Should Students Be Allowed to Carry Guns on Campus?

[tippmann7]

Originally Posted by Big Tool

I say yes. It would stop school rampage shootings imo.

Those crazy cowards wouldn't go shooting if they thought their would be bullets flying back at them.

good point

[Father Time]

The most stressful times in my life are when I take off my gun to go to school, (or the hospital.) The potential is there for real trouble, but no way to defend yourself.

[Capt'n Mil Coll]

I say if they demand gun free zones let them have them. Change the law to read for every gun free zone you must provide 1 armed guard for up to every 100 people. So 101 people you need to pay for 2 guards and up. You would find a lot of gun free zones being reclassified to carry ok. Funny how you never see these nut jobs walking into a police station to try to shoot them. Ive actually thought about this a lot. I refuse to go to a restaraunt that wont allow carry. But I still worry the few times I have to go to a mall.

[TXplt]

Self-defense is entirely too important a concept to wholly delegate to someone or something else. It's kind of like a pilot delegating responsibility for ground awareness and avoidance to a controller. Sometimes it's solely your responsibility, but it never goes below a shared responsibility (always involving you).

[Seabeescotty]

I say yes, 'cause Billy said it's okay, and if you don't believe me me, just ask him!

[PONTIACDM]

Originally Posted by FS00008

Hey, I've got an idea. Let's let everyone who advocates "gun-free" zones and/or gun control go and work as a correctional officer (sans training of course) in the most violent and overcrowded prisons in America. What do you think they'd say about guns then?

As a former Corrections Officer in a county jail I agree. I know it was no prison but we held murderers and federal inmates just the same. I only lasted two years before I had enough. As long as the students complete a training course, I think it's a good Idea.

[jmp8927]

I'm all for it so long as each person carrying passes the training course.

[jashoffa]

As a resever police officer, current college student and CCW license holder I say of course it should be allowed.

I have returned to college after being out of school for a few years and I see no reason why I should not be able to carry to class. This is yet one more reason why I am going to be taking the rest of my classes on-line!

[Seabeescotty]

If a responsible, law-abiding citizen is trained, and licensed, that citizen should be allowed to go anywhere, anytime, whenever that citizen wants!

[sell33]

YES!!! I am a college student, unfortunately not 21 yet so can't buy a handgun, but will asap....ie: 1 yr 10 1/2 months. However, i think it would be wise to use frangible bullets of some sort as some classrooms are very crowded. with the number of school shootings the past couple years i would feel much more confortable knowing kids in my class at least have the RIGHT to carry. Of course there should be training and a class, which is standard to get a ccw permit anyway. basically there shouldn't be gun free zones. Unfortunately lots of college students are way out there liberally and think guns are BAD. I have lived in town my whole life, but love my guns, shooting and hunting, and always look up guns at school and almost everyone thinks i am a "hick" or "redneck" just because i like guns. WEIRD

PS....can't wait to see how my persuasive speech on concealed carry goes on Tuesday

[just_a_car]

Originally Posted by sell33

Of course there should be training and a class, which is standard to get a ccw permit anyway.

This is not correct for every state. In WA, you apply, they do their background check and if they can not find anything that would bar you from having a WA CPL (concealed pistol license), then they must issue it to you, by law, within 30 days (60 days for non-residents); this is known as "shall-issue".

I have had zero handgun training (some rifle training at summer camps), yet I go to the range and practice and have become very proficient on my own. Now, I'm not averse to people taking classes to be proficient at using a firearm, but unless you're suggesting the state pay for those classes (which can go for a hundred or many hundreds of dollars), then I don't think it should be necessary to be able to defend one's life.

If you can legally own and legally carry the firearm, then you should be allowed to do so in an Institution of Higher Education, period.

[privateer]

Right or Wrong, here is my feelings on the subject. If you can get a permit to carry, "GET ONE" if you cant get a permit,,, "carry anyway",,,most of us will go through life and never need to defend ourselves at that level. But if you do, You are going to need that gun really really bad.

[boesman82]

Originally Posted by just_a_car

This is not correct for every state. In WA, you apply, they do their background check and if they can not find anything that would bar you from having a WA CPL (concealed pistol license), then they must issue it to you, by law, within 30 days (60 days for non-residents); this is known as "shall-issue".

I have had zero handgun training (some rifle training at summer camps), yet I go to the range and practice and have become very proficient on my own. Now, I'm not averse to people taking classes to be proficient at using a firearm, but unless you're suggesting the state pay for those classes (which can go for a hundred or many hundreds of dollars), then I don't think it should be necessary to be able to defend one's life.

