Colleges Become Major Front in Fight over Carrying Guns - Research Paper Example

? of the Colleges Become Major Front in Fight over Carrying Guns 19 October 2013. It is no hidden fact that colleges and universities all over the US are under more pressure than ever before to exercise strict ban on all kinds of weapons within premises of an institution. Although each state has different gun laws, yet banning guns at campuses remains a sizzling national policy. Student associations favoring gun rights argue that gun ban on campus can substantially aggravate the incidence of felonies since innocent student will be left vulnerable and unprotected. But proponents argue that reduced level of criminal events like sorry mass shootings seen in 2007 and 2008 at Virginia Tech and Illinois University respectively is directly associated with prohibition on carrying guns. Banning guns is also a popular argument presently because this strategy curbs the bravado of emotional students who may shoot their professors dead over trivial matters. Sustaining the right to carry guns is a really weak argument because nearly all states in the US are in agreement that this is a really bad idea. Crime is strengthening in the world at a stupendous and horrifying rate. In such a distressing situation, colleges should play an active and efficient role in the noble fight over carrying guns because staying silent and inactive can potentially result in an increased rate of ugly shooting incidents at campuses. This paper basically aims at contemplating the controversial nature of gun rights, what contemporary research has to say on the subject, and reviewing to what extent colleges are justified in fighting against carrying guns. Research reveals that there is an increased incidence of dangerous behaviors like binge drinking on campuses which is considered by anti-gun advocates as a really good reason to make colleges gun-free zones. Introducing guns into an environment of “binge drinking, drug use and the pressures that college students are under” (Pelosi cited in Ruiz) is a really bad and wretched thing to do. It is claimed that a high rate of high-risk behaviors witnessed on college campuses like “binge drinking and drug use are commonly cited by anti-gun advocates as reasons to keep weapons off campus” (Smeck). Understandably, carrying guns at campus by students in contemporary world is seen in a very controversial light because given the severity of certain really bad incidents which have occurred in the US colleges in the past, the right to carry concealed weapons is seen more as a promising threat of unbridled violence. Only recently, seriously troubled news of murders at Sandy Hook Elementary School generated waves around the US fueling the gun control debate. Only Utah, Colorado, Mississippi, Wisconsin, and Oregon are five states which still permit students to carry guns at campus. Gun advocates in these states still argue that if students are not allowed to carry weapons, other people living outside the law with criminal intentions will get green signal for hitting the vulnerable targets easily getting away with their horrendous actions without being hit in reaction. But it is argued by director of the Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus that “this argument is not strong enough to justify allowing concealed weapons on campus” (Pelosi cited in Smeck). Actually, more threats are promised by gun allowance than benefits. It is claimed that gun violence “disrupts American lives, inflames public sentiment, and interrupts the societal concept of ordered liberty” (Wilson 6). Anti-gun sentiments have been building for past five or six years (Moynihan cited in Smeck) especially since the notorious Virginia Tech incident which involves a psychopath student deliberately shooting 32 students and a professor to death. This is recognized as one of the major incidents responsible for initiating a ceaseless debate between advocates and opponents of gun-carrying rights laws. This tragic incident took place in 2007 and just after 5 years in December 2012, a 20 year old student shot 28 people to death at an elementary school. What were the chances of those students involved in these shooting were no guns allowed within college premises by the administrators? Do we really need to see guns in the hands of “emotionally volatile young men and women and abusers of alcohol and drugs?” (Skorton and Altschuler). Considering myriad lives and families destroyed by such deadly mass shootings, it is critically important that every college’s administration in every state goes all the way through to prohibit students from bringing guns. It is justifiable to say that “guns are little more than death waiting to happen” (Wilson 6). Still, states like Mississippi and Wisconsin allow concealed carry on campus on some conditions. But surprisingly, Utah is one such state which “specifically forbids public colleges and universities from banning the carrying of concealed weapons” (Skorton and Altschuler). This is very astonishing given the violent nature of mass shootings. Following many ruthless murders committed together by the Virginia Tech student and Adam Lanza, the US government’s decision to ban gun rights and not pass a bill that would allow students the right of concealed carry on campuses is fairly understandable. Majority of the public also believes that guns simply do not belong in a college classroom. Gun control is strongly related to sound societal values (Wilson 9) and inability of colleges to become major front in fight over carrying guns can be interpreted as not adhering to social code of conduct. Unfortunately, all college administrators have still not appropriately awakened to the call of banning guns from institutional premises. This is also because despite myriad tragedies, “Federal law is silent on the issue and the states are somewhat divided” (Skorton and Altschuler). Educationists and critics championing gun control argue that policies like creating a national gun registration can be effective in reducing “the number of guns that could be used to kill or injure” (Wilson 11). This is important as even the most ordinary looking confrontation between students can rapidly escalate to using lethal force if carrying of concealed weapons is not brutally stopped. However, concealed carry advocates argue that allowing students with licenses to bring weapons to campus “would enable them to defend themselves and others in the case of an attack” (Smeck). But, allowing students the right to guns is the sorriest way of helping them