Gun is violence is a very controversial political topic that has been discussed repeatedly over the last couple years. While there are many people that support loosening gun laws there are also just as many people who are 100% against the idea. David Burnett and Darby Dickerson happen to be 2 individuals who both have conflicting views on gun laws and what should and should not be allowed in the United States. In this particular case, the two differ specifically on how gun laws should be treated on college campuses. On one side, there is David Burnett, dean of Texas Tech University School of Law, who completely supports the idea of concealed carry on college campuses. On the other side David Burnett, the director of public relations for Students, who is completely against the idea. Both authors do a very good job at not only standing firm in their position but also providing the evidence to back up their position. Darby Dickerson’s supports most of his claims by talking about statistics, tragic events, and rulings that took place in the judicial system. Right off the bat, in the beginning of his paper he mentions the horrible shooting that took place at Virginia Tech. What Darby is trying to say is that mass shootings everywhere could be prevented if weapons weren’t tolerated inside schools. Darby also referenced a study that was done by the Department of Education and FBI which basically stated that concealed carry laws have the potential to dramatically increase
Dear Mortimer I am writing this paper to persuade you to rethink your position concerning the preemption of firearms regulation regarding college campuses. All over the world violence occurs when we least expect it. As the human race evolves, so does the technology we use. We have acquired the ability to kill a man without being in his general vicinity. With just the slight movement of my finger I can end someone’s life. One small confrontation could lead to a terrible travesty. In the United States alone, we have seen many shootings in educational buildings from the students themselves. When you put guns in the hands of students, you are asking for death. People may say it adds protection to people wearing guns, but what about the people without them? I strongly believe that if this bill is allowed to continue we be seeing a large number of shooting in buildings of education, which is unacceptable. One small miscommunication between two armed students could start a firefight.
They defend this view by saying that,”…people are safer when they have guns to protect themselves; and that an armed bystander could put a stop to a mass shooting in progress” (Skorton and Altschuler 629). Timothy Wheeler makes another point by stating that gun free zones are easy targets for danger and that school killers have taken advantage of effective security (655). He enforces the idea of allowing guns on college grounds by affirming that at “…the Appalachian School of Law in 2002 [a] homicidal Virginia student was stopped from shooting more of his classmates when another student held him at gunpoint” (Wheeler 656). Skorton and Altschuler claim that “colleges and universities are far safer than most public places in the United States” (629). Although that is true, permitting guns on site would counteract that view in and out of the classroom. If firearms were to be allowed on college grounds would campuses still be considered secure locations, would students be able to speak freely on controversial topics, would they really be able to stop attackers if anything was to ever
School shootings, gang violence, drive by shootings, murder, and thousands of acts of violence are committed every day. Members of our society criticize their own people for this violence while they continue to sit back and do nothing about it. These acts of violence have many contributing factors. Violence in our country today is escalating because we don't control the distribution of the guns sold. There are not enough restrictions on guns sold legally. The illegal purchase of guns through the black market is out of control. There is not enough education on the usage and storage of guns.
The difference on perspectives has been a major issue especially after President Obama’s constant effort to pass more gun control laws. In contrast, the presumably and deeply Republican state of Texas, which has very few restrictions on guns, has just passed a law that makes concealed carrying on college campuses legal. Such law has been a controversy and had divided reactions from Texans all around the state. The problem that is tried to solve with this bill is to prevent more mass shootings from happening in the facilities of higher education institutions. It is very important to
Everyday 93 Americans are killed by guns. Whether it is due to homicide or suicide, it does not matter. At the end of the day gun violence is increasing exponentially. In numerous states, gun laws have been placed in the hopes of reducing gun violence. But now many people believe that gun violence should be treated as a public health problem. I for one feel that gun violence should be put in the category of public health. Every year more than 30,000 people are victims to gun related incidents. It has become such an issue that gun violence is causing more deaths than some life threatening diseases.
“A California Gun Law Runs Counter to Trend” is an article written by Adam Nagourney and Julie Turkewitz for the New York Times. It analyzes the arguments both for and against the ability for individuals to carry concealed guns on a college campus. The authors never express their direct opinions on the issue or how it can be solved, but instead pull evidence from both arguments. The outcome is a compilation of what is happening politically, due to the rising distress concerning this topic, as well as the implications of these government engagements. These sources provide a wide-ranging argument for both sides of the claim.
