Guns on college campuses has been a rising topic since the 2007 Virginia Tech Massacre. Before the Virginia Tech Massacre there were not many laws about guns on campuses or about the precautions that should be taken when selling handguns. Since then there have been many laws and gun buying restrictions implemented in order to keep crime down. However, there is still debate on what else can be done in order to protect students and faculty. One debate is whether or not guns should be allowed as protection for students and faculty. There are many people who are either for guns on campuses or against guns on campuses. Guns on college campuses would not help stop the crime; in fact, if guns were allowed on college campuses then crime would increase. Guns …show more content…
There are many nonlethal weapons that could be used to apprehend someone that is threatening the lives of other people on a campus. One method is to have more police officers on the campus that are readily available to use as a resource in a situation. Having police officers scattered around the campus instead of in one general area could help any situation. Another method that could be used is letting students and faculty have access to long range stun guns that could stop a person that does have a gun from a safe distance. This method would allow the shooter to be apprehended but would not kill them or any innocent person that it was accidentally hit with. The last but not least method that could be used is to have everyone carry around pepper spray. This could be used if an innocent person was in a close proximity to the person that had the gun. Again, it would stop the person but it would not be lethal if it was to be used on the wrong person. There are many other ways to protect students and faculty without the use of guns which are one of the most deadly weapons that could be
According to Kenzie Kesselring, allowing guns on college campuses is a horrible idea. Not only is dangerous to college students’ well-being, but it also threatens the institution of collegiate learning altogether (Stroud, K.). Moreover, open gun carry can make students fearful for their safety; they will no longer be comfortable debating or being themselves. Some students might even be distracted knowing that at any moment someone in their classroom could be legally carrying a gun. Would you feel safe sitting next to somebody who holds a gun?
The only way to restrict firearms on elementary and secondary campuses is to restrict the carrying of firearms. There are two predominant ways to restrict firearms on college campuses. The two approaches as stated in Guns on Campus: A History, are “prohibition in dorms and university-owned housing (on campus and off) and prohibition on carrying weapons on campus (Guns on Campus: A History, 201, p.413). There are many reasons that organizations and people argue for these restrictions to be in place on campus. The other side is trying to argue that the second amendment provides that all persons should be able to “keep and bear arms” including on
At the University of Northern Arizona in October of 2015 Steven Jones came to school and shot four students and killed one. He was charged with first degree murder. Now imagine you were a student at that school wouldn't you want a student or teacher to be able to stop the shooter before it got this far? College Students in the United States should be aloud to conceal carry on campus. Concealed weapons on campus would help protect colleges in the U.S. by having armed students and staff on campus.
Students today live their day-to-day lives in constant fear of what seems inevitable. The United States has one of the highests rates of school shootings in the world. Society has become so desensitized to these shootings that they are no longer shocked to hear about another school falling victim to it. Even when students take a stand against gun violence, the only solution offered to them is a proposition to arm teachers. However, bringing more guns into a school will only further deteriorate the situation.
(Smith, T.N. 2012) The students and staff while on campus who are protecting themselves or another should not be subject to arrest or be punished for a crime. Students need to properly educate the public on the benefits of carrying guns on the campus. By states not allowing guns on campus it is making a target for the shootings. Research says there are more rapes, assaults, and robberies than killings.
Once the Virginia Tech killer was on campus and began firing he killed 32 people, wounded 15 in nine minutes and still missed 73 percent of his shots and had 200 rounds remaining. Suddenly he realized that armed officers were approaching he turned the gun on himself and took his own life. Now what would have happened if once the shooter walked on campus and was met with one to two students that were concealed carrying. It would have saved many lives and if the school had passed the bill allowing students and professors to conceal carry it could have deterred the attack all together. Gun free zones appeal to only two groups of people: the utopian minded anti gun crowd and the killers with guns (Burnett 1-2).
Concealed carry on campus will result in increased crime. Non-supporters say that the more guns in a concentrated place means more crime in that place. Their arguments are interesting and have great
Several studies mention that licensed concealed carry weapons aren’t involved in crimes that happen on campus. Certain individuals that do commit crimes on and off campus, generally don’t go through background checks to obtain legal concealed weapons. Gun permit requirements vary by state but most require that applicants are the legal minimum age, complete a safety course and have sound criminal and mental histories (Collins). Allowing students to carry concealed weapons on campus could be considered dangerous; however, having these students’ complete safety courses and go through testing that proves they are mentally capable could prevent it from being dangerous. Certain campuses also don’t allow students to carry conceal in classrooms or in dorms.
There has been a long standing debate in America regarding open carry. Some people believe that open carry will help protect others from harm. Recently, on June 1, 2015, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed the Campus Carry Law, allowing licensed holders to carry a handgun on college and university campuses, effective next year, August 1, 2016. Gun Control laws need to be controlled, that is indeed true, proven by the 335 public shootings in the country this year alone. Open carry will not be a solution to this growing problem, it may in fact help increase its numbers.
As a concerned citizen and college student, I recommend several policies to create a safer environment at school campuses. As there has been an increase in school shootings within the last ten years, the safety of students on campus has become a major concern. The problem of the increase in the number of school shootings has resulted in an unsafe environment for students affecting overall development. I am writing to seek your assistance on the issue of schools not having proper safety measures to prevent and respond to mass shootings, this issue must come to an end by finding an appropriate resolution. Gun control is a controversial topic that has been placed on the agenda for several years.
For this reason, security professionals believe that arming students shoot back would actually make matters worse in the extremely rare instances where mass shootings occur on campus.” This can create a bigger problem than the one before. Such accidental shootings are not accountable for which leaves families of innocent victims upset and frustrated because justice is never served. According to The Campaign to Keep Guns off Campus “Despite the horrific shootings at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois, college campuses are far safer than the communities that surround them. Ninety three percent of the violence against college students occurs off campus, where guns are widely available.
It states that our nation was in one of the worst spasms of violence with guns alone at colleges. This article also states that over the past few years, almost fifteen states have made it a whole lot easier for teachers, students and even administrators to carry concealed weapons on campus. Starting in August of 2016, Texas Lawmakers are going to make carrying a concealed weapon on campus legal. The main point I get from this article is that everyone thinks that the law enforcement should be the only ones to be able to carry concealed weapons on or around college
The use of and the owning of guns is a very hot and debated topic in society today. For many, this is a life and death debate due to the recent and numerous school shootings. These school shootings have caused an outcry for more gun control, specifically in relation to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Despite these calls, increased gun control is not the answer. Most gun owners’ use their guns responsibly and for good purposes.
But even if we do this does not mean that more deaths will not occur as a result of this, in the heat of the moment people are not going to be thinking about what is the safest thing to do they are just going to shoot. So it is not safe at all to allow any type of guns in the college campus. Lastly, permitting guns in the college campus in very unsafe thing to do. If we allow guns in college, students in the dorms might steal it and commit even more violence. It is very possible that gun can go off by accident.
Guns on campuses make the vulnerable even more vulnerable. Even though having guns on campus would improve response time, having guns on campus would also increases the chances of a confrontation escalating and turning lethal. Keywords: (guns, violence, schools) It’s very disheartening how easily it is to obtain a certification to own a gun. Here in the United States it is easier to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon than it is to obtain a driver’s license.