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DC COLUMNISTS DEBATE: Guns on campus
Saad Mustafa and Gabe Kovacs
Issue date: 5/1/09 Section: Commentary
Concealed carry will only cause problems at college campuses
Saad Mustafa
• Students and young people are too impulsive to be allowed to carry concealed weapons. Allowing students to carry guns might prevent mass killings, but it would also lead to an increase in isolated gun violence.
• Students might feel threatened by the fact that many of their peers are carrying guns in an academic environment (particularly students who are underage or not residents, and thus cannot legally obtain concealed weapon permits).
• We should focus on strengthening our police forces, whose primary responsibility is to protect us, rather than arming students and teachers as a backup line of defense.
• Frequently, mass murderers have legally obtained permits and guns. Simply making people get permits does nothing to prevent deranged people from obtaining weapons.
Allowing licensed students to carry concealed weapons wouldn't hurt anyone
Gabe Kovacs
• Eleven colleges and universities (in Utah, Virginia and Colorado) already allow individuals possessing permits to carry concealed firearms on campus. None of those campuses have had any gun violence since allowing individuals with permits to carry weapons.
• It is school policy, not state or federal law, that prohibits carrying concealed weapons on campus.
• Allowing students to carry concealed weapons on campus will prevent Virginia Tech and NIU-like incidents.
• To obtain a concealed carry permit in Connecticut, you must be 21 anyway. This policy would allow a very small number of students to carry weapons. It would allow responsible faculty to possess weapons. Most of the 11 colleges that already permit concealed carry are large universities. Permits are available to anyone with proper documentation, so there are no unfair advantages to certain groups.
Saad Mustafa
• Students and young people are too impulsive to be allowed to carry concealed weapons. Allowing students to carry guns might prevent mass killings, but it would also lead to an increase in isolated gun violence.
• Students might feel threatened by the fact that many of their peers are carrying guns in an academic environment (particularly students who are underage or not residents, and thus cannot legally obtain concealed weapon permits).
• We should focus on strengthening our police forces, whose primary responsibility is to protect us, rather than arming students and teachers as a backup line of defense.
• Frequently, mass murderers have legally obtained permits and guns. Simply making people get permits does nothing to prevent deranged people from obtaining weapons.
Allowing licensed students to carry concealed weapons wouldn't hurt anyone
Gabe Kovacs
• Eleven colleges and universities (in Utah, Virginia and Colorado) already allow individuals possessing permits to carry concealed firearms on campus. None of those campuses have had any gun violence since allowing individuals with permits to carry weapons.
• It is school policy, not state or federal law, that prohibits carrying concealed weapons on campus.
• Allowing students to carry concealed weapons on campus will prevent Virginia Tech and NIU-like incidents.
• To obtain a concealed carry permit in Connecticut, you must be 21 anyway. This policy would allow a very small number of students to carry weapons. It would allow responsible faculty to possess weapons. Most of the 11 colleges that already permit concealed carry are large universities. Permits are available to anyone with proper documentation, so there are no unfair advantages to certain groups.
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