“Just say no” just doesn’t work anymore.
Creating a law doesn’t automatically ensure everyone will follow it. With school shootings remaining an all-too-common disaster, the opportunity to protect yourself and others on campus should be granted.
There have been more than 15 college shootings in the United States since the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007. Every shooting has involved at least two student deaths, and the locations were either in public campus areas or dormitories.
Of the 4,300 colleges and universities in America, only 25 have policies allowing concealed handguns to be carried on campus. Students are permitted to carry a concealed handgun on certain campuses in Virginia, Michigan, Utah and Colorado.
Although effective when it comes to awareness, a mass text message will not disable an armed shooter on campus. Police can only be available in so many areas at once, and enforcing lockdowns only ensures nobody can enter.
It does not remove the gun from the shooter’s hand.
With school shootings still occurring, I am never going to feel safe.
I would feel better knowing a few students in my classroom have concealed handguns on them after hearing gunshots in the building or reading a text message about a shooter on campus.
Just because a campus creates a policy allowing students to carry a concealed gun on campus does not mean everyone will go out and apply for a permit. To an extent, almost everyone attending college or university is legally allowed to purchase a handgun, but it doesn’t mean everyone will.
With that in mind, just because your school declares the campus to be gun free doesn’t mean nobody is carrying one.
Perhaps by discussing the most common arguments against having guns on campus, it can be seen where I’m coming from. These include, but aren’t limited to, the detraction from a healthy learning environment, increased risk and shooters not being deterred by concealed permit holders.
Firstly, the healthy learning environment was compromised when school shootings began — and last I checked, they’re still taking place. Just because a student has a gun doesn’t mean he or she is going to whip it out every time someone steals the nearest parking spot or in the event of an academic disagreement.
I acknowledge more risk is being applied when a greater amount of students on campus are allowed to carry guns, but guns do not always equal harm. They are also used for protection and safety. While LSU Police Department’s patrol division is of average college size and has reported some of the lowest violation numbers in the country, police cannot be everywhere on campus all the time.
I also agree shooters will not be deterred by concealed permit holders because the police don’t even instill fear in them. But shooters may be less likely to cause another disaster if they know allowing guns on campus will ensure they will be outnumbered.
We cannot continue to believe we exist in a world where everybody gets along and nothing bad ever happens. Whether guns are allowed on campus or not, shootings will continue. If we cannot take the gun out of the shooter’s hand, the least we can do is be equally prepared.
Marie-Therese Yokum is a 19-year-old sophomore majoring in public relations and finance. Follow her on Twitter @mtyokum_TDR.
 
 
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Contact Marie-Therese Yokum at [email protected]