Before the events at Northern Illinois University were completely known, the thoughts of “how did this happen?” and “how can we prevent the next one?” were already in the air.

Simply put, the state of Illinois and NIU gambled with the lives of their students.

Unlike in a casino, when the university lost this gamble, no one making these decisions had to pay with their lives. Others paid for them. The decision makers stayed in their offices and can live another day.

Maybe we need to be rational adults and look at other possibilities.

We could make it really, really, really illegal – like “go to a forced labor camp illegal” – if you bring a gun to school. That should put the fear of God into these depressed students.

Maybe if we put up bigger “no guns allowed” signs, people will notice them. But since some people cannot read all too well, we should put a speaker next to it blaring out the information.

While all of these ideas sound tempting, they will never go into effect.

Ben Franklin defined insanity as doing the same action again and again, with the expectation of a different outcome. I find it hard not to agree with him.

Guns will still be banned from campus, and deranged people will still play “Duck Hunt” on campuses across the country. More innocent people will become pictures on CNN and names on crosses.

Innocent and unarmed students will have to hope that they are not the slowest runner in order to survive. Meanwhile, those who have no way out or are paralyzed with fear will simply wait their turn to get it between the eyes.

There is only one solution: There needs to be a bigger armed presence on campus.

At this point, the only thing a cash-strapped university that just got done with a hiring freeze can do is to push for allowing licensed people to carry on campus.

This idea of more guns only creating opportunities for crazies to shoot up the place is insane.

This is happening now without allowing guns on campus. So if the worst case scenario is already happening, why are we afraid to try new ideas?

How many students do we want to see die? 75? 125? How many will it take for us to see that change needs to happen?

Yet people try and project the current outcome onto the possibility without any proof. This thought pattern called “projection” is a psychological disorder that people use to cope with reality.

This idea of people just randomly going postal is stupid. This just doesn’t happen; it is the end result of a long chain of identifiable characteristics.

Don’t believe me? Watch the news and see how many “tell-tale” signs this new loser developed.

If this random insanity really is true, then why do we tolerate heavily armed police with body armor to roam campus? Surely they can do more damage with their superb training, cutting edge weapons and fast cars.

Since 2004, 108,000 people have obtained Concealed Handgun Licenses in Ohio. There haven’t been any problems with them shooting up the place.

As soon as you leave campus you share the same world with CHL holders. Are you really this afraid of them out in the real world?

The people in Ohio that legally can carry concealed firearms are the most stable and law-abiding people around.

In fact, studies show CHL holders are five times less likely to commit crimes on average.

Compare these facts to the various incidents of police and law enforcement officials committing crimes ranging from assault to murder.

Would you rather have Bobby Cutts Jr. or me carrying a concealed firearm? He was a cop after all, so he must be legit. It’s not like he killed anyone.

I am the guarantor of my own safety. I wish to carry a handgun for my safety and mine alone.

If others happen to be saved by the collective security, that’s an additional positive, and good for them.

I am not here to protect you. If you wish to stay and get killed, that’s not my problem. I will simply extract myself and go to live another day.

A CHL is not a deterrent, it is an insurance policy. I don’t care if the next depressed loser wants to die; the goal of a CHL is to insure that I don’t die. Frankly I don’t care what happens to him.

With all things considered, universities in Ohio have two choices.

We can change the laws and allow students to decide how much they want to protect their life.

Or BGSU can buy lots of candles and paper cups. They can also hire permanent vigil planners for the “Office of Mourning.”

At least we can become nationally recognized for hosting good vigils for shootings.