If you can legally own and legally carry the firearm, then you should be allowed to do so in an Institution of Higher Education, period.

One of the reasons you go to class is not just safe handling but also a look at the laws certain scenarios, like when to shoot when not to and just observe.

To get a CHP in Virginia you just need four hours of classroom training and you pay a little more and go thru some shooting techniques and such.

[Coeloptera]

Here's an interesting question to add to the discussion.

Does anyone know of any incidents wherein a CCW holder or other civilian, during a shooting incident, accidentally shot any bystanders or the like?

I can't really find any, and you know I skim the 'net looking for civilian shooting incidents (because I like posting good ones).

Frankly, what I'm finding are incidents wherein LEOs end up firing 60-90 rounds at a single suspect and/or end up shooting nearby houses, their partners, or themselves (no offense to the LEOs we have here, it's just what I find).

I find incidents of gang members firing without regard at a house or target and hitting bystanders.

But I can't seem to find regular citizens hitting bystanders when they're defending themselves from some attacker.

I wonder if there are any existing studies on this?

- Coeloptera

[ArkansasHunter]

Should students be allowed to wear firearms ? Geeez that sure is a hard question for me to answear, though I agree they need to be safe.

If it were allowed then I feel they should wear there hand gun open carry after they passed some kind of rigorus test .

Now yall figure and here's an example. I've got neices and nephews and a son that were 4.O and higher in my family.
I've witnessed these kids while they were in college bumbed out and depressed due to makeing a lower grade than what they felt they could have made.
And some of you have witnessed this or done this.

So my question is would the suicide rate go up with college kids if a handgun was readily available ?

Surely it's something to consider.
A.H

[FS00008]

AH, I seriously doubt it. I'm in college currently and people who get a bad grade or have something go wrong would most likely drown their sorrows in Beer.

[tlarkin]

hmm

I assume we are talking college level students here, since anyone under 21 can not own a handgun in the USA.

Should they be allowed to carry on school grounds?

Man, this is tough. Statistically the more guns you have around you at any one time raises your chance of being shot. Those that choose to not carry also have very right to do so. I just read a story the other day of a man in Florida I think, that got into an altercation with another man on the road. He flashed his pistol at the man in the other car to intimidate him, and well accidentally shot him self. I think he had a permit to carry. Now imagine some jackass who passes the CCW test for that state and then does something similar.

A lot of college students aren't mature enough to even fully take care of them self. I think I am going to have to say no on this one. Higher education should not have to deal with this sort of stuff. If anything they should have private security in every building with trained professionals.

It would only take one accident to prove why you wouldn't and don't need students carrying guns. I know that one accident would happen.

[jmp8927]

^ Tlarkin, I'm gonna have to disagree with you on that one person doing something stupid will "prove" anything. One instance doesn't prove anything except one person was an idiot. Idiots will be idiots regardless of other circumstances. That's why I believe everyone should have to pass the test. It will weed out most of the bad ones. And obviously a background check should be done to be sure the person isn't a felon(and then the government should delete that check and not use it to profile anyone). I think overall it would be more beneficial than harmful to allow students to carry on campus.

[cremley]

I am a university student and I sure wish I was able to carry a concealed weapon. If everyone had a firearm and knew how to use them, there would be very little crime. I guess if there was a shooting at my university, i would just have to get in the fetal position and kiss my butt goodbye.

[tlarkin]

Originally Posted by jmp8927

^ Tlarkin, I'm gonna have to disagree with you on that one person doing something stupid will "prove" anything. One instance doesn't prove anything except one person was an idiot. Idiots will be idiots regardless of other circumstances. That's why I believe everyone should have to pass the test. It will weed out most of the bad ones. And obviously a background check should be done to be sure the person isn't a felon(and then the government should delete that check and not use it to profile anyone). I think overall it would be more beneficial than harmful to allow students to carry on campus.

Guns do not equal safety. It is a simple number games. The current odds of you getting shot while at school is probably 1:millions, it is not likely to happen. I am willing to bet given the number of college students currently enrolled versus the average number of students shot on campus (in the last 20 years) is less than 1%.

Now, you add thousands of guns to the school and I bet that less than one percent jumps up to a higher percentage.


If you enable everyone to carry guns and say 50% of the student population carries them, statistically that puts you in a lot more danger. We all know accidents happen, and we all know that there are plenty of idiot gun owners (just like idiot drivers and everything else). This is not the military this is a college campus we are talking about, they aren't trained to use weapons or combat they are there for higher learning. I bet the rate of school shootings actually raises due to accidents, fights, or heat of the moment type situations. College students already have enough pressure on them, and I don't think giving them a gun is a good idea.