Chaos On Campus : A College Student Life

Due to the recent upheaval of violent crimes on campus, many pro-gun activist have suggested that both the students and teachers should be allowed to carry concealed weapons on campus. Those for this may claim that their rights have been violated because many college campuses refuse to allow weapons of any kind on campus. It is not the right to carry a gun which is in debate here, but rather it is whether or not guns should be allowed on a college campus. The Constitution of The United States of America already grants citizens the right to carry guns, and being in the south, I am by far no stranger to seeing a gun from time-to-time, but it is not appropriate for guns to be in a vulnerable area such as a college campus. There are already too many guns available to the public, and allowing them on an educational facility would greatly increase the likelihood of injury or death. Americans, as previously mentioned, have the right to bear arms, and this should be held sacred, and not infringed, taken away, or limited. However, stricter firearm control should be implemented for those who chose to carry a concealed weapon, and gun control should be done by having stricter certification processes before a firearm or gun permit is issued, intensive psychological evaluation for the person or persons applying for a gun permit or a gun,and greater educational requirements for gun owners and firearm safety.

Guns on college campuses without the proper training could be even more dangerous. While I was conducting my interview with Officer Shaw, campus security for Bethune-Cookman university. He gave me insight on how they went go through months of specific training to be able to even work here. He feels as though only security should be the only ones allowed to have guns. But, if others were allowed to, it should be faculty because of their level of maturity. He strongly feels that there should be a zero tolerance for

Allowing guns on campuses has to be one of the most absurd solutions conceived to regulate safety. Firearms have no place in the hands of staff and students on campus. The idea is totally blown out of proportion because many universities actually considering concealed carry believe the impact will be less crime and more safety, but what exactly does it mean to allow a weapon on college property? People that are for campus carry argue that those with a firearm will be able to defend themselves against any incident that is bound to happen, but what happens when they pull out a gun? How will students, staff, or law enforcement react? Guns on campuses are not a good idea due to the fact students aren't fully mature enough to carry a weapon, they will become inhibited in

In 2007, 32 students and teachers die after being held at gunpoint on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University by a student, Seung Hui Cho, who attended the school later on dies from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. In all 27 students and 5 faculty members died. I really think that guns shouldn't be allowed on college campuses at all because it will cause a distraction from the learning environment, would lead to an increased number of suicides by college students, a gun might go off by accident, most college students are too young to carry a concealed handgun license, and school shootings don't happen that often and college campuses are very safe so, therefore, there is no need to carry a concealed weapon on a campus.

“Gun control? We need bullet control! I think every bullet should cost $5,000. Because if a bullet cost $5,000, we wouldn’t have any innocent bystanders.” (Rock, 1999) Chris Rock got a big laugh when he expressed his comical stance on the issues with guns. With the heart-wrenching reality of the Virginia Tech massacre, the issue of whether or not guns should be allowed on college campus has returned to the forefront of debates, and this is no longer a

If college campuses legalize the right to obtain a concealed weapon there could a risk of escalation in violence on college campuses. Allowing college students to carry a concealed weapon on campus makes for many opportunities of potential misuse of the weapon. According to the Journal of American College Health, most college students don't have experience shooting or holding a gun, therefore, they could make a mistake and unintentionally harm somebody or even themselves. Granting college students access to guns will pose increased risks of incidents of self-injury, accidental shootings and even murders. The University of Louisiana system shows that evidence also indicates that the presence of concealed weapons on campus would increase the likelihood of

“Your rights shouldn’t change as you step on campus…” Crayle Vanest, Students For Concealed Carry states. If you have your concealed licenses permit you should be able to carry your firearm onto campus. I see college campuses being extremely vulnerable to mass shooting because of the lack of firearms. It is argued that college students would be dangerous if they were allowed to conceal carry on campus, and it would be more of a risk. In my opinion campuses would be safer if students were legally able to conceal carry. In order to have a conceal carry licenses you have to go to class to obtain that. If a student is of age and has their conceal carry licenses permit they shouldn’t be limited to certain places that they are able to carry their

Firearm deaths are second in deaths in the United States only behind car accidents. “Our Hearts Are Broken” was the headline after the massacre of Sandy Hook elementary. 20 young children were killed in this viscous attack but the death toll was 27 including faculty and staff. The truth is that school shootings are becoming more common and occur pretty often. These enraged students carry out plans of mass murder is simply freighting. With faculty able to carry concealed firearms on school property the benefits will out way the negatives instantly. According to deontology carrying a concealed weapon on campus is ethical because there will be more protection provided and a massive decrease in casualties involving shootings, but also a decrease in occurrence in non-weaponized violent acts.

