To the point
Should concealed carry be extended to college campuses?
Issue date: 5/1/08 Section: Opinions
Bill Jacobson
YES
There are more than 54,000 permit holders in the state of Minnesota. Permit holders who are students and employees can carry almost everywhere else in the state, but are restricted on the university. They have to be 21-years-old and pass a thorough background check with their sheriff signing off that they are not a danger to themselves or others.
There are 11 universities across the country that allow students and staff to carry on campus. Our argument is about individual self defense, not the Second Amendment.
Colleges are just as crowded as movie theaters and malls. Permit holders have been going about their business normally without any problems. The theories of permit holders shooting out their problems in the streets have not materialized in real life.
People who are 21-years-old or older and have a permit should be granted the same right to carry on college campuses that they are afforded virtually everywhere else in the state.
After the tragedies at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois we learned that police on campus are not a sufficient deterrent and are not able to be there when you really need them. Remember, when seconds count, police are only minutes away.
Paul Crawford
NO
Truth be told, I don't even trust police officers with guns much less the average citizen. Even these supposed "highly trained" individuals have shown time and time again their inability to decide when and when not to discharge their firearms.
How many times has a police officer fired their weapon at an unarmed child waving a water pistol, or someone pulling out their wallet to show identification?
The simple fact is we are all prone to mistakes and human error, especially when under duress. When you put guns in the hands of average citizens, instances like these will surely rise.
In the unlikely event that I encounter someone on a shooting rampage, I sure as heck don't want some guy standing next to me firing back at him with a handgun. The other guy will just let out a chuckle. Then he'll turn to spray us both with his legally acquired automatic assault rifle.
The question shouldn't be whether we should allow concealed carry on college campuses. It should be whether guns are necessary at all. Why should anyone have the right to possess an instrument that's sole purpose is for killing other humans? It seems barbaric to me.
YES
There are more than 54,000 permit holders in the state of Minnesota. Permit holders who are students and employees can carry almost everywhere else in the state, but are restricted on the university. They have to be 21-years-old and pass a thorough background check with their sheriff signing off that they are not a danger to themselves or others.
There are 11 universities across the country that allow students and staff to carry on campus. Our argument is about individual self defense, not the Second Amendment.
Colleges are just as crowded as movie theaters and malls. Permit holders have been going about their business normally without any problems. The theories of permit holders shooting out their problems in the streets have not materialized in real life.
People who are 21-years-old or older and have a permit should be granted the same right to carry on college campuses that they are afforded virtually everywhere else in the state.
After the tragedies at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois we learned that police on campus are not a sufficient deterrent and are not able to be there when you really need them. Remember, when seconds count, police are only minutes away.
Paul Crawford
NO
Truth be told, I don't even trust police officers with guns much less the average citizen. Even these supposed "highly trained" individuals have shown time and time again their inability to decide when and when not to discharge their firearms.
How many times has a police officer fired their weapon at an unarmed child waving a water pistol, or someone pulling out their wallet to show identification?
The simple fact is we are all prone to mistakes and human error, especially when under duress. When you put guns in the hands of average citizens, instances like these will surely rise.
In the unlikely event that I encounter someone on a shooting rampage, I sure as heck don't want some guy standing next to me firing back at him with a handgun. The other guy will just let out a chuckle. Then he'll turn to spray us both with his legally acquired automatic assault rifle.
The question shouldn't be whether we should allow concealed carry on college campuses. It should be whether guns are necessary at all. Why should anyone have the right to possess an instrument that's sole purpose is for killing other humans? It seems barbaric to me.