Guns on a college campus – not the correct way to keep students safe.
In 2004, the Utah Legislature passed a bill allowing guns on state property, which allowed guns on college campuses.
I am pro-Second Amendment but not on a college campus. Every person, with the exception of those not allowed to obtain a concealed license, should have the option of owning a gun. To obtain a concealed permit, you must be 21 years old. You can’t get a permit if you are a felon, convicted of any violent crime, any crime involving alcohol or of using any narcotics, any offense of domestic violence, or deemed mentally incompetent.
With that said, no random person should be allowed to carry a gun on a campus. If an emergency arose, it could potentially make the police officers’ jobs more difficult when trying to find the suspect. When people on a campus have guns, it could make the first responders not sure who is causing the problem and who is trying to help.
Apart from the emergency side, there have been studies that show when college students are stressed or drinking at parties, there is a higher risk of suicide if a gun is present. Not every student who has a gun, drinks or is stressed will commit suicide, but having a gun present increases the risk.
A gun can also lead to more violent crimes. When people are drinking in a dorm room or on campus, the presence of a gun can result in a bad ending. For example, a fight breaks out, peoples’ anger and adrenaline are rushing, people aren’t thinking straight, and on impulse, the gun is used. In the blink of an eye, peoples’ lives are changed forever.
The only guns that should be allowed on a college campus are those of law enforcement. This ensures the safety of everyone on campus.
