America has become haunted by the specter of deadly school shootings. As we all work to prevent further tragedy, some are advocating allowing students to carry concealed firearms as a means of defense. But would such measures really make college campuses safer?
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Keg Parties are a Bad Idea
- From Stop Handgun Violence
By Stop Handgun Violence - Public Awareness & Sensible Legislation
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Temporarily insane
"Temporarily insane"? Who, might I ask, are you to make such a generalized judgment about the college population? Individuals with concealed carry permits carry other places on a daily basis, what is it about stepping onto a college campus that makes the "temporarily insane"?
- paaiyan
September 4, 2008 6:43AM
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Side: Yes
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How would background checks fight school shootings?
Current Black Market law only requires that cash be paid upfront on any purchase, including guns. Criminals, terrorists, and mentally ill individuals can buy military grade, as opposed to "style," as in, military looking, weapons, in amounts limited only by the amount of cash they have. This law doesn't show much sign of changing. Laws requiring background checks and such will drive those killers, and their funds, to the black market, allowing it to expand, rather than allowing growth in the legal economy. This will increase the power and standing of illegal organizations and increase the amount and variety of goods available. It's a terrible idea. It does, however, have a convenient side effect. It gives the Federal government a list of all legal gun owners in the event that it should ever confiscate all guns.
As far as "temporarily insane," untrained teenage lunatics wandering around shooting people, we aren't saying that all students should be allowed to concealed carry at all. The permit for concealed carry is actually pretty tough to get, requiring actual classes be completed and passed, criminal background checks, etc. All of that is fine for a concealed carry permit, as opposed to actual ownership, because criminals even though criminals won't bother with the permit, idiots will, and those who would engage in drunken gunfights would be weeded out. Even tougher permits could be required for concealed carry on campus. As far as arming teachers, why shouldn't a teacher have the right to defend him/herself? I don't know the South Africa case, but I'm sure the tension in the classroom had to be pretty high for a teacher to believe a student was pulling a gun out. Someone who had taken classes to get a concealed carry on campus permit would have known to tell him to freeze and put his hands up before firing. The gun is for last chance situations, for example if the firearm is being brandished or fired. You also make the absurd assumption that parents wouldn't want to send their children to a school that gives them the ability to defend themselves, as opposed to sitting helplessly awaiting execution, in the event of an emergency. That could easily be put to the test. Give schools the choice to allow or disallow concealed carry, and see which schools attract students and which do not.
In your final agrument, you make a feeble attempt to justify a confiscation list, that would allow the government to remove the citizenry's last defense against tyranny.
- richardsonkr
January 24, 2009 6:23PM
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You are temporarily insane.
Your argument is so poorly presented that it is close to not making sense at all. Obviously just a passionately heated pile of rhetoric not based on sound research or truth.
I am not worried about some keg pary where someone might be carrying a gun. These parties are completely unregulated and have nothing to do with the argument. The point is protecting our youth while they are attending classes. Something that our police and security systems have largeley failed to do.
Why not arm our youth? We send them overseas to fight and die. At 18 we are considered adults but most of the people I know who carry have been inculcated since a young age about the responsibilities related to firearms.
"An armed society is a polite society."
- jaker277
February 24, 2009 6:31PM
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Keg Party?
You are obviously informed of your "opinion" based on buzz words and statements repeatedly given credibility that have a political agenda.
Did you know that it is a criminal offense in and of itself to consume alcohol and carry? The person or student that does has not gone through concealed weapons training and therefore not legal. We are talking legal law abiding students that should be allowed to protect themselves and others should they need to.
People of your mindset do not find the common denominator in Virginia Tech, Colorado Springs, Mumbai or even the holocaust to name a few. The criminal, and in the one case a government, has found the common denominator. Why do you think the psycho's don't choose our local rod and gun clubs for their killing sprees.
CWC permit holders have a grave responsibility whether a student or citizen. Not only do they put their lives in danger they better be trained and skillful so no harm comes to innocents. The biggest responsibility? If there is reason to pull it you use it and the one to go home to his family is you. There is no such thing as a fair fight. If it is fair the tactics need to be rethought.
What isn't fair is a college campus full of innocents being defenselessly gunned down and their parents with empty beds from lack of one person on the right side of the law not being able to carry.
- Minnesotan
March 27, 2009 12:09PM
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This has nothing to do with keg parties
College students don't drink beer in class and won't kill each other for reaching for a pen. This is about preventing incidents like Virginia Tech and Columbine. Had a single person been allowed to defend themselves (or had the cops actually done something) the victims would still be alive.
Keeping guns off campus won't prevent these incidents because killers will not follow the rules anyway. "Gun-free Zones" only protect the killers by disarming their prey. Even if you can prevent people from taking guns to a frat party, there will still be knives, beer bottles, screwdrivers and baseball bats. The point is that if someone has an intent to harm or kill you, they will find a way to do it. I have seen someone nearly get stabbed at a party and I have seen a golf club pulled out as a weapon. Surely nobody wants to ban golf clubs. It appears your objection lies with alcohol , not guns so why don't you advocate a return to Prohibition? Guns are simply a tool, they are useless lying on the ground. There have been many women on my own campus that have been sexually assaulted; don't they also deserve the right to defend themselves? What about preventing a break-in or robbery? Mass killings are not the only things Concealed Carry can help prevent.
- Nickel
April 29, 2009 3:53PM
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