Should College Employees Be Allowed to Carry Concealed Weapons On Campus?
The recent mass shooting in schools has altered the history of America. From 2007 to date, there have been more than 50 mass shootings. Most of these heinous crimes occur in schools, an issue that has triggered a debate on whether existing legislation on guns should be revised to allow college students, professors, and other faculty employees to carry concealed weapons to campus. The law has the potential to deter crime by instilling fear in the perpetrators and responding swiftly to instances of shooting. However, the trade-off for that decision is costly, hence the need to adopt other measures rather than allowing concealed weapons in institutions of learning.
Allowing guns in college has the potential of aggravating ordinary confrontation and argument between students to a deadly ending. In a campus setting, students disagree on several minor issues. The disagreement may stem from relationships to celebrities or football teams that one supports. Emotions are always high during such disputes. The presence of a weapon in such situations can change the angle and dynamics of the conflict to another level. Cunningham states that having a gun can lead to acts of hostility, reckless behavior, self-harm not only to the students but also professors and other staff (20). Moreover, colleges are the environment where people tolerate divergent opinions and ideas without confrontation. Concealed weapons limit the possibility of having a liberal and unbiased debate. It will also hinder the generation of sober ideas. Class discussions can end up in a mass shooting event. For that reason, concealed weapons should not be allowed on campuses.
Besides censoring the culture of debate, allowing concealed weapons in college will make the environment unsafe. Not every student, professor, or staff will be carrying a gun. Some may not have the right training, while others cannot technically possess a weapon due to mental and other health conditions (Arrigo and Austin 121). This group of people will be at mercy and risk of those with firearms. Moreover, dangerous people can take advantage of such legislation to carry weapons to college that they use to intimidate and commit a crime within the compound. In related circumstances, it will be difficult for police officers responding to instances of crime from identifying the perpetrators of the mass shooting. As a former navy seal and chancellor of the University of Texas, William McRaven states, more guns translate to more risk (Auyero n.p). The probability and magnitude of crime in an environment with more arms is high.
Despite the arguments against concealed weapons in colleges, proponents argue that the presence of guns will make campuses safe. They base their argument on the adage that a mass shooting or gun violence can be neutralized quickly by a competent person with a gun. While their arguments might appear simplistic, their rationality holds in isolated cases. Most gun violence perpetrators choose gun-free environments to unleash terror. In such places, they have an advantage over innocent victims with no weapon. Furthermore, they hold that the second amendment guarantees an American citizen a right to defend themselves (Barr 10). Criminalizing weapons in colleges infringes on that right. Although the proponents raise weighty issues, their arguments are flawed. Unlike other places, colleges are ill-equipped to control the ownership of weapons. They have limited resources to ensure that only the right people own guns. Moreover, it will be illogical for them to dedicate budget in dealing with the implementation of gun legislation to the expense of academic resources. Until such conditions are met, concealed weapons should not be allowed into colleges.
Conclusively, concealed weapons should not be permitted in colleges. The presence of guns makes an environment riskier. It aggravates the magnitude of a crime or confrontation. Since the divergence of opinions, confrontation and debate are sources of information and creativity in colleges, the presence of guns might limit such programs. Instead of advocating for concealed weapons in colleges, the legislation should focus on making them gun-free.
Works Cited
Arrigo, Bruce A., and Austin Acheson. “Concealed Carry Bans and the American College
Campus: A Law, Social Sciences, and Policy Perspective”. Contemporary Justice Review, vol 19, no. 1, 2015, pp. 120-141.
Auyero, Javier. “Guns On Campus Make Colleges Less Safe”. The New York Times, 2016,
https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2016/05/31/should-guns-be-permitted-on-college-campuses/guns-on-campus-make-colleges-less-safe. Accessed 18 June 2019.
Barr, Jason. “The Evolution of Weapons Policies On College Campuses In The 21St
Century”. Higher Education Politics & Economics, vol 3, no. 1, 2017, pp. 1-19., Accessed 18 June 2019.
Cunningham, Donna J. “Guns on Campus: The Developing Trend in State Legislation.”
Journal of Academic Administration in Higher Education 7.2 (2011).