Gun control and conceal-carry legislature has long been a topic of debate that boasts complex arguments for both second amendment rights and general safety. A key component of gun control lies in the question of allowing personal firearms on college campuses. Emphasizing sexual assault, many campuses are reaching out to allow permit holders to carry concealed weapons. A study by the New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault found that one out of every four women will be the victim of sexual assault at some point in her academic career. Keep in mind that there is a significant under-representation of attacks as many sexual assaults go unreported. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that the over 50% of rapes and sexual assaults …show more content…
Colleges should not be allowed to take away your personal protection unless they can provide a truly safe environment for students. Sadly, most campuses can’t guarantee that assaults won’t occur, so people must be allowed to arm themselves for protection. While some schools have security or law enforcement, rarely can they reach the scene of an assault fast enough to prevent it. If the victim or a bystander has a self-defense weapon, there is a much greater possibility of stopping the attack. Attackers also avoid areas that allow firearms, and knowingly target places that don’t allow them. On October 9th, the Crime Prevention Research Center released a revised report showing that 92% of mass public shootings between January 2009 and July 2014 took place in gun-free zones. If college campuses nationwide reflected on the findings of this report, it would become apparent that allowing concealed weapons on campuses would significantly lower the odds of attacks occurring. Campuses that allow conceal carry are utilizing one of the biggest measures to deter assaults. According to John R. Lott Jr., PhD, "when states passed concealed carry laws during the years we studied (1997-2005), the number of multiple-victim campus shootings declined by 84%. Deaths from these shootings plummeted on average by 90%, injuries by 82%.
While Campus Life and Guns says that states with weak gun violence prevention laws and higher gun ownership lead the nation in gun deaths, it is important
Concealed carry and college campuses are two major topics currently in the media, yet these two topics are rarely used in unison, until now. The topic of whether or not concealed carry should be allowed on college campuses is a now mainstream debate with multiple views and numerous differentiating opinions. Many of the general public question if campus police is capable enough to protect a university’s enormous student body? Another commonly discussed issue is if concealed handguns actually do deter crime, and if they are capable of aiding in stopping a mass shooting spree? Or if guns on campus, carried by fellow classmates would make students as a whole feel more cautious or on the opposing hand make students feel more secure with guns carried on campus? If guns are allowed on campus, how will this affect a growing student’s ideology? These questions and many more are highly spoken of in our social media based generation, the answers to these questions help to improve our knowledge on this debate of concealed carry on college campuses, which will lead us to form our own individual opinions on this debate topic based on the facts and evidence presented.
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
The mainstream media leads many to believe that mass shootings on college campuses are very common, and are in despite need of gun reform. This is actually false information, the truth is that campuses and other schools are among the safest places in America. According to recent studies, the actual homicide rates on campuses are one in one million, considerably less than the nationwide average of fifty-seven million. In addition, other crimes are still proven to be less likely to happen at colleges, rather than in common rural areas. And in most
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
Gun ownership is on the rise and even college students want firearms now. Since 1999 college students owning firearms for protection has increased over 19 percent (DiMauro 17). With this rise whether or not these numbers should increase has become a heated issue. As of now 26 colleges allow concealed carry on campuses, totaling in over 70 campuses(Burnett) and many others are in consideration. Organizations such as Students for Concealed Carry are at work to educate the public on the truths of how on campus carry would to some degree benefit college students, professors, and all visitors. Firearms can be and should be allowed on college campuses primarily because it is a not only a fundamental right guaranteed by the constitution but also
About 4,400 colleges and universities in the United States forbid the carrying of guns on their campuses (“Colleges”). With more and more shootings on campuses, especially with the tragedy at Virginia Tech in 2006, the states are starting to rethink their position on whether guns should be allowed on campuses; especially in Texas, where Texans are known for their guns. Even with a state like that, however, the questions still remain: Will allowing students with guns make campuses a safer environment? Will it make students feel safer? As most controversial issues goes, there are two sides to the debate.
