ANATIONAL RIFLE Association representative spoke April 24 on the University of Mary Washington campus to a small group of students, suggesting that they and their fellow collegians would be safer if they carried concealed firearms to class. The NRA man was, of course, referencing last April's massacre at Virginia Tech.
That particular morning, 23-year-old Tech senior Cho Seung-Hui killed 32 and wounded 29, then slew himself, in an act of rage that still defies explanation. In the aftermath of that slaughter, many thought to themselves, "If only someone had stopped him sooner."
Had just one student or faculty member had a gun, some have said, Cho could have been stopped before his victims reached 62, saving perhaps dozens of lives. But others believe that an ensuing crossfire between Cho and armed campus civilians could have cost more lives.
This is not really a Second Amendment right-to-bear-arms issue; it is a need and safety issue. Do students really need to carry guns on campus for their own personal protection, and would the presence of more guns there make college a safer place for all?
Notwithstanding the Tech slaughter, the murder rate on college campuses is 0.28 per 100,000 people, far less than the overall U.S. murder rate of 5.5 per 100,000. This means that a non-student is at least 20 times more likely to be a murder victim than a student at college. Also, 70 percent of all murders are committed with a gun.
Within the last decade, the Harvard School of Public Health conducted a random sample of over 15,000 undergraduates from 130 four-year colleges. In that survey, 3.5 percent of the student respondents indicated they had a firearm at college. The study concluded that students with guns on campus were more likely to binge-drink, to drive drunk, and to suffer an injury severe enough to require medical attention.
Overall, the study found that students with guns on campus were more likely than those without guns to engage in activities that put them and others at risk.
Were all states to allow students and others to carry guns on campus, the danger for everyone at affected schools would likely increase. We know, for example, that the No. 2 cause of death for college students is suicide. Some 25,000 college students each year attempt suicide, and 1,100 succeed.
Further, 90 percent of individuals who attempt suicide with a firearm succeed. If we do the math, as college teaches us to do, the success rate of college suicide could increase dramatically if students were allowed to possess guns on campus.
Hey Dex...(posted by
freedomfirst
, May 23, 2008 8:39 pm)
Sshhht about the artillery capability...you'll make some of the posters here get crazier than they already are. Just tell them you were kidding. ( I know you said "capable", but they'll miss that ...
Finishing up(posted by
Dex
, May 22, 2008 4:03 pm)
So, at 51 (back for yet ANOTHER degree), am I expected to be less responsible with a handgun, than I was with nuclear-capable artillery at 20? I don't think so. Look at crime statistics FOR PERMIT CARRIERS, as a group.
Incidentally, most former FIBbies I've met were elitist snobs with no respect for individuals' right to self-defense.
Two Cents' Worth, Continued(posted by
Dex
, May 22, 2008 4:01 pm)
People who want to carry on the campus they attend, are already carrying in other places, including other schools. Since 1995, there have been no shoot-outs between permit carriers in Virginia. Nor, for that matter, have there been wild shootouts in any of the other 37 right-to-carry states. Any undergrad over age 21 (minimum for a permit) has been doing some growing up elsewhere before enrolling.
My Two Cents' Worth(posted by
Dex
, May 22, 2008 3:54 pm)
I'm a student, currently at NVCC. I'm also the NVCC chair for concealedcampus.com. Some information, for the ignorant, is in order. 1. "Kids" can't get gun permits, unless you refer to 21 and over as a "kid". 2. Any stupidity involving alcohol prevents getting a permit for 5 years, or revokes it if you have one. 3. There is no difference between a college, and everywhere else that permit-holders already carry guns. 5. It's already LEGAL to carry on campus. Bans only apply on the campus we attend.
Have you read any of the other comments? “there will be innocent people killed if all have guns” NO ONE IS PROPOSING TO ARM ALL OF THE STUDENTS. I surely wouldn’t trust you or patrick4hp with one. Back your statement up with facts. Explain Utah colleges’ lack of problems with CCW and Blueridge Comm. College. There are no guarantees of life or safety; neither in guns or pacifism. Do you propose trusting the altruism of criminals? I see nothing humorous about it.
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