Three Arguments Against Concealed Carry on Campus

By Jamie Freeze (columnist for The Carolinian, the student newspaper of UNCG)

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I rarely ask for much from my government. All I ask is that they protect my life, liberty, and property. It really isn’t a tall order. However, the crime rates in America make me doubt the government’s ability to protect me in any capacity. Greensboro is consistently above the national average in violent crimes and property crimes. Are you feeling any safer? I’m not.

Now, I have a couple of options at my disposal. I can have the police on speed dial, or I can obtain a concealed weapon permit and arm myself. I know the idea of a conservative female with a gun scares a lot of people, but the idea of a criminal with a gun scares me more. I’m glad I have the option of defending my life and property. However, that option ends the moment I step foot on UNCG’s property.

In North Carolina, it is a Class I felony to possess a weapon on an educational facility-despite the fact that you may have a concealed weapon permit. Your constitutional right to bear arms ends at the intersection of Aycock and Spring Garden. While you have the option of arming yourself against the criminal who is invading your home, you can’t have the option of arming yourself against the criminal who is invading your dorm or classroom. Is it really too much to ask that North Carolina allow its citizens to exercise their constitutional right to bear arms?

The easiest way to scare school administrators is to bring up the issue of concealed carry on campus. One of the most common arguments against concealed carry on campus is that it will increase violent crimes. However, of the 11 colleges that allow concealed carry none have had a single incident of gun violence, a single gun accident, or a single gun theft. Reports also show that licensed concealed handgun owners are five times less likely than non-licensed holders to commit violent crimes. Think about it. You would be less likely to assault someone if you knew they might be packing heat. However, on a college campus, you know no one (other than the police) have guns, so there is no incentive not to attack. College students are prime targets! Unless a police officer is by their side or unless they can take out a person with their pinky, the average college student is relatively defenseless. And if you do plan to take the bad guy out with your pinky, you better hope your pinky is faster than his bullet!

Another argument I often hear against concealed carry on campus is that college students are too emotionally unstable (due to alcohol, a failed exam, a bad relationship, etc.) to be trusted with firearms. I laugh every time I hear that argument because it is so ridiculous. It’s not like I want to hand out guns to every college student. Rather, I want the college students who are eligible for concealed carry permits elsewhere in North Carolina to be allowed to use that permit on campus. In North Carolina, you have to be 21 years old, complete a concealed carry course, and register with the sheriff’s office in order to obtain a concealed carry permit. If you have a history of mental instability or a felony criminal record, you will be turned down. If I can be a responsible adult in the community, I can be a responsible adult on campus.

Finally, my all-time favorite liberal argument against concealed carry on campus is that the answer to violence is not more guns. While guns may not be the only answer, they sure don’t hurt! Simple statistical analysis shows that when gun control laws (which amount to bans) are implemented (like they were in New York in 1911 or in England after World War II) the crime rate goes up. After all, the law-abiding citizens are the ones giving up their guns, not the law-breaking criminals! I understand that crime is a complex problem with complex solutions. However, if one of the proven solutions is carrying a gun, why does our state deny that option to college students?

Don’t misunderstand me. I am not advocating for every Joe Shmoe to carry a pistol to English class. What I am advocating is that the students or faculty members who possess concealed carry permits be allowed to use that permit on campus. College students and faculty are citizens too! We should not be forced to lay down our constitutional rights at the door of a university. If I can carry my gun to the grocery store, I should be able to carry my gun to college.