College students packing heat.The thought of it seems almost antithetical to the whole higher-learning, striving for greatness vibe we think of when we think about the college/university setting. Yet in the wake of the tragic shooting spree at Virginia Tech, student groups are organizing all across the college landscape to lobby for the right to bear arms on campus.
I am a gun owner. I also have a valid concealed carry permit. I got it years ago at a time when I was still working for my father’s business and was responsible for making large cash deposits at the bank, and Tennessee had adopted the concealed carry policy. I still carry a gun in my car when I travel and I have guns in my bedroom in the event that I need to defend myself or my family. They all remain safely stored away from my little girl or one of my crazy seventh -grade John Wayne wannabes.
Currently, there are a large number of states with which Tennessee has reciprocity, meaning it is legal for me to carry a gun in their state, as well. Because of this, there is no law preventing me from carrying my gun on the campus of my choice within states that have reciprocity. However students of that university have to abide by their university’s policies and most university’s do not allow their students to carry guns.
My first question would be why should our students have to give up the rights we all enjoy. Now I realize that there are certain institutions in our fair country that require the relinquishing of personal rights and freedoms. Our military organizations, for example, require many stringent policies to which the rest of us do not adhere. But why do our colleges?
Obviously, the criminal element, by their very nature, will not obey the policies and therefore will stock pile as many guns as they please. I know many of you will ponder the merits of allowing “kids” to carry guns, but think hard about this: Where are our leaders of tomorrow right now? Where are the presidential nominees of 2028 right now? Are they more likely to be in college or not? If a student meets the age requirement, passes the background checks, and takes and passes the required classes in order to obtain a concealed carry permit, in my view, she has the right to bear arms in order to defend herself against the next twisted assailant who gets bent out of shape with his professor, girlfriend, or society as a whole.
This is not about my personal feelings toward guns and I respect the opinion of those who differ. The law and bill of rights, however, are what they are at the present time. It is merely a question of fairly interpreting our laws and our rights for all citizens.
*photo courtesy of the associated press
I can certainly appreciate your position on allowing students to carry guns for protection on campus. The last year I was at NOBTS the seminary changed the guidelines allowing students to have guns on campus because of the crime from the neighborhood spilling onto the campus. As a matter of fact, you could legally carry a loaded gun in your car without the need of a weapons permit because the law considered your car an extension of your home. This greatly reduced car-jacking in New Orleans by the way.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, seminary is a different environment than a secular campus. With the rampant abuse of alcohol on or around most campuses (ESPECIALLY UT) I believe from a practical standpoint we would wind up with alot of people getting shot in alcohol related altercations. Any law enforcement officer will tell you the combination of testosterone, alcohol, and firearms is probably a bad choice.
If the real concern is safety on campus, then professional grade MACE or even tasers should be allowed for students. Both are less lethal and capable of being fired from a reasonable distance. Campus shootings typically take place within the close quarters of a hallway or classroom.