Should Campus Carry be Allowed?
According to the website GunViolence Archive, there have been 80 mass shootings in 2018 alone (“Mass Shootings”). Lamentably, mass shootings have become an everyday part of life. Although most are fortunate not to experience these traumatic events, the news serves as a constant reminder of the possibility of becoming the next victim. While those closely affected by the misuse of guns are pushing for radical gun laws and stricter gun safety regulations, Texas legislation has made it legal to carry concealed weapons on college campuses. As of 2015, the Texas state legislature signed a bill that allows a, “A license holder [to] . . . carry a concealed handgun on or about the license holder's person while the license …show more content…
Without reservation, it is heartbreaking to note the amount of lives lost due to the inappropriate use of guns. Yet, no matter how hard people may want to push these unwanted realities into the back of their mind, this is the grim truth. For this reason, some have chosen to face the problem head on by carrying a concealed weapon on college campuses. Doing so is no different than carrying pepper spray or some other form of protection. According to an editorial published in 2015, it states that, “Gun advocates say [that] “campus carry legislation would enable people to protect themselves against mass shooters or sexual assault. That logic is understandable seeing as how college campuses have been targeted by mass shooters” (“Let the people”). Those who are responsible, law-abiding citizens should be given the chance to protect themselves if their lives or those of others are put in jeopardy. However, critics such as James Alan Fox, a member of the USA Today Board of Contributors, argue that concealed carry is more likely to do harm, than any good. In an article written by him, he poses this scenario, “Suppose there were an active shooter terrorizing a campus--- perhaps someone brandishing a firearm now permitted on campus by Texas law. Who would we want to respond? A 21-year old gun owner whose only experience has been at a shooting range, or a campus cop trained to react effectively under …show more content…
"A Virginia Tech Survivor Puts a Face on the Gun-Violence Prevention Movement." Chronicle of Higher Education, vol. 62, no. 14, 04 Dec. 2015, p. 5. EBSCOhost,ezproxy.mclennan.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=111433510&site=eds-live. Accessed 16 Apr. 2018.
Cruz, Azucena and Richard Johnson. “Concealed Carry on college campuses”. Survey. 24 Apr. 2018.
"EDITORIAL: Concealed Carry: Saving Lives." Pittsburgh Tribune Review (PA), 07 Jan. 2016. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.mclennan.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nfh&AN=2W64249485343&site=ehost-live. Accessed 10 Apr. 2018.
"EDITORIAL." Northwest Florida Daily News, Nov. 12, 2015, ProQuest. Web. Accessed 10 Apr. 2018.
Fennell, Reginald. "Concealed Carry Weapon Permits: A Second Amendment Right or a Recipe for Disaster on Our Nation's Campuses?." Journal of American College Health, vol. 58, no. 2, Sep/Oct2009, pp. 99-100. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=url&db=a9h&AN=45007810&site=ehost-live. Accessed 29 Apr. 2018.
Gilbert, Erik. "Guns on Your Campus? They're Already There." Chronicle of Higher Education, vol. 62, no. 29, 4/1/2016, p. A56. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.mclennan.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=114078582&site=eds-live. Accessed 16 Apr.
According to the website GunViolence Archive, there have been 80 mass shootings in 2018 alone (“Mass Shootings”). Lamentably, mass shootings have become an everyday part of life. Although most are fortunate not to experience these traumatic events, the news serves as a constant reminder of the possibility of becoming the next victim. While those closely affected by the misuse of guns are pushing for radical gun laws and stricter gun safety regulations, Texas legislation has made it legal to carry concealed weapons on college campuses. As of 2015, the Texas state legislature signed a bill that allows a, “A license holder [to] . . . carry a concealed handgun on or about the license holder's person while the license …show more content…
Without reservation, it is heartbreaking to note the amount of lives lost due to the inappropriate use of guns. Yet, no matter how hard people may want to push these unwanted realities into the back of their mind, this is the grim truth. For this reason, some have chosen to face the problem head on by carrying a concealed weapon on college campuses. Doing so is no different than carrying pepper spray or some other form of protection. According to an editorial published in 2015, it states that, “Gun advocates say [that] “campus carry legislation would enable people to protect themselves against mass shooters or sexual assault. That logic is understandable seeing as how college campuses have been targeted by mass shooters” (“Let the people”). Those who are responsible, law-abiding citizens should be given the chance to protect themselves if their lives or those of others are put in jeopardy. However, critics such as James Alan Fox, a member of the USA Today Board of Contributors, argue that concealed carry is more likely to do harm, than any good. In an article written by him, he poses this scenario, “Suppose there were an active shooter terrorizing a campus--- perhaps someone brandishing a firearm now permitted on campus by Texas law. Who would we want to respond? A 21-year old gun owner whose only experience has been at a shooting range, or a campus cop trained to react effectively under …show more content…
"A Virginia Tech Survivor Puts a Face on the Gun-Violence Prevention Movement." Chronicle of Higher Education, vol. 62, no. 14, 04 Dec. 2015, p. 5. EBSCOhost,ezproxy.mclennan.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=111433510&site=eds-live. Accessed 16 Apr. 2018.
Cruz, Azucena and Richard Johnson. “Concealed Carry on college campuses”. Survey. 24 Apr. 2018.
"EDITORIAL: Concealed Carry: Saving Lives." Pittsburgh Tribune Review (PA), 07 Jan. 2016. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.mclennan.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nfh&AN=2W64249485343&site=ehost-live. Accessed 10 Apr. 2018.
"EDITORIAL." Northwest Florida Daily News, Nov. 12, 2015, ProQuest. Web. Accessed 10 Apr. 2018.
Fennell, Reginald. "Concealed Carry Weapon Permits: A Second Amendment Right or a Recipe for Disaster on Our Nation's Campuses?." Journal of American College Health, vol. 58, no. 2, Sep/Oct2009, pp. 99-100. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=url&db=a9h&AN=45007810&site=ehost-live. Accessed 29 Apr. 2018.
Gilbert, Erik. "Guns on Your Campus? They're Already There." Chronicle of Higher Education, vol. 62, no. 29, 4/1/2016, p. A56. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.mclennan.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=114078582&site=eds-live. Accessed 16 Apr.