In this blog, I'm going to explain the reasons that I believe concealed carry should be allowed on a college campus. There are pros and cons to this proposed idea, like any other idea, but in my opinion, the pros do outweigh the cons. As a law-abiding citizen, I am licensed to carry a concealed firearm in the state of Pennsylvania, what I don't necessarily understand is that there are certain bulidings and places where I, as well as other licensed carriers, must not carry my gun. Anyone who already legally carries a concealed firearm under existing law, is no different on campus than off-campus. After all, under current law, armed citizens can carry a concealed weapon into literally thousands of places throughout their state, including movie theaters, restaurants, banks, shopping malls, churches, and grocery stores, and have done so responsibly for years.
"Gun-Free Zones" don't work. Signs around campus that state "no guns allowed" has never stopped a criminal offender from doing so. Through this logic, it is illegal for law-abiding citizens to carry a concealed firearm on campus, however, criminal offenders (illegally as well) will still continue to do so. In fact, no law will ever affect criminal behavior because criminals, by their very nature, do not follow the law. What these signs actually do is advertise to criminals a defense-free zone, removing legal guns and forcibly disarming potential victims. Criminals don’t take time to register their firearms or obtain permits for their murder weapons. Virginia Tech among other college shootings demonstrate that.
Many students would state that they would not feel safe if concealed carry was allowed. Concealed carry was banned at Virginia Tech for this very reason. On April 16, 2007, it became clear that "feeling safe" isn't the same as being safe. 26 colleges (or 70 campuses) currently allow concealed carry on campus, including all public universities in Utah, and multiple colleges in Colorado. According to crime statistics and inquiries to campus officials, there hasn’t been a single reported instance of shootouts, accidents, or confrontations resulting from concealed carry on campus. In fact, Colorado State University’s crime rate has declined steadily since allowing concealed carry. While no one can irrefutably claim this is due to concealed carry, it can at least be stated with certainty that allowing concealed carry does not increase risks to a campus population and may even help. I believe that legal weapons should be allowed on campus, they could very well be the ones that help someone make a difference in a hostile situation.
Sources:
Crime Rates on the College Campus. (2006). School Violence Resource Center
http://www.arsafeschools.com/Files/CrimeRateonCollegeCampus.pdf
Summary Campus Crime and Security Statistics - Criminal Offenses. (2005). US Department of Educationhttp://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/crime/criminaloffenses/index.html
Students for Concealed Carry on Campus. (2009). Crime on College Campuses in the United States.
http://concealedcampus.org/campus_crime.php
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