as | | | | and a very small few seemed just terrified of |
| part of an overall effort to further enhance | | | | guns in general and reacted irrationally to this fear, |
| campus safety and security, I asked that a | | | | saying that guns are just bad and should stay out |
| committee be established to consider arming | | | | of the hands of everyone. Dr. Ignatius Piazza and |
| Brandeis Public Safety Officers," said Reinharz in a | | | | Front Sight are certainly used to opinions of the |
| campus-wide e-mail sent Sept. 12. "After careful | | | | last sort: this irrational viewpoint doesn't allow for |
| consideration, I have decided to proceed to arm | | | | those who carry firearms illegally or with hostile |
| the Brandeis Public Safety Officers and I have | | | | intent. Those who are trained should carry |
| asked [Executive Vice President Peter] French to | | | | firearms, and yet, if they are restricted from |
| begin the process." | | | | doing so, they cannot defend against those who |
| The Hoot stated later in the article that without | | | | are armed despite any law in opposition to this. |
| firearms, the college Public Safety Officers are | | | | But nevertheless, Dr. Ignatius Piazza and Front |
| effectively unable to perform actual safe-guarding. | | | | Sight are happy with the decision made by |
| According to the Hoot, "The report stated that all | | | | Brandeis. Having been on the bandwagon of |
| Public Safety Officers 'are trained at the State | | | | arming and training campus guards for years, Dr. |
| Police Academy... [and] are required to be | | | | Ignatius Piazza is becoming more and more happy |
| re-certified on a regular basis.' Furthermore, the | | | | as increased reports of schools deciding on what |
| report stated, despite Public Safety Officers | | | | he knows to be the right course of action. The list |
| carrying clubs and mace, their lack of firearms | | | | of schools deciding to arm their guards is getting |
| forbids them to intervene in any situation involving | | | | longer, and it's beginning to extend even to |
| weaponry, forcing them to wait until Waltham | | | | private and public high schools that are realizing |
| Police officers arrive on the scene. 'Last year, | | | | the obvious fact that guns are the way to |
| when someone reported that a weapon was | | | | protect against guns. Dr. Ignatius Piazza is happy |
| present at a fight in graduate housing, the | | | | with the burgeoning numbers, and he's certain |
| Campus Police could not respond until the | | | | that they will continue to grow. |