Gun violence has always posed a risk to America’s safety, especially on school grounds. Therefore, weapons should not be allowed on college campuses.
Throughout our country’s past, mass killings by guns have killed adults and children at schools like Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut and Columbine High School in Columbine, Columbus.
From these examples, we have seen that if guns are allowed on college campuses, they cause more harm than safety.
If a student or faculty member wants to carry a weapon with them for protection, they may want to think of accidental discharge.
Many citizens who have control of a weapon do not go through basic safety training. When people do not have basic education of how a gun works, the risk of it going off is higher.
Evan Defilippis and Devin Hughes, commented on an article published by The Nation, titled “Tactical Experts Destroy the NRA’s Heroic Gunslinger Fantasy.”
“A recent article in The Nation warned that during an active shooting, an armed civilian without extensive training posed a greater security risk than a benefit,” Defilippis and Hughes said.
According to Joshua Holland, author of The Nation article, guns can increase the risk of a person turning into a victim instead of being a bystander.
“A firearm makes a person almost twice as likely to become the victim of a homicide and three times more likely to commit suicide,” Holland said.
What happens to a student carrying a weapon has anger issues? College is a time of stress, and at certain times, frustration. If a student becomes mad at a peer or a teacher, and has a weapon on them, it could easily turn into a violent situation.
Along with anger, paranoia is a common feeling. Students who bring a weapon to campus for the act of self-protection may draw it out at a time when there is no immediate violence, causing harm to those around them.
Guns on campus can be threatening to students. Students who do not carry guns may feel unsafe around weapons that are not owned and protected by law enforcement.
At Pierce, there is a Sheriff’s Department and 24-hour security on campus. Students should not have to fear for their own protection, and therefore shouldn’t need to carry their own weapons.
Weapons should not be allowed on college campuses as they pose more risks to students’ safety than they protect.
