 "Photo: Christy Klein")
A few weeks ago, I saw a petition that invited people to support the rights of those who are concealed carry permit holders to carry their concealed firearm on campus.
Recently, there have been several mass shootings — all in gun-free zones. Obviously, some murderers do not care about the law and seem attracted to areas where citizens are stripped of the right to defend themselves, like colleges.
This issue is a hot-button topic for the government, as well as individual citizens. The Texas legislature voted Monday on an updated campus carry law. The amendment, which would allow universities to legalize campus carry, is stuck in committee with opponents and proponents fighting hard.
The 2008 Supreme Court ruling in the case District of Columbia v. Heller, upheld the Second Amendment, which states individuals have the right to keep and bear arms. The courts further ruled that handguns are arms.
In 2006, the Kansas Legislature passed the Personal and Family Protection Act, which allows law-abiding citizens who are not felons and have no history of drug abuse or violent domestic crime to obtain a concealed carry permit.
However, psychopaths usually don’t bother to apply for the card or the training course. Nor do they endure the background check. They get their guns on the street corner quite easily.
“Ban guns,” you say? That’s exactly what the violent criminals want. Banning guns turns good people into prey.
A March 13 article in the Kansas City Star informed us about the rapist who has terrorized Manhattan and Lawrence and raped 13 women. He hides in closets waiting until his victims are alone. Now, I suppose we could ban closets. Will the police stop him?
Many people who are against concealed carry are pro-pepper spray. But would they bring pepper spray to a gunfight? I’m not good with foul language, but maybe that would be a defense.
Another opposition to campus concealed carry is that “the answer to gunfire is not more gunfire.” Well, I believe that the answer to gunfire is most certainly more gunfire. That’s why when the police get a call of “shots fired,” they always bring plenty of guns.
Personally, when I first looked into this issue, my first question was, “Can a concealed gun go off accidentally?” Safety features on modern guns make an accidental discharge nearly impossible. There are, of course, many arguments on each side of this issue.
My stance has a lot more to do with walking home from a class or going to a car after a late night than it does with stopping school shootings. However, if you can’t carry a gun into the building, you can’t carry one on your way home. Strangely enough, the State of Kansas thinks I’m smart enough to protect myself at Wal-Mart but not at my institute of higher learning.
Of the 32 students who were killed at Virginia Tech, 19 were at least 21, the legal age to have a concealed firearm. If one of those students had a gun, would the day have turned out differently? While there is no way to know, they would have had a fighting chance.
In case you’re wondering, I signed that campus petition.
Emily Aldredge is a senior in electronic journalism. Please send comments to opinion@spub.ksu.edu.
10 comments
For a moment, think of all the overly angry people you've ever met or heard about in your lifetime. Think of all the people you, your friends, or your loved ones have had verbal altercations with. Now, think of all of these same people being armed with high-powered firearms. Just think about that for a moment. Really run that through your mind. That's all I'm asking.