http://media.www.thepinelog.com/media/s ... 4230.shtml
Guns create a wide range of feelings. For some, guns provide protection and safety; for others, guns instill fear and caution. Some people use guns for entertainment while others use them to intimidate and control.
Where do guns belong, and at what level do they need to be controlled?
With recent tragedies like the Virginia Tech shooting, gun advocates and their counterparts have fiercely argued the issues concerning gun-violence and a civilian's right to carry concealed weapons. College campuses have come to the front in this heated battle.
On both sides of the argument, a person's safety is the primary concern.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the laws governing concealed weapons restrict any civilian from carrying a firearm "on the physical premises of a school of educational institution." By law, any perpetrator will be charged with a felony.
SFA reinforces the law with specific prohibitions concerning weapons. The university policy states: "Firearms, ammunition, explosive devices, or illegal knives may not be brought on the campus, property, or a passenger vehicle which is owned, leased, or operated by the university."
According to UPD's crime statistics, no weapons violations resulted in arrests between 2004 and 2007. In that same time frame, however, 11 weapons violations required campus disciplinary action. There is a history of students possessing weapons but not necessarily using the weapons in a crime.
Michael Preston, director of student life at SFA, said he believes college campuses are generally safe.
"Every year University Police seize weapons on campus," he said. "Whether or not they were intended for use is undetermined. Violence happens on campus; sexual assaults do happen, but they are rare."
Advocates for concealed handguns do not feel that college campuses are safe enough. The argument for self-protection is fueled by numerous examples and hypothetical scenarios. http://Www.concealedcarry.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, a commercial Web site that offers links to everything from weapons and holsters to on-line education, offers the opinion that, "Notebooks didn't stop bullets at VT. Return fire would have."
Many people who support concealed carry laws believe their personal safety cannot be entrusted to others. They cite national studies to reinforce their arguments: "According to a U.S. Secret Service story into 37 school shootings, 'Over half of the attacks were resolved/ended before law enforcement responded to the scene.' The study found that only three of the 37 school shootings researched involved shots being fired by law enforcement officers." (http://www.concealedcarry.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.)
"I'm not saying that everyone should carry a gun," Caroline Riettini, Houston junior, said. "If someone has taken handgun classes, received their license and is comfortable enough to carry a concealed gun, they should be able to do so."
In Texas, civilians with a concealed handgun license are allowed to carry their firearm in most public settings with few limitations. Federal buildings (such a courthouses,) secure locations within airports, businesses with 51 percent of sales attributed to alcohol and any school property are off limits.
Because of the recent violence in schools across the country, gun advocates want colleges and universities to allow students to provide their own protection.
But Preston is not sure that would solve the problems.
"Thirty-eight states have not had a multiple homicide at a college campus," he said. "Who knows if concealed carry could stop or deter a gunman. You'd have to have a student in the right classroom, right day, with a gun and the confidence to take down the shooter."
Campus carry is not about the safe times, it's about the unsafe times. Sheez!