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Should guns be allowed on college campuses
Should guns be allowed on college campuses
Arguments against permitting guns on college campuses
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In 2001, roughly 36% of U.S. households had at least one gun. By 2011, the number of households with guns increased to 47% (Birnbaum, 2013,). Controversy over the second amendment and gun control in the United States has become an augmenting issue, especially with mass shootings like Sandy Hook and Las Vegas. Mass shootings are also occurring on college campuses such as Virginia Tech, which is resulting in the debate of whether guns should be allowed on campus. Guns should not be allowed on college campuses because of the mental health, the behavior, and the overall safety of students, faculty and staff.
The mental health of college students substantially influences the fact that guns should not be allowed on campus. Young adults (18-24 years old) have increased suicidal and homicidal thoughts, notably at the age of 19 (Webster, 2016). Students are in a more fragile state of mind due to developmental, psychological, and sociological reasons. Due to the fragile state of minds, guns would only increase the fatal or nonfatal incidents that occur on campus. Students who are concealing thoughts of suicide or homicide are less likely to act on their thoughts if they only have pills, razors or fists (Grayson & Meilman, 2013). These means that are easily available can only be done by close contact or
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If guns were allowed on campus it could make faculty and staff member’s job challenging. For instance, an irritable student could be unhappy with a grade and threaten a professor to change the grade. It would be much harder to say no if his/her life was at stake (Grayson & Meilman, 2011). Counselors and staff at universities are here to help students. Counselors, especially, are supposed to be there to help and not fear the student, but how can he/she do so if they know the student has a gun and could potentially harm them (Grayson & Meilman,
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.
Many politicians and public figures had shared their opinions about the campus carry law, William H. McRaven a for Navy SEAL, and former commander of the United States Special operations forces who raided and directed the killing of Osama bin Laden, and the chancellor of the University of Texas opposed to having weapons on campus. A man who has many guns and has a love for many guns, says that it will not make campuses any safer than they are now. McRaven also was a public figure that joined with the interest groups and stated why he thought the weapons on campus would not be a good idea. Texas senator Brian Birdwell, who is a republican, the bill’s chief architect, and a retired Army Lieutenant agrees with the campus carry on law. Many universities
Take the White House for example, the building is protected from every angle by firearms and there have been few people to make it across the grounds. Then take San Bernardino for example, they had no firearms in the building and the place was attacked and many people lost their live.
Secondly, some people believe guns should not be allowed on campus because they may go off by accident. True, a gun may go off by accident, but according to, Students for Concealed Carry, out of 150 college campuses that allow concealed carry, there have been only three accidental discharges (Common). Two of them were by staff and one by a student. All three of the accidental discharges resulted in non-life-threatening discharges in which no one was injured (Common). All three incidents could have been prevented through proper training and practice, such as wearing a
Taking privileges away from the majority of mentally stable, healthy, hard working Americans just because a percentage of alcoholics, drug addicts, gang members, and mentally ill individuals are to blame for the school shootings, murders and suicides, would just be insane. So, why is the government trying to implement more strict gun laws for the people that don't do these heinous crimes. The debate on if the government should take the guns away from all the citizens in order to stop these crimes would not stop those who are committing the crimes in the first place. Then, the question would be, how would we know who really has the guns and where they are?
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.
Concealed weapons in college campus’s have been a big issue since the mass shootings in Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois Universities. Allowing for guns to be allowed in college campus’s would be a bad thing to do since it would create additional risks for students, even if weapons were allowed it wouldn’t deter the shooter, and it would detract from a healthy learning environment. So far there is only five states , Colorado, Mississippi, Oregon, Utah, and Wisconsin, that allow “concealed carry” at school campus.
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...
Should handgun ownership be banned? I don't believe so. You would think America would learn from examples from other countries. When you take away handguns the crime rate rises. American citizens need to know their rights, responsibilities and safety of owning a handgun.
Guns are extremely powerful weapons. They can cause destruction, harm or even death. They can be used to defend and protect or to threaten and kill. Any way you look at it, guns are powerful tools, not only physically but socially. As college students it is important to stay abreast of the current events and issues circulating our country today, one of which is the controversial issue of gun control. It is extremely important to pay attention to where gun control laws are headed. The directions they take not only affect our nation and society but our future as well as we all move to communities and begin to raise families.
Due to the recent disruption of violent crimes on campus, many citizens that are pro-gun activist have suggested that both the students and teachers should be allowed to carry concealed weapons on school campuses. Those who are with guns allowed on school campuses claim that their rights have been violated for the reason that many college campuses refuse to allow weapons of any kind on their property. The Constitution of The United States of America already grants citizens the right to carry guns with them. It is not appropriate for guns to be in a vulnerable area such as a college campus or any University. There are already too many guns available to the public or easy to get any kind of gun, and allowing them on
In the past years, several schools and college campuses have suffered many shooting attacks, killing innocent people who just want to become professional and finish their careers. Those shooters have been caused by other students that might have personal or mental problems that make them think that they can solve their problems by shooting and killing people. This is why many people are arguing about the second amendment, if guns should be allowed on college campuses. Some arguments are: students are going to be more secure and they will be able to defend themselves in case that someone starts shooting. However, there is also a large amount of people who believe that if guns are allowed on college campuses there would be an increase of
The rigorous college courses constitute to the stress college students have, which could lead to “depression” (Fox). Depression is very common in college students due to their stress, which causes them to sleep less and overall lowering their general health. Severe depression could lead to the student being mentally unstable. From outside appearances professors will never be able to determine if the student is mentally unstable. Therefore, the students carrying guns could be mentally unstable and is just waiting to be pushed too far over the edge.
Some school are making their school a gun free zone. However, it is true that some people try to attack gun free zone because they know that no one has a gun to kill them back. Even people call the police, it takes time for the police to come and shooting does not take that much time to kill people. To solve this problem I think the campus safety should carry guns. Also, teachers may have a right to have guns, too. When the shooter comes into the classroom the teachers are the only adult that could protect the students. To protect children they all have to be trained how to use the gun. Also it is necessary for teachers and campus safety to have a mental health care periodically. There are many scientist who are researching about what kind of people tend to become mental illness and when do they become so. Unfortunately there is no strong evidence so, it is very important to watch out for the mental health of people who carries