Campus concealed guns off target
Issue date: 4/3/09 Section: Opinion
With so many recent catastrophic school shootings, many states have debated whether to allow individuals to carry concealed weapons on campus. Earlier in the week, the Texas state legislature was presented a bill regarding this issue.
If students and faculty at Western Illinois University were allowed to carry concealed weapons on campus, would it be necessary? Would classrooms really be safer?
Knowing that immature, happy-go-lucky 18 to 22-year-olds have weapons in class would not be a comforting thought. For one, students are not the most rational thinkers, no matter how often the title "young adult" is slung around.
By no means is this to say that just because it is legal to carry concealed weapons that students will go around toting 9 mm's, threatening every student or professor that spreads gossip or gives them a bad grade.
Times are not so drastic that this bill should be passed. Yes, there have been tragedies on campuses, but even though we see these heartbreaking occurrences in the news replayed over and over, they don't happen on a daily, weekly or even monthly basis.
If the weapon is concealed and the person goes through the necessary procedures to obtain the gun, he or she may be considered responsible rather than a threat. No one would know who has a gun and who does not, so how would it make any difference if this bill were passed in Texas?
Any way you look at it, it is an extreme measure and people should be careful what they wish for. Guns give people a sense of power, and recklessness sometimes follows. The newer generations of college pupils are already slick-tongued and easily agitated. Making it okay to carry weapons on campus can make a normally insignificant situation much more volatile.
The saying goes "An eye for an eye, a tooth for tooth." "A gun for a gun, a bullet for bullet," doesn't have the same ring to it, no matter how you look at it.
It has yet to be determined if less lives would be lost in campus shootings if the shooter was not the only one with a weapon, but, there is the possibility that the same amount of lives will be lost if students don't know how to handle a responsibility that is just as heavy.
If students and faculty at Western Illinois University were allowed to carry concealed weapons on campus, would it be necessary? Would classrooms really be safer?
Knowing that immature, happy-go-lucky 18 to 22-year-olds have weapons in class would not be a comforting thought. For one, students are not the most rational thinkers, no matter how often the title "young adult" is slung around.
By no means is this to say that just because it is legal to carry concealed weapons that students will go around toting 9 mm's, threatening every student or professor that spreads gossip or gives them a bad grade.
Times are not so drastic that this bill should be passed. Yes, there have been tragedies on campuses, but even though we see these heartbreaking occurrences in the news replayed over and over, they don't happen on a daily, weekly or even monthly basis.
If the weapon is concealed and the person goes through the necessary procedures to obtain the gun, he or she may be considered responsible rather than a threat. No one would know who has a gun and who does not, so how would it make any difference if this bill were passed in Texas?
Any way you look at it, it is an extreme measure and people should be careful what they wish for. Guns give people a sense of power, and recklessness sometimes follows. The newer generations of college pupils are already slick-tongued and easily agitated. Making it okay to carry weapons on campus can make a normally insignificant situation much more volatile.
The saying goes "An eye for an eye, a tooth for tooth." "A gun for a gun, a bullet for bullet," doesn't have the same ring to it, no matter how you look at it.
It has yet to be determined if less lives would be lost in campus shootings if the shooter was not the only one with a weapon, but, there is the possibility that the same amount of lives will be lost if students don't know how to handle a responsibility that is just as heavy.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 6
CT-Brenner
Chris
posted 4/03/09 @ 11:55 AM CST
While this opinion is likely the minority on this campus, and in this state, those licensed to carry concealed firearms should be allowed to posses them on university campuses. (Continued…)
turkeyman
Mark
posted 4/03/09 @ 12:23 PM CST
Chris
It was a pleasure to finally read a well thought and intelligent response on this site. Your comments are on target. I agree with them completely, and wished others did as well. (Continued…)
Jim
posted 4/03/09 @ 4:21 PM CST
I'm glad someone is posting some sense in this newspaper. College campuses are already among the safest places in the country (far safer than the surrounding cities in almost all cases). (Continued…)
Jake - Alum
posted 4/04/09 @ 10:47 AM CST
I also think the 18-22 year old comment isn't very accurate.
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