Ashton Chowning College 101 Argumentative Essay December 5, 2016 Conceal and Carry While on Campus Invite Calamity
“One failed attempt at a shoe bomb, and we all have to take our shoes off at the airport. [There has been] 31 school shootings since Columbine and no changes in the regulations of guns,” says political commentator John Oliver. Even though Columbine is not a college, John Oliver, along with many other Americans, is exploring the idea that citizens should not be allowed to obtain a conceal and carry, especially on college campuses. College students should not be allowed to obtain a conceal and carry while on campus because public safety is the should be left to those who have been specifically trained in emergency response, it could increase violence on campus, and there are more proactive measures to protect a campus.
To begin, public safety should be left to those who have been specifically trained in emergency response, not citizens with little to no training. Opposition points out that college students and teachers are unable to defend themselves during a shooting without a gun (David par. 2) . Although some believe that conceal-carry will benefit the safety of a campus, a conceal-carry on campus law is an unnecessary evil when it comes to protection. Daniel Webster, the director of the John Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, and Ronald Daniels, the President of Johns Hopkins University, claim that when shootings do occur, civilians with guns rarely are able to stop the shooter (Webster and Daniels par. 4).Webster and Daniels state, “Effective and responsible use of a firearm under the conditions of an active shooter requires significant training and the ability to make good decisions and shoot accurately under the most challenging circumstances” (Webster and Daniels par. 4). If there is an active shooter terrorizing a campus, would a 21-year-old gun owner who has little to no experience with their gun besides at a gun range, or an officer who works on campus and is trained to react successfully under high stress be the choice to protect a campus (Fox par. 7). Protection of lives should not be put into the hands of unqualified citizens trying to portray themselves as heroes.
Also, due to the fact that it is a right to have a conceal and carry, a conceal and carry would increase violence on campus. However, Dennis McCuistion, a clinical professor of corporate governance, argues that an association between gun restrictions and a reduction in gun violence are fallacious and that the rest of the population is more likely to involved in crimes than than the concealed gun license holder (McCuistion par. 2). Conversely, studies reflect that violence on campus is most commonly perpetrated by students, against students. The perpetrators used guns over half of the time and other weapons one-quarter of the incidence. However, one-out-of-ten perpetrators used a combination of weapons of knives, bladed instruments, and guns (Dickerson par. 13). The International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators Board of Directors states, “There is no credible statistical evidence demonstrating that laws allowing the carrying of concealed firearms reduce crime. In fact, the evidence suggests that permissive concealed carry laws generally will increase crime” (Dickerson par. 15). This can ensure that neglectful conceal and carry holders will not only will cause more trouble during a shooting, but also have the potential to start violence.
Lasty, instead of the reactive right to have a conceal and carry, there are more proactive measures that a campus could do to ensure safety. Opponents state that more fatalities have occurred where conceal and carry handguns are prohibited (Day par. 7). However, currently 25 out of 50 states ban guns on campuses, eight of the remaining 25 leave the decision to the universities, and some state have not addressed the issue (Burnett par. 23). Half of the states are trying to help with the attacks against colleges, but all of the states should be trying to resolve the problem in some way. Dickerson states, “In response to the Virginia Tech shooting, the U.S. Secret Service, Department of Education, and F.B.I. studied violence at institutions of higher education. As part of this study, 272 incidents of targeted violence were identified through a comprehensive search of open-source reports from 1900 to 2008” (Dickerson par. 13). Instead of simply prohibiting guns colleges could also add metal decorators, more security, and help students be more aware of the potential dangers.
There have been 31 school shootings since Columbine and, the numbers do not appear to be stopping. No college in the United States should be known as a “safe-zone” unless they have taken extra proactive measures to protect their students and staff. While on campus, a college student should not be allowed to obtain a conceal and carry because public safety should be left to professionally qualified policers, it would increase violence on campus, and there are more proactive measures to protect a campus. Works Cited Burnett, David. "Students Should Have the Right to Carry Guns on College Campuses." Guns and Crime. Ed. Christine Watkins. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2012. At Issue. Rpt. of "Colleges Reveal Their Plan to Keep Students from Becoming Victims of On-Campus Violence: Duck & Cover." N.p.: National Rifle Association Online, 2010. N. pag. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 16 Nov. 2016.
Day, Theodore, Craig Pirrong, and Stan Liebowitz. "Concealed Weapons Should Be Allowed on College Campuses." Concealed Weapons. Ed. Kacy Lovelace. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2011. At Issue. Rpt. of "Guns Make Colleges Safer." Gun Owners of America. N.p.: Gun Owners of America, 2009. N. pag. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 16 Nov. 2016.
Dickerson, Darby. "Students Should Not Be Allowed to Carry Guns on College Campuses." Guns and Crime. Ed. Christine Watkins. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2012. At Issue. Rpt. of "White Paper—Guns on Campus." NaBita.org. N.p.: National Behavioral Intervention Team Association, 2011. N. pag. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 16 Nov. 2016.
Fox, James Alan. "Concealed Carry on Campus Is a Bad Idea." USA TODAY [McLean, Virginia] 1 Aug. 2016, A.9. sec.: 01. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.
McCuistion, Dennis. "Texas’s Concealed-Carry Law Will Help Make Campuses Safer." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2016. Rpt. of "Pro-con: Should College Campuses Restrict Concealed Weapons?" The Dallas Morning News 23 Oct. 2015: n. pag. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 16 Nov. 2016. Webster, Daniel, and Ronald Daniels. "Guns on Campus Only Invite Tragedies." The Washington Post 23 Oct. 2016: n. pag. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 16 Nov. 2016.