Goodman 3
Richard Goodman
English Comp 1
Mrs. Cravens
27 November 2017
We as students should be allowed to carry out our Second Amendment right to bear arms not just in most places, for the exception of places of higher learning. Allowing the students to conceal carry on campus is beneficial as it helps protect us criminal activities and mass shootings. Thus, students should be allowed conceal carry as the benefits outweigh the cost. School and college shootings have always been a part of our society, as early as the 1966 University of Texas shooting that left 17 dead, even though it wasn’t until 1990’s that we saw an increase in these mass shootings. Whether it was high school shooting such as Columbine, an elementary shooting such as
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We as college students learn what rights we have and how we can exercise those rights. We are expected to stand for what we believe in, to use our freedom of speech, and to take up political causes. What we aren’t expected to do is exercise our Second Amendment right to bear arms, denying us of this right is hypocritical and denies the opportunity to take responsibility of our personal safety. In 2012, the federal 7Th Circuit Court of Appeals, Moore vs Madison, the court ruled 2-1 that the Second Amendment right to bear arms, “must be interpreted to include a right to have a concealed gun in public, to have it ready for use, and to have it for self-defense.” (ProCon.org) We as college students can exercise all our other rights, we are even allowed to go fight to protect our country in the military but are denied the right to protect ourselves on college …show more content…
Those who oppose campus carry often place the responsibility for criminal activity and violent crimes with guns, instead of with the people who misuse them. They believe that the presence of guns equals violence, so their logic of thinking is that less guns will equal less crime. In 2012 there were an estimated 1,214,462 violent crimes nationwide (Dietz). This includes all violent crime, including those in which firearms were used. This represents a decrease of over 12.9% from the 2008 level, a 15.4% decrease from the 2007 to 2011 level, and a 15.5% decrease from the 2002 to 2011 level (Dietz). At the same time firearms ownership increased sharply by over 61% or over 118 million between 2004 and 2012 (Dietz). So according to these numbers less guns doesn’t mean less crime, if anything the presence of more guns inhibits more
In “Stop Worrying About Guns in the Classroom. They’re Already here.” the author, Erik Gilbert, argues in favor of the law allowing the concealed carry of firearms in college campuses. Gilbert claims that it’s futile to be “worried by the prospect of having guns in [the] classroom” because he believes that even before the bill was passed, some students and faculty were already carrying firearms to campus (Gilbert). Furthermore, he insinuates that despite the presence of firearms, there were no incidents of student or faculty causing harm. To support his argument, the author provides incidents which have occurred over the last decade at his campus, such as accidental discharge of guns in dorms, firearms in student’s vehicles, and one faculty member who was discovered to be in possession of a gun in an on-campus facility. Considering these incidents and previous knowledge of “prevailing regional attitudes towards guns”, the author assumes that significant numbers of students, and possibly faculty, bring guns on campus regularly (Gilbert). As for those who are afraid due to the new law, he declares to them that firearm permit-holders are not dangerous by comparing the rate of their crimes to that of police officers. He also reasons that permit holders need to be at least 21 to qualify—claiming that the more mature students qualify—and have background checks performed.
Concealed weapons on college campuses have been a debatable issue for a long time now. “Statistically, colleges and universities are relatively safe environments for students, faculty, and administrators”, but will concealed carry affect this (Kirszner and Mandell, 626)?Supporters argue that being able to carry a concealed weapon lowers the percentage of shooting or accidents and that it is simply constitutional to have the right to bear arms. On the other hand, non-supporters believe that this will affect the way of learning in school, and raise anxiety. While it is true that having a concealed weapon can make the person holding it feel safe, we should not allow it because it may bring more negative rather than positive things into the college campuses.
Moorhouse, John C., and Brent Wanner. "Does Gun Control Reduce Crime or Does Crime Increase Gun Control?" CATO Journal 26.1 (2006): 103-24. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 15 June 2015.
John Luik author of the article “The Increased Availability of Guns Reduces Crime” and Sabina Thaler the author of the article “The Claim of Increased Gun Availability Reduces Crime is Unfounded” are two examples of people having different opinions on such a debatable topic. Both authors talk about guns taking people’s lives, Thalers article focuses on guns taking innocent people’s lives, and Luiks article focuses on guns being innocent people’s protection. Many gun supporters will say that more guns will bring down the crime rate. These same believers will give facts stating that the more guns in a state, the less likely gun owners will use them. “The chances of innocent people being the victims of violent crime, including murder, decrease—not increase—when access to guns is made easier” (Luik).
Gun-control laws are a very controversial topic right now in the U.S., especially when it comes to allowing concealed-carry holders on college campuses. Nevertheless, guns should be permitted for concealed carry on college campuses if the carriers have concealed-carry licenses because mass shootings occur mostly in gun-free zones. There have been many incidents in which concealed-carry holders have disarmed attackers, and concealed-carry holders are overwhelmingly law-abiding citizens. However, the argument’s opponents believe guns should not be allowed on college campuses for various reasons, including: professors might be afraid to issue bad grades, a gun may go off by accident, college
My recently divorced History professor seemed to be in an extremely foul mood one dreary Monday morning. Every move and comment the class made seemed to irritate him more and more. Everyone in the room stopped moving and talking in concern for him, everyone except Josh, who is our class clown. He made the decision to make a comment to our teacher that any other day would have broken the ice and class would have resumed. For some reason, on this particular day it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. My professor looked up from the floor and in a matter of seconds had removed a gun provided to him by the school for protection, from under his jacket, and then shot Josh before anyone could do anything to stop him. Although, this is a story of fiction and never really happened, it could become a headline on the six o’clock news if David McGrath gets his way. He is the author of an article that supports teachers being given loaded weapons for protection in the classroom. To me providing teachers with weapons is a drastic move because the epidemic of school shootings is not as big as McGrath makes it out to be and there are many more sensible solutions that have yet to be explored.