In 2007 an armed student killed 32 people at Virginia Tech, making it one of the deadliest gun massacres in U.S history. As a result, a group known as Students for Concealed Carry on Campus began a movement to legalize campus carry for colleges in the U.S. Lawmakers then put in place laws that would allow students and faculty to carry weapons to better defend themselves (The Secret History of the Campus Carry Movement). As of 2016 Texas became the ninth state to allow concealed carry on public universities for holders of gun permits. Nevertheless, the debate over whether to allow concealed weapons in schools remains a hot topic in our political society. Although the different viewpoints of the new law are evident, the major similarity is the safety of the student body. There exists’ two sides for concealed weapons on college campuses in the state of Texas. The side that believes students are safer by carrying a concealed weapon, and the side that believes the contrary and says that weapons should not be allowed on school premises. Regulations vary from state to state; 18 states have banned concealed weapons on college campuses and 23 states allow each school to determine its own policies (Campus Carry). Even after the Virginia shooting, the movement did not echo with all Americans.
In the past years, there have been many cases of school shootings injuring and killing many students. With these cases came the argument of having concealed weapons in schools in order for the teachers or students in college to protect and defend themselves and others when the time came. While some argue that it is the best way to keep everyone safe and how it is our right to bear arms, others will agree that it may just cause more shootings and more deaths. Concealed weapons should not be allowed in colleges, because it will make them available for students who should not have a weapon, having weapons does not mean people are willing and able to use it, and lastly because accidents can occur when least expected.
In the United States of America, there is a rising epidemic happening and its gun violence and the violence will not only rise, but triple if guns are permitted on college campuses and inevitably cause a ripple of issues. With several campus shootings, the most fatal being in 2007, the shooting that occurred at Virginia Tech University, a number of states are pushing harder to consider legislation about whether or not to permit concealed guns on college campuses and to obliterate the existing firearm regulations. This is not Colleges and Universities purpose; they’re for learning and experiences and amongst other things, not about guns. Students and faculty should not be allowed to carry firearms onto college campuses, firearms are illegal on most campuses, and that is how it should remain. In 2015, the number of colleges and universities in the United
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%.”
The college campus in United State should prohibit carrying concealed guns for students’ safety. Because people rarely arm themselves for deter criminals, the responsibility should be left to official police rather than normal citizen. In addition, carrying concealed gun not only cause fear among non carrying population, but also cause higher risk of being killed or injury since criminals can legally holding concealed guns. So until the government published a more deliberate and suitable policy, the government should rethink about the consequence of permitting concealed guns, and have reaction towards the potential threat. For now, we’d better prohibit concealed guns on campus for students’ self security
“The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” declares National Rifle Association 's President Wayne LaPierre. But, does this statement really hold true on college campuses? Considerations of allowing a student or others to conceal and carry a firearm on college campuses causes a tremendous amount of controversy in the U.S.. The heated debate surrounding campus carry began after the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech reported Dennis A. Henigan, former Vice-President of the Brady Campaign and Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
There are several debates among people that remain in a repetitive and vicious cycle of what is right, and what is wrong. Concealed carry on college campuses is one of those noticeable arguments. As the years pass by, gun rights on college campuses have become a touchy subject that is normally avoided at dinner tables and formal events. The laws concerning concealed carry on college campuses vary from state to state, and also from campus to campus. Several factors about concealed carry either have people uneasy while others adamantly fight for more gun rights on college campuses and universities. Should concealed carry be allowed on campus, and are people taking into account school violence, learning environment, crime, student’s safety and constitutional rights?
Campuses across the United States continue to grow vulnerable every day. Since the Columbine Shooting in 1999, the nation has witnessed over two hundred and fifty shootings that were committed on a school campuses (Pearle, 2016). These shootings have been committed on school grounds, starting at the elementary level all the way through post graduate school. With the rise of social media and the internet; campus shootings have grained more attention nationally. In October 1990 Congress implemented the Gun Free School Zone Act (GFSZA); for public federally funded schools to create a barrier around designated school zones, to prevent gun related violence. The GFSZA designates a predetermined distance of 1,000 feet from school’s grounds as a gun free zone. This keeps a law-abiding citizen defenseless when entering a campus premises and allowing any potential criminal a safe-haven to commit a crime. Law abiding citizens should be allowed to concealed carry on school campuses because not only is it a Constitutional right, but it also
“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.