Guns are one of the weapons that have been considered to be very dangerous over the years but with the advancements in technology, other weapons that are more dangerous have been invented. Several decades have passed since the invention of guns as weapons and as time has been passing, there has been advancement of guns in terms of make, size, and weight among others. Initially, the guns that were made were long and bulky and as such carrying them was difficult. Advancements in technology has seen the invention of hand held guns whose portability is not a factor of concern.
The hand held guns are easy to carry around without anyone noticing that one has a gun. The rapid technological changes has seen guns being considered as protection weapons unlike in the early days when they were considered dangerous weapons. The invention of guns was mainly done for war purposes but with the increased knowledge among the human fraternity, they have been considered as weapons for protection.
The need to improve security as well as self-protection has necessitated the holding of guns by individuals. It was very difficult for individuals to be given licenses to hold guns in the past but as years passed by, it is becoming increasingly easier. Laws are being amended in regards to licensing of gun holders and this has been in the bid to increase security around the world. Several considerations are put in place before one is given the license to hold a gun and this are necessary to ensure that the gun holder is competent enough to possess the weapon . There have been questions in regards to students and the college faculty having guns on college campuses. The following paper would look at whether or not guns should be permitted on college campuses as well as the reasons behind the argument formed.
In 2007, there occurred shooting of 32 people on the Virginia Tech campus and this was a very tragic event. A troubled student shot other students in the campus and this has been one of the reference points towards the rejection of students carrying guns on campus grounds. Since this experience, the state legislatures around the country have put into consideration several bill in relations to allowing the carrying of concealed weapons on college campuses inclusive of dormitories and classrooms. Such legislations to allow the students to carry the concealed weapon have failed to pass on 55 occasions in 29 states. 10 states are yet to look into the matter .
Even though the legislations have failed, lawmakers intend to reintroduce it in a bid to make it possible for students to carry the concealed weapons. According to the constitution, there is no federal law that prohibits or allows guns on campus. Even though this is so, different states have put down measures in regards to holding of guns on campuses. Utah is an exception that allows or requires public universities to allow guns on campuses while 26 states have completely banned carrying of guns on campuses putting an exception for public safety officers. Even though there has been a lot of rejection of the legislation in regards to students carrying guns on campus, gun-rights advocates have gone forward to air their views. According to them, it would be of great benefit when students and faculty are allowed to carry guns on campuses in the same way they would be legally allowed to carry them in other places . Their view is that having the guns on campus is somewhat an extension of the preservation of the constitutional right to bear arms.
According to them, the prohibition of guns among professors and students makes them more vulnerable and, they bring out the point that having guns among responsible students and faculty is one of the measures that would ensure the campus is more safer and would play a big role in preventing mass shootings as the one experienced at Virginia Tech. Contrary to their view, other individuals see this as a bad idea. One of the survivors in the Virginia Tech shootings stated that if other students were armed on that day of the attack, it was likely that more students and others would have been injured or killed during the crossfire that might have erupted.
Even though this was his point of view, gun-control advocates have gone further to state and emphasize that in a broader view, mass campus shootings are very rare events and they go on to argue that an individual who is determined to do such an act would not be deterred with the knowledge that other students have guns . One of the other considerations put in place in relations to allowing students to have guns on campus is the fact that reports have indicated that more than half of the students population around the country tend to engage in behaviours that may termed to be risky inclusive of drinking, drug abuse and use. The use of such substances has been seen to impair judgement. In addition to this, researchers have come to the findings that a part of the brain in humans that is in charge of the brain controlling judgement is not fully developed among young adults.
Further research has shown that there are higher chances of suicide attempts among college students and as such access to guns may lead to more deaths as guns would provide the easiest weapon for ending their lives . University leaders are the other individuals who have expressed their view in relations to the question of students having guns on campus. The university leaders are highly against students being in possession of guns on campus and they also have their own reasons for this. According to some of the leaders, allowing students to have guns on campus would increase deaths and injuries due to negligent and reckless conduct. In addition to this, they put forward that professors may avoid controversial topics in class as well as preventing the students from having full engagement and participation in debates lest an argument that may get so heated to the extents of a student acting rashly and pulling out their gun.
Having looked at the opposition that exists in the question of whether students should be allowed to have guns on campus, we will now look at some of the point that are in agreement in relations to students having guns on campus. The tragic shootings on the college campuses in Virginia that have been experienced in the past might have forewarned some individuals of having the idea that guns should not be allowed to be in the possession of students on campus . Others argue that it might be of benefit for students to have them on campus.
Lawmakers in several states, 17 to be specific have introduced several measures in order to remove some of the concealed weapons restrictions that exist on college and university campuses. In light to this, gun-rights advocates have given their opinion based on their knowledge that easing such kind of restrictions can play a big part towards the enhancement of both individual and collective security on campus and may at the same time deter violence. This is definitely contrary to the views made by a vast majority of individuals as well as college administrators but it would be of essence to consider the argument provided by those who are associated with that field i.e. the gun-rights advocates. As such, there are attempts to challenge the state about concealed weapons laws and campus regulations in the state legislature. The legislations tend to undermine the laws of state and campus and permit all public and private colleges and universities to allow students and faculty to possess concealed weapons on campus .
Basically, the argument provided by advocates is mainly based on the fact that students having concealed weapons may be helpful in stopping a prominent attack or an attack under progress and as such rescue the situation. Taking the Virginia Tech situation as a reference point, advocates argue that armed and trained individuals could have potentially saved the lives lost in such a situation. They further state that the victims in the Virginia Tech attack were left with little recourse due to the fact that they did not have the right to have weapons for their protection. SCCC group stated that gun free zones serve to disarm only those law-abiding citizens who might have the ability to mitigate such tragedy. It has also been pointed out that police response to such attacks is not well timed and as such cannot be able to prevent the massacres.
Gun-rights advocates have gone further to point out that allowing students to carry concealed weapons could be a potential factor to deter attacks that may be experienced in campuses and also lessen campus crime. Currently, the regulations put forward restricting firearms on campus has not played any role in deterring attacks and as such, some activists have pointed out that attackers might reconsider their actions when they have the knowledge that students and faculty are allowed to have weapons.
Lastly, researchers have reasoned out that greater possession of concealed weapons will translate to less crime. This is true and actually is a fact because an attacker will have fear of attacking someone who has a weapon ready for using against them. Many attackers target areas where they consider to be vulnerable security wise and this is the case with the attacks experienced in campuses but ones the attackers know they might meet resistance of some kind, they would opt not to attack.
An individual is usually given a gun license in the case that they are considered to be competent enough to possess them and as such, they may be said to be conscious and right in mind. As such, they may be able to save the situation before it gets far out of hand. The Virginia Tech scenario is a good for example. If there were students available in the scenario having concealed weapons, they might have been able to eliminate the threat before the killings. As such, we can conclude that students should be allowed to possess concealed weapons (guns) on campuses. This might play a big role towards improving security in campuses both for individuals and for the campus as a whole. Those having licenses should be allowed to carry around their weapon on campus the same way they are allowed to carry them in public.
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