The argument regarding guns Essay Example for Free

The argument regarding crampfishs EssayThe argument regarding guns on campus has been a hot topic forever since the widely covered tragedies at Columbine High School and Virginia Tech University. Since those and other pellets have taken discover, some states have checkd to make provisions to gun entertaining laws on campuses allowing schoolchilds and competency to arm themselves. However, not all states have been able to pass changes on such a polarizing issue, and are met by heavy opposition from anti-gun groups.The debate is unmatched with deeply rooted emotions for some, as family members and friends have been directly affected by campus violence. No matter which side of the debate you stand on, one has to admit it is interest to look at how past events may have been altered with different gun laws, as well as the possible risks and prevention that provisions could move in the future. On April 16, 2007, a genius gunman killed 32 people and injured 17 others before taking his own life on the campus of Virginia Tech. fortify with a backpack full of ammunition, Seung-Hui Cho went from classroom to classroom murdering students and teachers before the campus police finally broke down the barricade to the building he was in, and he off-key the gun on himself. Although there is not a way to be sure of how something so random could have been prevented, there is also no enquiry in the minds of some that it could have been stopped sooner and more innocent lives saved had there been permission to carrying handguns into the classroom.The response in regards to gun laws following the events in Virginia included politicians in at least 25 states have considered new laws or policies designed to protect college students (Lewis 1) within three months of the attacks. The Virginia Tech Massacre heart-to-heart old wounds and created new ones, all while sparking nationwide interest and debate on how campuses deal with gun restrictions. In 2008, Arizona Senato r Karen S.Johnson, following a scene on the campus of Northern Illinois University, said that the police, Johnson said, respond too slowly to such incidents and, beside, who better than the people staring down the barrel to take action? (Archibold 1) Had there been a student or professor armed during the VTech massacre, there is a peril that the gunman could have been taken down much sooner, saving perhaps even dozens of lives and preventing multiple injuries sustained during the attacks.Further supporting from 2008 were the figures on violent crimes on college campuses for the year. There were 3,287 rapes, 60 killings, 5,026 assaults and 4,562 robberies across college campuses just in 2008experts split up us campus crime is underreported. (Burnett 1) Those numbers support the thinking that m any(prenominal) self defense advocates use in believing they are at a higher(prenominal) risk of attack knowing that most likely someone walking around a college campus will not be armed. Also following the crack at VTech, the Students for Concealed Carry was formed. Within 6 months of forming the group had chapters at 60 colleges across the nation, and today now has over 350 chapters in 46 states. In 2010 a Colorado court ruled in favor of the SCC claiming there were inconsistencies between laws enforced by the state and by campuses regarding the right to self defense. (Colorado butterfly of Appeals 3) Those opposed to the notion of allowing firearms on campus often hang onto the risks that such enactments could possibly result in.Eliminating gun-free campuses nationwide could, in a sense, create very(prenominal) tense and inappropriate environments in schools and brings up several questions such as, Will students feel safer knowing that the student sitting next to them could be packing? (Siebel 1) The atmosphere created by the chance that there are people armed with guns sitting in close proximity to one another could spoil the integrity of academic debate (Ro gers 1) in some if not most college campus settings, much pride is invested into the ability to share differing and some clock times controversial ideas on what could be an emotion stirring topic.School is a place where we depend on being able to speak our minds and offer sometimes controversial opinions in a free and open place, she said. The feeling among a dower of faculty is that this will create a climate of fear and intimidation. (Frosch) The prospect of having guns in the classroom makes many people nervous or fearful for graspable reasons, and would likely lead to less focus on actual instruction and academic participation.This immediate effect could also hold larger ramifications as time goes on with the possibility of affected grades, graduation rates, and possibly even lower enrollment rate from state to state depending on the campus gun laws. However, contrary to this printing shared by anti-gun groups, there does not seem to be any major spike in crime on those camp uses that do allow hidden weapons to be carried, 71 campuses in three states already allow licensed concealed carry on campusdone so for years without a single resulting incident.(Burnett) This leads some to believe that the idea that allowing guns campus would turn them into potential warzones may be greatly exaggerated. Another major criticism gun carrying provisions say that the nub of issues that could arise from it outweigh the prevention possibilities suggested by supporters and would cause more gun related incidents to occur as a result. Critics argue that the guns would make it easier for people however out of adolescence, or perhaps emotionally troubled, to respond lethally to typical campus frustrations like poor grades or failed romances. (Archibold 2) That mode of thinking was supported in 2002 when University of Arizona student Robert Flores Jr. shot and killed 3 of his professors then himself after reportedly being barred from taking an exam by one of his professors . It was determined to be moot and likely emotion driven as police said he specifically targeted the instructors, killing one in her office on the second floor and shooting the others in a fourth-floor classroom as students dove for cover. (Holguin) Of course in the same respect one could say that had the professors been armed some, if not all, lives could have been saved. iodin will almost never be able to definitively determine the emotions and motives behind someone going off on a rampage through a university, however it is not farfetched to predict that someone willing to take innocent lives would not be as likely to follow the laws concerning guns whether it was legal to carry or not.Opposition to the pro-gun stance in this issue claim that the chances of catastrophic events such as the VTech Massacre are rare and usually either goal long enough for armed campus security to respond, or are over before anyone can react. (USA Today) While the likelihood of an attack occurring is admittedly not very high, it would be interesting to hear a Senator explain those odds to the family of someone killed in one of the many tragedies taken place across the country.Also mandatory to take into account is the fact that some reports on violent crime excludes incidents in which only one person was killed or injured, as well as incidents in which a student started shooting, but no one died. (CLAJ 291) Therefore leaving some reports skewed to the notion that an attack is not likely. The amounts of varying factors weighed in the decision whether or not to permit guns on campuses, causes a major divide between stances in the issue. Such a polarizing issue as gun control can never come to complete compromise.Those uneasy about the idea of having live firearms in a classroom are unlikely to ever feel completely comfortable, and those who feel their right to self defense is being violated will continue to do so. Whether or not more states decide to adopt changes to gun laws , there will continue to be close attention paid to the measures campuses and states take to ensure the safety of students and staff. We can always guess what could have been prevented, however much can be taken from tragedies in the past in an effort to deter any future attacks and prevent any more senseless acts of violence.