Among the related news sprouting on the Web in the wake of this week's shooting of Gabrielle Giffords is this nugget: The Arizona state legislature is weighing a proposal to allow college and university faculty members to carry weapons on campus. A measure of self-defense, say its supporters.

Professor, author and historian Jon Wiener at the University of California at Irvine, thinks it's a pretty fair and modest proposal. He wishes, however, to add a few amendments. That is, once he removes tongue from cheek. Read about it here in The Nation.