Texas, along with several other states signed a bill allowing concealed carry of firearms on campus, believing “that mass murderers target gun-free zones, including colleges and universities that ban firearms on campus” (Defilippis & Hughes). Furthermore, it is stated that gun advocates not only believe that firearms could obviate massacres on campus but also prevent sexual assault. Defilippis and Hughes argue that claims such as these are flawed and ignore the risks that come with allowing students and faculty to carry guns on school
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
After suffering from an uncontrollable rage following his parents’ divorce he shot and stabbed his mother and killed his wife. The following morning, he climbed the bell tower and proceeded to kill 14 people and injuring 31 in an hour and a half (history). The “campus-carry law” was passed near the 50th anniversary of this tragic event. Huyler Marsh, a graduate student at University of Texas grew up in a home without guns, but once he arrived on campus he joined a gun club, and now has his very own CHL. “’I wear it pretty much whenever I can…If I call 911 it might be ten minutes before they get here. It might be more. It’s nice to know you have the ultimate responsibility for your safety” (nytimes). There was a great debate on UT’s campus, the president of the University was against it himself, wanting to keep UT as safe as possible. Another student on the UT campus, Ana Lopez, talks about having open discussions in class about controversial topics and “is worried now that in such classes that students will hesitate, knowing someone might have a gun”
Those that are non-supporters of the bill insist guns on campuses will lead to more tragedies. They believe there is no evidence that can conclude that guns on campus will decrease crimes. According to the author Darby Dickerson, ‘‘ Research has shown that the brains of most college students have not fully developed with regards to impulse control and judgment; therefore, allowing students access to guns could actually increase reckless shooting incidents.”(Dickerson). Non-Supporters believe giving guns
People all across the world are debating about whether to require the start of reducing gun violence. Guns have always been a part of American culture, even before we became the America we know today. In colonial times and the days of the Wild West, guns were an essential part of survival. They were needed to kill animals for food and to protect against unwanted trespassers and predators. However, in these modern times, because we have conveniences such as Hannaford and organized police systems, guns have gone from tools of necessity to novelty toys. For the most part, people own guns in this century for sporting reasons or to protect their families and home from intrusion. The simplicity of a gun and the lack of effort it requires owning
Birnbaum, Robert. "Ready, Fire, Aim: The College Campus Gun Fight." Change, vol. 45, no. 5, Sep/Oct2013, pp. 6-14. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/00091383.2013.812462. Mr. Birnbaum talks about the two different sides of the question should guns be allowed on campus? The people who agree on the idea of having fire arms on campus have the case that having students and faculty with guns discourages violent crimes. While the people who disagree with the same idea say that the studies that have been done on safety with guns on campus are not good enough. Either way the laws set in place are going to have to follow the US Constitution and the constitution and laws of the state. There are five crimes that the law considers violent crimes in the Clery act
“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.
A College campus or University is a place where students are supposed to learn and thrive in a safe and secure environment. There are various ethnicities mixed into the plethora of students that make the school diverse as a whole. Across the United States between the years 2013 and 2015, there has been 84 shootings that have occurred in schools in which the one possessing the weapon was a student (Julie Underwood, Mixing guns and Schools). Due to the recent mass shootings, there has been various gun control debates whether to prohibit guns in public places such as schools or decreasing restrictions on owning a gun. One of the deadliest shootings that has occurred, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012 in which there was a total of 28 dead deaths- 20 children, 6 adult staff members, the perpetrator’s mother, and the perpetrator- have made people fear their lives especially about the lives of people at schools (Underwood). People ask themselves and wonder if there is a resolution to gun violence. Gun ownership shouldn’t be factored into the stressful life of college individuals. Therefore, I strongly feel that their college campuses or schools in particular shouldn’t be allowed to have guns.
There is a big debate to whether guns should be allowed on college campus’. One side claims that guns should be on campus because students need a form of self-defense, as there have been cases were someone needed a form of defense. The other side claims that guns would lead to an escalation in crimes on college campus. Both sides are very logical, causing people to be on either side of the debate.