In the aftermath of the shooting late last year at Florida State University, lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow students who hold a concealed carry permit to bring their firearms on campus with them for self-defense.
Unsurprisingly, this has stirred some controversy.
The bill will continue through the necessary committees before it is voted on later this year.
I am an advocate of gun rights. I strongly believe in the natural right to defend yourself wherever you go. This includes college campuses.
The current system of making firearms illegal on campus will not effectively prevent shootings. People who have already made the decision to shoot another person will not change their minds because it would be illegal to take a weapon on campus. Murder is a more serious offense than illegal possession of a firearm, and if the person has already decided to murder another person, worrying about breaking the latter law would do little to change their mind. A person will not change their mind about robbing a bank simply because they would be too afraid to jaywalk across the street in order to get to the bank.
While the chances of a situation similar to what occurred at FSU happening at our school are small, the possibility does remain. And should such a terrible event occur, I would rather people be able to defend themselves immediately rather than wait for campus police to respond. The damage that could be done before an officer responds and eliminates the threat could be catastrophic, and while I do not doubt the ability or the resolve of campus police to be able to eliminate a threat, they cannot be in all places at once. Unless we somehow find a way to put a police officer in every classroom, hallway and meeting area on campus, there is no effective way to minimize the damage that a crazy person could do.
Now, a person can rightly say that the “good guy” with a gun could accidentally hurt just as many people as the “bad guy” with a gun. But in a terrible situation such as a shooting, all people in the room are already in immediate danger of losing their lives, and the best way to save as many lives as possible is to end the situation as quickly as possible. As awful a possibility it may be that the good guy may hurt another innocent person, the ramifications of not doing anything for fear of hurting someone else will most likely result in more people being harmed.
I have also heard the concern that allowing firearms on campus would change the atmosphere of learning to an atmosphere of fear. But almost anywhere that you go off-campus, people are legally allowed to carry a concealed firearm, such as a restaurant or a beach, and you aren’t afraid of it then. Why would changing the law on college campuses make you suddenly more afraid of the possibility that a person near you may be carrying a weapon? Universities are public places and are no more sacred and secure than any other place you visit on a regular basis. And the very fact that the weapon is concealed means that it would not distract you because you would never know that the person is carrying it in the first place.
However, I do wonder how much effect this law would make on college campuses. In order to obtain a concealed weapons permit, a person must be at least 21 years old. Most college students are younger than 21, and an even smaller percentage of students who are of age actually have a permit. If this law were to pass, I would guess that fewer than 20 students would actually take advantage of it. But this being said, I still support the motion to allow students to lawfully carry firearms for self-defense on college campuses. Regardless of how many people would actually make use of the law and begin to carry a weapon for self-defense, all people should have the option to do so.