College is seen as the beginning of young adult life, but campus crime can prevent the continuation of that life.Yet, campuses still prohibit students from carrying essential self defense weapons. This is most likely due to their ignorance of the benefits involved with allowing campus carry. Campus carry improves the overall environment of a college and promotes safety. Students should be allowed to carry guns on campus due to the current lack of protection offered through the university and an individual’s lawful right, despite the belief that it would cause an escalation in violent crime.
Those who argue for gun control usually state guns are a part of most violent crimes. However, this is not always true. While it is true that limiting gun ownership with laws could prevent individuals from possessing guns, it does not prevent people from illegally having or using guns. Those who carry guns legally are not the problem. According to Mark Gius, the author of “Gun Ownership and the Gun Control Index”, “…only about 25% of total violent crime is committed by a person using a gun, no inferences...
One of the common arguments is that there is a higher suicide risk. People think that students would shoot themselves on campus because they had easier access to a gun. Another reason people state that concealed carry on campus is a bad idea is because they think that it would be a distraction to the other students. Anti-gun citizens have the idea that if a student or staff member has a gun on their hip the students will be unable to focus and thus won’t be able to be successful in their studies. “Public safety should be left to professionally qualified police officers, not private citizens with little or no expert training” (Procon). People think that police are more capable of protecting the people because they have to go through the academy and have extensive training. “A Taser is as effective as a handgun against an armed assailant” (Common Arguments). Another explanation people have is that if someone is firing a firearm the best solution is not firing back. They think that the more bullets that are fired the more chance of innocent people being injured. Would police be able to identify an active shooter from an armed and helping citizen? These people that worry this is because they are afraid that the police would shoot and hurt an innocent
Alternatively, the people who believe that concealed weapons should be allowed in college campus state that they are are allowed to because of what the second amendment. The second amendment allows for any resident of the United States to be able to buy and own a concealed weapon of their choice. Students for Concealed Carry state the point that a person should be allowed to own a gun if they wish to be able to feel safe and protect themselves by stating, “Why should a 105-pound woman who is allowed the means to defend herself against a 250-pound would-be rapist outside of campus not be afforded the same right on campus” (647)? Other people also believe that having a gun would be able to deter the shooter. They believe the shooter would be stopped just by the thought of him going to a place filled with guns would trigger feat in their brain and make them rethink that they are about to do. “It’s hard to attain infamy if a concealed handgun license holder ends your shooting spree before it begins” (Students for Concealed Carry 647). The final point most people who are for concealed carry on campus is that they believe they would be able to stop the shooter faster or before he even begins the shoot...
The 2nd Amendment of the Constitution states, “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” They feel like their basic right is being restricted by not being able to carry. “Many states have adopted the “stand your ground” legislation, which asserts that a person may justifiably use force in self-defense when there is reasonable belief of an unlawful threat, without an obligation to retreat first” (Aronowitz and Vaughn 57). Pro-gun activist also think that having guns on campuses for protection will likely reduce the amount of mass shootings. Pro-gun activist believe that you can’t always rely on the police for
College campuses are more dangerous than ever because of the past decade; guns have not only been manufactured in excess, but availability and ease of accessibility. According to James Cool (2008), a supporter of guns on campus, reasoned why the increase of weapons occurred recently; “Our nation was founded … during the same time that modern firearms were invented and became readily available due to the Industr...
Few think that guns should be taken away from everyone and that gun ownership leads to more crime. That is far from the truth actually. John Lott talks about this in his book when he states, “These studies have either confirmed the beneficial link between gun ownership and crime or at least not found any indication that gun ownership increases crime” (John R. Lott). He is talking directly from the studies and research that has been done about the correlation between gun ownership and crime. The statistics showed that gun ownership either helps or does grow crime rates.
According to a study in the American journal of public health, “ Found that workplaces where guns were permitted were 5 to 7 times more likely to be the site of a workplace homicide compared to workplaces where guns were prohibited”(System). This shows allowing guns on campuses will not help stop violence from occurring but only create easier access to using them. Campuses seem to be doing way better with prohibiting guns on campuses rather than allowing them in many cases. Studies shown by the University of Louisiana system reveals that “ Nearly 18 million students, more than 4,000 campuses, over 5 years- 43 campus homicides”(System). This gives a great idea of how there have not been many homicides due to guns not being allowed on campuses.
Consider guns being weapons which are either good or bad, but their use will depend on the one who holds them.so that’s means gun control has no significant impact on crime rates. If you will defiantly have a very powerful purpose statement. In this case that they are the highly used weapons, then use of gun control measures can be a current solution, still if you find they are the minimum used, then gun control may not have a significant change. The gun control efficiency in the overall number of crimes within a positive area.