Opinion: Should firearms be allowed on college campuses?

By Michael H. on March 16, 2012

photo from flickr.com, uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/photos/alancleaver/3674434567/

After a recent streak of robberies in the area surrounding my college campus including the armed robbery in Spartan Village, and a recent homicide in Flint (about 15 minutes north of my hometown) the idea of obtaining my Concealed Pistol License (CPL) when I graduate has become a very real consideration.

I have also begun to question whether or not it is safe for college students to be on-campus late without some form of protection. While some might argue that the police fill that need, they are just a responsive force. In places like Flint, many residents joke that you are better off calling the pizza delivery guy instead of the police. There is no feasible way for the police to be everywhere and protect everyone without entering into some serious “Big Brother” consequences. Often, the police arrive too late and the crime has already been committed.

Others would argue for more extensive gun laws. The problem with that argument is that you’re only taking guns away from those who would use them lawfully for self-defense. If the offender is already using a firearm to commit a crime then it is unlikely that making possession of that firearm illegal will act as a deterrent. As Americans have seen before, prohibiting something simply because we believe it to be dangerous can cause even more damage (see also: Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and organized crime).

This is not to say that I believe anyone and everyone should be handed a gun. That would be an irrational argument that would make me feel far more insecure. However, I do feel that if more citizens chose to exercise their right to bear arms they could help deter criminals from taking action.

I am lucky enough to live in a state where I have the right to “open carry” a firearm in any areas that don’t display signs asking patrons not to enter with a weapon. Some citizens are not this lucky. Some who choose to open carry feel that they are less at risk of being attacked or victimized because a criminal is less likely to target someone who is visibly armed. If more people were armed in this fashion, it might make someone (at least, anyone with a reasonable level of intelligence) think twice about performing a crime. Some campuses  (this varies with each campus, so ask the local PD if you’re interested in doing s0) allow CPL holders to concealed carry firearms in open areas, but if you have to go into a building then you cannot bring your firearm with you. To my knowledge, there are no campuses that would allow you to carry openly.

At college campuses, students are easy targets because they cannot defend themselves. Those of us who have taken the time to learn a martial art are slightly more capable of self-defense, but our fists are still no match against a bullet. Lansing, a nearby city to Michigan State, is no slouch when it comes to crime. It doesn’t have the intensity that comes from Flint or Detroit, but the crime still exists. As criminals become more desperate and ruthless, colleges should consider allowing students to register themselves and their firearms with the school if they wish to carry on-campus with a CPL. Another option they could enact: specific late-night hours in which students (again, those who have registered their CPL and their firearms with the school) are allowed to carry.

No one should be left incapable of defending themselves from those who wish to do them harm.

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