States consider allowing college students and faculty to carry weapons on campus

Nick Daley | Managing Editor

Let’s begin with a hypothetical: It’s a typical sunny day outside and you and your friends decide to enjoy an ice cold Snapple. You all eagerly twist off your caps to unveil the unknown factoid that lies underneath and share it with the group.

- “Hey, did you know almonds are part of the peach family?”
- “No, but get this. Mosquitoes have 47 teeth!”
- “Wow. Mine says that the state of Utah is the only state in the United States to allow students to carry guns on public college campuses.”
- “Wait…what?”

It’s true. In the state of Utah, students and faculty can carry guns at all public colleges. The law was first established in 2006, allowing anyone who is 21 to carry a concealed weapon with a permit - including on college campuses. And, in light of the recent number of school shootings across the nation, Utah is quickly becoming a model that many other states are working to emulate.

We are all familiar with the shooting rampages that have occurred within the last year. The Virginia Tech massacre on April 16, 2007, by Cho Seung-Hui, left 33 students and faculty dead, making it the deadliest shooting rampage ever on U.S. soil. And more recently, the shooting at Northern Illinois University by Steven Kazmierczak claimed the lives of six people on Feb. 14.

It is because of campus shootings like these that many students and faculty members are pushing for legislation in their home states that would allow them to carry weapons on campus. In fact, there are currently bills relating to concealed weapons possession on public college campuses pending in Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.

I find this to be a terrible, illogical idea. First off, how is allowing more guns on campus going to reduce the number of school shootings? Second, how long do you think it will be before someone misinterprets a situation and uses deadly force, only to later find out that there was really no threat? And finally, according to a study by the Brady Campaign, trained New York police officers hit their targets only eight percent of the time; so how accurate do you think a college student is? And what are the other 92 percent hitting?

Much of the support for these bills is coming from Students for Concealed Carry on Campus (SCCC). The SCCC currently has more than 20,000 members, made up of students, faculty, parents and other concerned citizens. Their Facebook group explains, “In the wake of recent school shootings, such as the massacre at Virginia Tech, SCCC contends it is now abundantly clear that ‘gun free zones’ serve to disarm only those law abiding citizens who might be able to mitigate such tragedies.” According to the SCCC Web site, there are no members from Vermont or New Hampshire.

The SCCC’s attempts to defend their position are lackluster at best. In response to the argument that more guns equal more violence, they say, “Since the fall semester of 2006, state law in Utah has allowed licensed individuals to carry concealed handguns on the campuses of all public colleges…This has yet to result in a single act of violence at any of these schools.”

Amazing. In the 13 public colleges in Utah there were no shootings. That is impressive. So the SCCC’s test is that in the 13 colleges that Utah’s gun-carrying policy effects, there were no incidents. That is not even a sample of this country’s colleges…in fact, it’s not even a mentionable percentage of the public colleges in this country.

Here are some useful numbers for you. A U.S. Justice Department study published in December 2003 found that college students were affected by violence nearly 20 percent less than non-students of the same age. The study also showed that 93 percent of violent incidents against students happen off-campus, and guns were present in only nine percent of all violent victimizations against college students. In a nutshell – having fewer guns on campus means a safer environment for students.

Now I understand the reasons for concern. If a gunman entered a classroom here at St. Michael’s, we would all be left helpless. And perhaps some campus shootings could be prevented if the shooter knew that students could carry on campus. But I ask you, what is a greater danger? Putting guns in the hands of more students for “just-in-case” purposes, or that off-chance that someone will open fire at your school?

I’m not trying to downplay the risks of school shootings, but you have a better chance of being killed in a car accident than you do on a college campus. Allowing more guns on more campuses in more states can only lead to more violence, more shootings and more deaths. I pray these states do not adopt Utah’s legislation - I fear it may actually give us some more numbers to make the SCCC ashamed.

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