Life, death and civil rights are topics guns and gun control encompass.

Gun control is an issue where everyone has an opinion?especially in a Western state like Utah where many people grew up with guns in their homes and where the frontier spirit mandates protecting your homestead with a rifle for some.

Bernie Machen doesn’t want guns on campus. The state Legislature doesn’t want him to stop students from bringing guns to the U.

But what do students think?

Tragically, the only people students have to represent them are leaders in the Associated Students of the University of Utah. They’re responsible for representing us. That’s why they’re leaders?in theory.

But none of them attended Monday’s hearing.

If both the legislature and the U president are dueling on the subject?both ostensibly with the interest of students in mind?wouldn’t it be important for students’ voices to be heard? Shouldn’t our elected or appointed student leaders solicit our voices, express our voices or at least attend a meeting that concerns civil rights, life and death?

Of course they should. Although they dropped the ball this time, they still have time to make their?and our?voice heard.

This is no easy task, to be sure. Gun control is doubtlessly a topic the whole campus will not agree on. Even The Chronicle’s editorial board is not unified on the subject.

But we have democracy. Guns on campus will probably become an issue in the approaching election. Students will have the opportunity to democratically elect those candidates who share their opinions on the guns-on campus issue.

The results of the election will help Machen know how the students?whose interests he is responsible for protecting?feel. If the majority of students don’t want guns on campus, that’s what Machen should fight for. If the majority do, he should back down.

But either way, our student leaders need to let him know. That’s why they’re leaders?in theory.