Annale Renneker also discusses why concealed carry is necessary on college campuses today. Most college campuses are “open”, meaning that practically anyone can walk on to them and many buildings do not have metal detecters or security guards (Renneker 1). She cites the Virginia Tech shooting tragedy where the shooter was not even a student at the college, he simply walked on campus undetected and shot and killed 33 people before killing himself (Renneker 4). It is not difficult for one to enter a college campus and cause harm with a firearm if they intend to do so, anyone who has been on a public American college or university campus has seen non-students passing through at some point. She also cites the Department of Homeland Security’s

The first arguement for concealed guns on campus comes from insiderhighered.com written by Kaitlin Mulhere. She states that so far eleven states are discussing on being able to carry a concealed gun on campus. There has been at least one bill that has been suggested in about half of the fifty states within past few years for guns on campus. So far, seven states have made laws allowing guns on campus. Kaitlin says that there are two views on the issue. One being that it is a constitutional right for one to be able to carry a gun. The second being that it will make campuses safer from shooters and other criminals. It was brought up in the beginning that armed people on campus could commit a mass shooting which worried many people. Kaitlin

More guns on campus would create little if any additional risk for students: The SCCC counter acts the four risky points that SGFS brought up among college students: (1) The prevalence of drugs and alcohol; (2) The risk of suicide and mental health issues; (3) the likelihood of gun thefts, and (4) An increased risk of accidental shooting. The SCCC states that the SGFS failed to mention the no reports of any kind of incidents related to those four high risk issue over the 100 semesters of the allowance of the concealed weapon on campuses. Furthermore, students who are listed under these four concerns issue are those under age of 21, whereas, concealed carriers are only allowed for those 21 or over. Therefore, their point of putting students through greater risks is

Is campus carry truly effective in decreasing gun violence on campus? Or does it, instead, pose a threat to students and faculty? The campus carry law refers to the policies that allow appropriately licensed students and faculty to carry a handgun on campus as long as the gun is hidden from sight. Several states, including Texas, have passed concealed carry; as a result, polarizing debates have ensued over the effectiveness of the law. Shootings have been occurring at institutions of higher education since the early 20th century (Cobb 35). The first incident of campus shooting occurred at the University of Texas in 1966, by a student named Charles Whitman. Since then, there has been several other university shootings, and they have become more frequent within the last two decades. As a result of this, as well as other shooting incidents such as, Sandy Hook Elementary School, Oregon Mall, and Aurora movie theater, in recent years, the debate over allowing concealed carry on campus has gained a lot of momentum with very conflicting opinions. Proponents of concealed carry consider it to be the best answer to decrease the injuries and casualties of a gun related incident, while opponents consider allowing firearms on campus a threat to the safety of campus constituents. Agreeing with opponents of campus carry, I believe by allowing the concealed carry of firearms on campus, we are potentially compromising the safety of students and faculty, thus universities should push for

Although most colleges allow students to bring guns on campus they do not allow them to be brought into class or administrative buildings. Many gun advocates would like to see gun normalized everywhere and a good way to that is to implement that is when people are young and developing their values and understanding of the world. The passing of campus carry laws have exploded in recent years favoring strong proponents the theory, if we provide the law to allow students and faculty to carry we remove gun free zones. Therefore protecting the population on campuses with the thinking that mass shooters prey on those schools with gun free zones. Several of the deadliest

Allowing concealed weapons on campus can also prevent casualties and injuries in the event of a mass public shooting. According to Smith “Between 1977 and 1995, the average death rate from mass shootings plummeted by up to 91% after such laws [right-to-carry concealed handgun laws] went into effect, and injuries dropped by over 80%.”

“Colleges and universities occupy a special place in American society. They are much more than a series of buildings and collection of individuals. Instead, they are dynamic living and learning environments where individuals with varying levels of maturity interact, often under stressful circumstances. While recognizing the right of responsible individuals to possess firearms under other circumstances, the unique characteristics of a university campus make the presence of firearms problematic. The shootings that have occurred in recent years at US colleges and universities have generated passionate debate about how best to prevent such violence and whether persons should be allowed to carry concealed guns on campuses. Experts believe there is no credible evidence that students or staff carrying guns would reduce crime. In fact, research has shown that the brains of most college students have not fully developed regarding impulse control and judgment” (Dickerson). Therefore, guns should not be allowed on college campuses because it would lead to an escalation in violent crime, distract from the learning environment, and lead to accidental discharge incidents.