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Dave Krzeminski | Northern Star
Concealed carry is not the answer
Last updated on 04/20/2009 at 7:41 p.m.
The Texas House of Representatives Committee on Public Safety wants to give students permission to carry concealed weapons on public university campuses in Texas.
The Daily Texan Online reported the bill will likely pass in the House because of its 77 co-sponsors.
While more preventative safety measures are necessary to limit the risk of school shootings, an impulsive law allowing more weapons in the hands of civilians is not a strategic implementation of safety measures.
Legislators should be embarrassed at suggesting that more guns present on campus is the answer to violent crime.
“I do not believe there are risks involved in permitting licensed adults, who are already carrying concealed handguns off college campuses, to carry on a college campus,” said Katie Kasprzak, director of public relations for Students for Concealed Carry on Campus in an e-mail interview.
The organization’s Web site, Concealedcampus.com, is ripe with propaganda encouraging students to support concealed carry laws for their campuses.
What the organization doesn’t address are other solutions that don’t involve violent weapons.
Concealed Carry on Campus demonstrates the closed-minded ideals that preface violent crime.
What Kasprzak and supporters of the bill are not taking into consideration is the general atmosphere of a college campus.
An abundance of young people carrying around handguns not only in class but in the dormitories, on buses and at parties is a recipe for disaster.
Opponents will take offense, claiming that young people have the right to be armed like all other Americans.
They should not, however, be encouraged to bring their weapons to class.
A hostile environment will be created and instigate more violence.
Students shouldn’t have to feel like they have to take the law into their own hands.
Our society implements police and other law-enforcement officers because civilians are not properly equipped with the knowledge to eradicate dangerous situations.
If the legislation passes, what are students supposed to do; sit in class with their hand on their holster in case the worst happens?
It’s an impractical solution to an admittedly hard problem to solve but lawmakers are going to have to come up with a better solution than arming more people.
It will involve the implementation of more law enforcement and security officials in high-traffic areas.
Metal detectors may need to be installed in campus buildings and obviously more money will need to be spent.
The challenge that faces lawmakers is coming up with reasonable solutions that will lower the threat of school shootings and make students feel safer in the classroom; arming students is not the solution.
The positive outcome of these preventative measures will amount to students feeling an actual sense of security, not the false sense that comes with carrying a weapon.
» Next Opinion Article: Don't waste your summer, take a class
Your perception of college students not being responsible is not only incorrect but offensive. I assure people of college age complete most task to the same effect as other demographics and that other demographics make the same number and types of mistakes.
Your article was very one sided. If someone would have had a gun that day other than the perpetrator, it would have likely had a much happier ending.
Concealed carry is known to reduce crime in general.
