Concealed Carry on Campus? Every day parents send their children off to school with the expectation that they will be returned home safely at the end of the day. However, with an ever increasing number of school shootings some parents are pulling their children out of school because they feel as if school can no longer offer the same sense of security as they once had. Some schools are pressing for the right for school instructors to carry a loaded weapon on campus. School instructors should be allowed to carry a loaded weapon on campus because it helps prevent school shootings, it protects them during school shootings, and gives students and staff an added sense of security. The first reason why teachers should be allowed to carry a loaded weapon on campus is because it can help prevent school …show more content…
The thing that makes school shootings so dangerous is that shooters basically have free reign of the school because they know that they are the only one in the entire school with a loaded gun. If a teacher had a loaded gun in their possession during a school shooting then they could stop the shooter before they get the chance to harm any of the students or faculty. The final reason why instructors should be allowed to carry a loaded gun on campus is because it gives students and staff an added sense of security. In a recent study it stated that students are 63% more productive when they are working in an environment that they feel safe in. This is because they are more focused on their work and less focused on their own personal safety. When students feel safe and are able to focus on their schoolwork then there is a much higher success
School should be a place of peace and opportunity, but gaps in the system of gun control threatens the safety of faculty and students. School shootings have killed a total of 297 lives, young and old (Slate Magazine). Gun control has been a continuous nationwide debate for many years. It seems that no one wants to take a stance against guns unless they are personally affected. In order to take control of the matter and prevent more incidents from continuing schools need to change. To achieve a safe environment in schools need to educate faculty, safe and students, heighten security, and assess mental health issues.
Imagine the notion of being defenseless against an individual holding the purpose of wreaking mass devastation on the students and faculty inside of a school. In 2012, Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut endured a tragedy that carries historical significance to the notion of shielding those inside of a classroom in a worst-case situation. When twenty-six students had their life taken away during a school massacre, the thought of permitting teachers to carry handguns during class drew more consideration than ever. The safety of the students inside of a school facility may be in jeopardy as manifested in school shootings such as the ones which transpired at Sandy Hook Elementary School and Virginia Tech, where thirty-two students and teachers lost their lives (History.com). While many feel that presenting teachers with handguns may prove harmful to safety efforts, inflicting such standards would provide instructors and students equally with enhanced protection and overall security.
Due to so many school massacres, different precautions are being executing within schools. Active shooter drills have become a frequently practiced precaution at schools. It is important that students know the correct procedures to follow in case someone brings a firearm on the school premises. The deliberation of whether teachers should be allowed to be armed at school is now underway. In some states like Texas, many schools allow their teachers to be armed in school. I
During the past few years, the number of school shootings has increased markedly. In 2013, there were 19 school shootings that occurred, taking so many innocent lives. Some may remember the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on December 14th, 2013. It was the second deadliest massacre shooting in United States history, behind the 2007 Virginia Tech Massacre. Adam Lanza shot twenty children, six staff, his mother, and himself that day. School shootings are tragic. Violence continues to increase with these shootings, as well as with violence within the schools among the students. The big question is, how do we protect ourselves from these horrible occurrences? How do teachers protect the innocent lives of their students? One common suggestion is for the teachers and administration to be armed. The premise is that if the school staff has possession of firearms this would discourage shooters, thereby making the schools much safer. However, it is my belief that teachers should not be able to have access to weapons. There should never be any type firearm on a school property, excluding trained security personnel, such as police officers and security guards.
Numerous studies have been conducted to determine if teachers should be in possession of a firearm while on school properties and if this will decrease the number and magnitude of school shootings. Many scholars believe equipping teachers with firearms will be costly and end up unnecessarily endangering more students, but many scholars claim that a teacher should be the last line of defense against a school shooter. The question this paper hopes to answer is how can equipping teachers who teach grades K-12 help to prevent school shootings in the United States. This paper will attempt to answer that question by examining the perspectives of school administration and law enforcement, the impact on student’s safety and education, the
Guns and schools just don’t mix. Of course, this could be arguable from both sides. Only nine out of our fifty states allow guns on campus. Most private universities have the choice to decide if they want to allow concealed weapons on campuses. As for public institutions with the law in its state, they have no choice. Public institutions only have control of what buildings are limited. There are numerous reasons that it could be beneficial, but it can also be a complete catastrophe just waiting to happen. In today’s society, people feel the need to be more protected because of what’s going on in the world. There have been many reported incidents in regards to guns being abused on school grounds. Guns end lives, so it’s imperative that we understand the rules and why they’re so important. In order for people to really understand the pros and cons of having guns on campus, they first must began to understand its safety hazards, retaliation and prevention mechanism.
