2008 Woodie Awards
Point Counterpoint: Should students be allowed to carry guns on campus?
Passage of bill would only endanger lives of people, heighten risk of violence
Derek Williams
Issue date: 2/27/08 Section: Viewpoints
You want to keep yourself safe on campus? Let the professionals keep us safe.
Out of the 50 states, 40 allow citizens to carry concealed weapons and 36 of them ban weapons on government property. Only Utah has explicitly allowed concealed weapons on campuses and government property. In South Carolina, the campus gun bill (H. 3964) failed in the General Assembly.
This is the trend among recent states proposing similar bills and amendments.
Is there a reason for this failing trend of allowing guns on campus?
Yes, for the same reason why banks, churches and other such institutions do not allow concealed weapons.
When do permitted gun carriers feel that their life is in jeopardy, and at what time do they use lethal force in self-defense?
The fear of guns allowed on campus and other institutions confirmes that the victim or an innocent bystander is more likely to be hurt than to stop the threat or criminal.
I for one, do not want to be caught in the line of fire and be at more risk than the original threat at hand.
As the Constitution expressly states in the Second Amendment, "A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed."
The intent of the message through gun control lenses allows those in public defense services and military to bear arms to defend those of us who are not apart of these services.
Does the intent of this statement express the right for individuals to bear arms in public areas outside of their home and property?
The right to defend oneself is regarded as top priority but not within lethal force of a gun, not at the cost of us civilians being victims of crossfire.
The sheer fact of the matter is that guns are designed, produced and sold as objects intended to kill, with no other uses.
Consequently, beyond the need to hunt, states are allowing concealed weapon permits to solve the bigger problem at hand, relaxed gun laws that allow such individuals to perform these random acts of violence on campuses.
Gun laws in the U.S. should reflect those of our European cousins. The UK for example does not consider self-defense as a reason to own a gun. The law insists that an individual who wishes to own a gun must show evidence that the gun is necessary for a legitimate sporting or working-related reasons.
The gun violence here in the states can only call for tighter restrictions on guns, not more relaxed guns to fight guns with guns..
The opinion that we should "fight fire with fire" with innocent bystanders around seems absurd.
Out of the 50 states, 40 allow citizens to carry concealed weapons and 36 of them ban weapons on government property. Only Utah has explicitly allowed concealed weapons on campuses and government property. In South Carolina, the campus gun bill (H. 3964) failed in the General Assembly.
This is the trend among recent states proposing similar bills and amendments.
Is there a reason for this failing trend of allowing guns on campus?
Yes, for the same reason why banks, churches and other such institutions do not allow concealed weapons.
When do permitted gun carriers feel that their life is in jeopardy, and at what time do they use lethal force in self-defense?
The fear of guns allowed on campus and other institutions confirmes that the victim or an innocent bystander is more likely to be hurt than to stop the threat or criminal.
I for one, do not want to be caught in the line of fire and be at more risk than the original threat at hand.
As the Constitution expressly states in the Second Amendment, "A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed."
The intent of the message through gun control lenses allows those in public defense services and military to bear arms to defend those of us who are not apart of these services.
Does the intent of this statement express the right for individuals to bear arms in public areas outside of their home and property?
The right to defend oneself is regarded as top priority but not within lethal force of a gun, not at the cost of us civilians being victims of crossfire.
The sheer fact of the matter is that guns are designed, produced and sold as objects intended to kill, with no other uses.
Consequently, beyond the need to hunt, states are allowing concealed weapon permits to solve the bigger problem at hand, relaxed gun laws that allow such individuals to perform these random acts of violence on campuses.
Gun laws in the U.S. should reflect those of our European cousins. The UK for example does not consider self-defense as a reason to own a gun. The law insists that an individual who wishes to own a gun must show evidence that the gun is necessary for a legitimate sporting or working-related reasons.
The gun violence here in the states can only call for tighter restrictions on guns, not more relaxed guns to fight guns with guns..
The opinion that we should "fight fire with fire" with innocent bystanders around seems absurd.
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 5
Matt Kneece
posted 2/27/08 @ 1:27 AM EST
"Gun laws in the U.S. should reflect those of our European cousins," you say. You're right when you say that England has strict gun control laws, but you fail to mention the fact that England has one of the highest murder rates in the Western world. (Continued…)
Lindsey Walters
posted 2/27/08 @ 9:39 AM EST
Derek, if you go to dictionary.com and type in 'militia,' one of the definitions given is
"4. a body of citizens organized in a paramilitary group and typically regarding themselves as defenders of individual rights against the presumed interference of the federal government. (Continued…)
Steve Smith
posted 2/27/08 @ 10:36 AM EST
"The fear of guns allowed on campus and other institutions confirmes that the victim or an innocent bystander is more likely to be hurt than to stop the threat or criminal. (Continued…)
luther hendrix
posted 2/27/08 @ 12:59 PM EST
40 states have passed laws that allow citizens to carry concealed weapons. The opposition to these laws has evaporated under the weight of the consistently lowered crime statistics resulting from their passage. (Continued…)
Shannon
posted 2/27/08 @ 11:17 PM EST
You want the professionals to keep you safe? If someone mugs you, what can a cop do for you? Your wallet is still stolen, you may still be beaten up. (Continued…)
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