defend themselves because this decision is fraught with evil risks. People need to realize that “firearms have no place in academic communities” (Ruiz). The cost of losing a beloved child to an armed psychopath at school or college can only be acutely felt by his/her parents. Still, research claims that the number of firearms in the US “continues to increase each year” (Wilson 3). Interestingly, President Obama has taken a very positive step of supporting federally funded research on gun violence which is the research that “for decades has been squelched by the political muscle of gun rights advocates” (Skorton and Altschuler). But, it is certainly not only an exclusive job of the government and official authorities to prioritize gun control. It is rightly claimed that “the piece we need to work on is getting news out to parents across the country” (Pelosi cited in Ruiz). So such strategies should be engineered which aim at changing minds of the people to boost willingness to shun guns. In my opinion, gun control is a very emotional and controversial issue. People especially youngsters are drifting further and further apart from the ethical values and societal norms in the present age. Under such circumstances, allowing the emotional youth to carry concealed guns openly in an educational institution of all places in the name of self-defense is just empty mockery. Proponents of gun rights seriously overlook a large number of disadvantages brought on by allowing guns by fervently sticking to the single factor that guns on campus policy can help vulnerable targets in defending themselves. But, it is important to appreciate that refusing to engage in fight against carrying guns is potentially conducive for mass shooting breakouts which can shatter the quality of educational atmosphere that is the hallmark of any good institution. Even strong efforts made by the most supportive states like Utah and Mississippi who favor gun rights have not been able to convince the government to pass a bill for legalizing carrying weapons at campuses. This is because guns have no place in a classroom. How the gun-rights advocates even after these atrocious mass murders at schools and colleges still possess the nerve to convince the state authorities to pass a bill for allowing carrying guns at the campuses is beyond comprehension. Allowing students to carry guns is not an answer to the threats encountered by certain innocent students. Violence should not be tried to be stopped by starting violence. Instead in response to media and scholarly reports, concealed firearms should be banned from campuses for the sake of public security. I believe that guns and educational institutions should be viewed as fire and water which absolutely should have no connection with one another. Every gun tragedy is followed by an outbreak of hot debates on gun control but every other year or so, we get to witness the consequences of another sorry mass shooting incident. Guns not only put lives of many at risk but they also disrupt a good educational environment. Not having access to guns promises a safe atmosphere where students can concentrate on studies in the best way possible. However, a sense of awareness comes with a good education which explains why highly educated people have more anti-gun views in comparison to others. Given a large body of research evidence, it has become evident now that concealed carry should be strongly opposed on college campuses. Debating otherwise is just a flawed strategy in the name of defense put together by a bunch of self-made philosophers who clearly refuse to acknowledge the level of destruction created by mass shooting incidents and countless angry brawls among ignorant students. A large majority of students also believes that it would not feel safe going to their colleges knowing other people have guns in possession. Even if guns are legal, many students still do not want such things within the college premises which makes it very clear why guns guarantee anything but security. The argument of banning concealed carry on college campuses is winning because in states where guns are allowed, there is greater stress than ever before on private colleges to ban firearms. Colleges are safe with a good and sound check policy and not with weapons. There should be a strict check policy to stop every student from bringing guns on campus instead of allowing them helping them defend themselves and create chaos. Opponents of banning guns on campuses including some US state governors believe that in order to stop gun violence, everyone should be allowed to carry a gun which seems a fairly aggravated and thoughtless answer to all sorry incidents which have happened in the past. Concluding, this much becomes clear from the above discussion that the murders at schools and colleges which were targeted by violent armed students have managed to evoke a sense of urgency and panic throughout the US despite angry defenders of concealed carry. Many US colleges and universities prohibit guns within institutional premises today in response to wildly threatening incidents which have resulted in a large number of murders and casualties. Many state legislatures especially in aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre will at least now consider stopping educational institutions from allowing guns without any condition. This is a protective measure which if exercised in all US states can abundantly assist in preventing the horrific massacres and paralyzing the educational atmosphere. Allowing concealed carry would not give students a chance to stand up against the attackers. It would merely ignite violence and fuel the number of deaths on campus. This is because very few school or college fights are likely to turn deadly and result in brutal murders if a gun is not found nearby. Gun control should be highly prioritized in every state instead of protecting gun rights and this can only be done if high quality educational programs are conducted nationwide to raise awareness about the severity of the issue. Works cited: Skorton, David, and Altschuler, Glenn. “Do We Really Need More Guns On Campus?” Forbes. 21 Feb. 2013. Web. 19 Oct. 2013. Smeck, Sadie. “States investigate easing campus gun control regulations.” Student Life. 09 Mar. 2011. Web. 19 Oct. 2013. Ruiz, Rebecca R. “Fighting to Keep Guns Off Campuses.” The New York Times. 15 Feb. 2010. Web. 19 Oct. 2013. Wilson, Harry L. Guns, Gun Control, and Elections: The Politics and Policy of Firearms. USA: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007. Print. Read More