Allowing guns on campuses has to be one of the most absurd solutions conceived to regulate safety. Firearms have no place in the hands of staff and students on campus. The idea is totally blown out of proportion because many universities actually considering concealed carry believe the impact will be less crime and more safety, but what exactly does it mean to allow a weapon on college property? People that are for campus carry argue that those with a firearm will be able to defend themselves against any incident that is bound to happen, but what happens when they pull out a gun? How will students, staff, or law enforcement react? Guns on campuses are not a good idea due to the fact students aren't fully mature enough to carry a weapon, they will become inhibited in
Concealed weapons would not only cause a distraction from learning of college students but it will also cause a distraction moviegoers from enjoying movies or office workers from doing their job. This would also would also increase the number of suicides. Research shows that 90% of suicides are committed off campus and most college students 21 and up live off campus. 21 is the minimum age to carry a concealed handgun license in most states. Wondering whether or not the people around in class, or the professors, are secretly carrying a loaded gun is slightly undermining and could be harmful for a positive learning environment. Someone looking to attack a school or university campus is on a mission with little concern for their own outcome, so the possibility of other people being armed wouldn’t be a strong leash. Concealed guns being present in class could serve as distraction and a fear for students, overcoming the gun’s ability to possibly serve as protection in case of a threat. having a legal concealed carry is a personal decision for many people in consideration to their individual safety. This is why handguns should not be permitted on college
School faculty should be allowed to carry concealed firearms in order to protect their students and coworkers in case the worst were to happen; of course after going through the proper training and passing the tests.
The first arguement for concealed guns on campus comes from insiderhighered.com written by Kaitlin Mulhere. She states that so far eleven states are discussing on being able to carry a concealed gun on campus. There has been at least one bill that has been suggested in about half of the fifty states within past few years for guns on campus. So far, seven states have made laws allowing guns on campus. Kaitlin says that there are two views on the issue. One being that it is a constitutional right for one to be able to carry a gun. The second being that it will make campuses safer from shooters and other criminals. It was brought up in the beginning that armed people on campus could commit a mass shooting which worried many people. Kaitlin
Concealed handguns would NOT detract from a healthy learning environment: counter acts point one when the SGFS stated that students would feel uncomfortable for not knowing which of their professors concealed a weapon. SCCC argues that unless every campuses entrance have an X-ray or metal detectors, students would clueless who is concealed and who is not. Point two, only 1% of the population is permitted to conceal a weapon which is 1 person out of 100 people. So the point that students would be afraid and miss out of the opportunity to study when they were not able to carry out a full discussion or heated debate is invalid. Point three, where SGFS stated that in 1999 studied, more American citizens are anti-gun law on college campuses. SCCC argues that these data are old and took place when gun law are mostly enforced in the battlefield at the time of survey. Therefore, it is not valid for today society on gun control issue. In addition, the survey are
This issue of campus carry has been around for a long while, because some people believe that guns ensure safety and others believe they bring danger. While on one side, there are pro-gun activists who want to see the college community safe from crime, on the other side stand the peace activists who want to prevent violence on campus caused by guns. The controversy has been brought into the light of the media recently with UT Austin’s legalization of concealed handguns on campus.
Although eight states have passed provisions allowing concealed weapons on public campuses and several other states allow campuses to decide if they are allowed, instead colleges should take a holistic view and approach to provide a robust security program, safety training, communication network and guidance on behavior awareness for faculty and students. As States continue to pass campus carry laws the colleges continue to funnel the majority of their focus dedicated to passing the law. This has eroded and overshadowed the end result, which is to protect students and faculty. Campuses should not allow students to carry guns on campus. By providing this false sense of security it dilutes the opportunity to implement tools, train and provide strategies to improve campus safety.
Students walk college campuses thinking of homework, friends, social happenings, but rarely thinking about their safety. Students on college campuses are defenseless against an armed assailant because an armed assailant can shoot and harm many students in a short time before the police arrive. There are opposing views about allowing concealed weapons on college campuses, and the debate has been making news lately with the number of school shootings and people getting killed and injured rising. According to Robert Birnbaum in The Magazine of Higher Learning, “More Guns advocates argue that college students and faculty should be able to carry weapons for their own protection, particularly since history has shown that colleges can’t protect them from assailants” (Birnbaum 7). For students to properly defend themselves against armed assailants, they should be allowed to carry concealed weapons on campus.
Allowing the weapons on campuses is risking the continuation for all instructors and students on their duties for example, by them feeling intimidate and not able to concentrate on what they are doing. [For instance, Trump has declared he supports the right to carry firearms in all states enabling students, and visitors at universities acceptable to carry. In addition, elementary and middle schools are also part of this right in allowing adults to carry guns inside campus. But, Trump does not have the permission to dismantle all gun-free zones the act of Congress takes the action towards that decision (Lyons 90). By accepting this law the government is accepting danger to the students because now everyone can simply enter the building, and commit a catastrophe.] [In addition, nobody knows what effect can the right of carry guns will take on public universities. Instructors and