Should guns be allowed on the campuses of public, private colleges and universities?
The debate continues on as state legislators are considering the possibility of introducing a bill that would authorize the carrying of a concealed weapon on school campuses.
Gun rights advocates push to legalize firearms on college campuses in response to the latest school shootings, particularly the one at Florida State University this past November.
In my opinion, no one besides a police officer should be carrying a gun on school campuses.
As a natural pacifist, I reject the idea of having concealed weapons in school for many reasons:
1) As a student, the idea of my professor carrying a gun or having one in his/her desk makes me uncomfortable.
2) Guns in classrooms bring fear and a feeling of insecurity.
3) Weapons can be stolen or misused.
4) Allowing concealed weapons on campuses can lead to more violence on campus.
5) It is much easier to shoot when one has a gun.
The gun issue is very sensitive in America.
Gun control laws can hardly pass and go deep into American history when issues of how to regulate them come up.
Historian Richard Hofstadter, in his 1970 article “America as a Gun Culture”, used the phrase “gun culture” to describe America’s long-held affection for guns, embracing and celebrating the association of guns and America’s heritage.
Bearing arms is guaranteed by the second amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
As a result, the United States has the highest number of civilian owned guns than any country in the world.
In some states like Arizona or Kentucky, civilians can openly carry guns like cops.
Where I come from (Haiti), owning a personal gun is the last thing on anyones mind. They think weapons belong to people trained to use them for a specific purpose.
In other countries like Canada, rifles are usually reserved for hunting, and people usually see a handgun on the belts of police officers.
Again, my position on the subject is a reflection of a given culture.
Why people in America trust their rifles so much would be the topic for another discussion.
Some people say that owning a weapon is taking more responsibility for their own security.
To come back to school, I think it is better to reinforce the security system than arming individuals themselves.
The security guards and the school police units are doing a good job so far.
I understand the fear of some people but let’s not add to the problem by introducing weapons where they don’t belong.
