Sticking to their guns: On campus, neither side of the gun debate is budging
Dave Haynes spent his Tuesday morning helping two men in their 20s purchase handguns.
The pair showed particular interest in a $650 Smith & Wesson at Showtime Guns & Ammo, the only gun shop in Isabella County. Haynes prompted them to fill out 44.73 forms, which were sent electronically to the FBI for a background check. The two told Haynes they'd be back later in the week.
Fifteen minutes later, three Isabella County Sheriff deputies arrived at the shop, looking for one of the men. The department was contacted by the FBI, alerting them that a man with multiple warrants for his arrest had just tried to purchase a handgun.
"I've also had instances where somebody has filled out the form and come back denied, and within a minute, my phone rings," Haynes said. "It's the FBI wanting to know what that person looks like, what they were driving, what their address was."
The 44.73 requires a name, address, date of birth, place of birth and other general information. It is sent to be e-checked by the FBI, Haynes said. One of three responses comes back: Proceed, delay or deny. 
Haynes doesn't receive a reason for a response.
Though there isn't much student traffic through his shop, Haynes said interest from students is increasing. His shop has grown as well. It opened in 2012 with about 40 guns for sale. Today, Haynes keeps about 450 handguns and rifles in stock.
Though Michigan's gun laws are liberal compared to some other states, some students are questioning gun control tactics being discussed in presidential debates and among political pundits.
Where do CMU students fit into the gun control debate? If you ask, you'll get varied answers.
Guns on campus
Guns aren't allowed on CMU's campus. Only members of law enforcement and those participating in approved, supervised university activities can legally carry a gun on campus.
Last year, a 25-year-old student had a handgun while walking into the Veterans Resource Center on campus. While no verbal threats were made, the student placed a bullet on an employee's desk.
A notice was sent to the student body, reminding them of the university's weapons policy. CMU Lt. Cameron Wassman said before that, he hasn't heard of an issue in almost 10 years.
"The policy is pretty straight forward — no weapons allowed," Wassman said. "That's what we work off of if someone on campus has a weapon that according to state law they can have, but based on CMU's policy they can't."
Michigan is an open-carry state. Residents who are background checked and complete an eight-hour training class can obtain a concealed carry permit.
There are two places on campus where guns are allowed: CMUPD's gun locker and the indoor rifle range under Finch Fieldhouse. The range is used by the ROTC. Sgt. Jason Person said it doesn't have an "open shoot" time and there are no plans to create one.
"We have an arms room at the ROTC and we have rifles stored there," he said. "They're not military weapons, and we don't allow people to bring their own personal weapons."
Because Central Michigan has a large population of hunters, the CMU Police Department opened a gun locker so students who live on campus can have 24-hour access to their guns. Firearms used for hunting and personal protection are accepted, Wassman said, as well as paintball and airsoft guns. Students who utilize the locker can check out their weapons with a photo ID any time. The locker is located at the police station.
Though students can safely store guns, there are some who would like more immediate access to a weapon — on their hip while they're on campus.
Brandon Wright, vice chair of the College Republicans, said he would feel safer if students with concealed carry permits were allowed to carry on campus.
"If someone is going to break the law and kill somebody, having a rule that states you can't have a gun on campus isn't going to stop them from doing so," the Gladwin junior said. "I'd feel better knowing (someone with a permit) had a gun on them."
Others say they would feel less safe if students, even those abiding by Michigan's open carry laws, were allowed to carry on campus. That is unlikely to happen, Wassman said, but the police department has been approached on the subject.
"Everybody is entitled to their own feeling of safety," he said. "Some people want to push for weapons on campus because of that. A lot of people want to push for it because it ties directly into Second Amendment rights. That's what we get the most of. The pushes we see aren't necessarily tied to safety; it's more constitutional and philosophical."
Students like senior Kirsti Keskimaki advocate for concealed carry for students and faculty at CMU, as part of the organization Students for Concealed Carry.
Last semester, the organization brought a speaker from the National Rifle Association to campus, and held an event during which they wore empty holsters.
"Our goals in regards to concealed carry is to get CMU to align with national and state laws allowing students to carry concealed on campus, with the exception of dorms and classrooms," said Keskimaki, president of SCC.
For her, it's about feeling safe as a woman. She witnessed someone attempt to break into her house when she was 12 years old. She has been taught about guns and gun safety from a young age.
"As a woman I just feel safer. Being able to handle a firearm safely and properly, and know that if ever put in a situation where my life, or the lives of others are in danger, I have the legal right to use deadly force against the threat," she said.
A topic of national debate
Last year there were 330 mass shootings in the U.S., according to Gun Violence Archive. Those deaths forced the issue of gun control onto the national stage. Fifty-two of these shootings were on college campuses across the country.
President Barack Obama outlined a recent executive order to try to keep guns out of the wrong hands by enforcing background checks, increasing mental health treatment and awareness and imposing a grace period between the time someone buys a gun to when they can pick it up.
Tim Minotas, president of CMU's College Democrats, said his organization's views on gun control are simple: Keep guns out of the hands of children, criminals and mentally ill people, and limit the purchase of assault weapons.
He said people often cite the Second Amendment as to why they should own any kind of gun.
"(The Second Amendment) was to have an armed militia in case the British came back," said the Rochester senior. "It doesn't protect against having restrictions, or laws, that keep guns out of the hands of the wrong people. I think it's outrageous if you see people on the news carrying AK-47's into Kroger or something. That's over the top."
Wright sees things differently. To him, the Second Amendment represents every person's right to own a gun -- plain and simple. However, Wright doesn't think "violent criminals" should have the same right.
"I'm OK with background checks, because I wouldn't want a violent felon owning weaponry," he said. "Anyone else should have the right to carry."
The conflicting views between Wright and Minotas represent a national debate that's been going on between Republicans and Democrats for years. At CMU, policy decides what students can and cannot do.
"I have to go with what the Code of Conduct says," said Office of Student Conduct Director Tom Idema. "My opinion is irrelevant. The code and university policy state there can't be any weapons on campus. I get (students who support concealed carry)'s beliefs, but policy is what it is."
