Pro: Guns are tools

Colleges and school campuses should allow for concealed handguns on their premises.

Defending yourself is an American right. It was built into our constitution for a reason. Our forefathers knew the right to bear arms would be significant years after they drafted it for our society to prosper.

People who want to commit violence and crimes will always exist. There is no way to prevent that from happening, but we do have the ability to protect ourselves. This is why when it comes to actually protecting yourself, you’ll want to be covered by an insurance policy like these you can find on this concealed carry insurance comparison at National Biometric.

The number one reason guns are seen as a form of violence and are misused is because of the lackluster training that comes along with gun ownership. Proper training and use can deter many of the accidents or crimes that happen due to gun ownership.

Guns don’t kill people unless they are used by a person to kill people. A person can use anything to kill another person, it doesn’t have to be specifically a gun. Those who are properly trained to use a handgun know that resorting to the use, even brandishing of their weapon, is the last step when trying to handle a situation.

With California gun laws as they currently stand, I know that I would feel safer if there were protocols in place that allowed for concealed carry on campuses, even if it was just for our teachers and staff.

Guns are easy to come by, legally or illegally. All it takes is the effort of one person who wants to commit damage to go out and do so. It really doesn’t take that much of an effort, especially in big metropolitan cities such as Los Angeles.

With extra guns on campuses and schools besides the sheriff deputies or police officers, this means that would be school attackers would think twice before deciding to run on a rampage where they would not be able to find susceptible victims who can defend themselves.

Pierce is a large campus that has around 22,000 students enrolled plus staff. It sits on over 426 acres, which is bigger than UCLA. Shooting sprees happen in mere seconds. Do you really think that the campus’ sheriff deputies can respond in an ample amount of time to certain parts of campus when things can happen in a matter of seconds?

I personally do not. I have heard horror stories of when the sheriff deputies have been needed and their response times lackluster.

In the Virginia Tech Massacre, Seung-Hui Cho was able to walk around freely and uncontested as he executed students. Adam Lanza was also able to do the same at Sandy Hook Elementary. Could both have been prevented if concealed weapons were allowed on campus?

We will never truly know as most campuses do not allow concealed carry permits to be acknowledged and those that do have not experienced any mass shootings.

Concealed weapons are meant to protect the person carrying, but sometimes that also means that they able to protect others around them. Just as recently as November, a passerby saved a deputy’s life from a motorist who attacked him after making a traffic stop. If it wasn’t for the passerby being able to carry, that deputy might not be here today.

Being able to carry a concealed weapon matters. Being able to protect yourself matters. Nobody has to know that you carry and you never need to let anyone know. If it comes down to a situation where I might have to defend myself, I want to know I have every means, especially so I can make it home to my girlfriend every night.