In the wake of school shootings on college campuses over the past few years there has been a heightened concern over the safety on college campuses. Schools have created new emergency action plans, beefed up security on campuses and started training professors on better recognizing problem students. University and college presidents want to do everything in their power to make sure their campus is safe for all. There is one area though that people are split over; whether or not anyone should be allowed to carry a gun onto campus.
This has been a very hot topic over the past couple of years, and it’s one that I am still unsure how I feel about. As of right now according to UNM’s campus safety and security policy weapons of any kind, including guns, are prohibited on campus. Would allowing guns on UNM’s campus really make it safer or would it make it easier for someone to come on campus and start a shooting spree? If someone decided to start shooting on campus would someone with a gun be able to stop them, or would more people get hurt in the crossfire? These are the major questions that legislators are debating.
Some bills are already in the works for campuses across the country which would allow any person 21 or older who has a license and the correct registration and training to carry a concealed gun on campus. And many argue that if any attacks were to happen in the future that even having just one or two people near by with a gun could prevent catastrophes like the one at Virginia Tech. There have even been accounts such as the shooting at the Appalachian School of Law where a gunman was brought down by students that had guns, even though they did not have to fire their guns they were prepared to do so to save lives.
But the question that I come back to is, would I feel safe knowing that the people around me, my fellow classmates, maybe professors are carrying guns? Is allowing guns on campus really the answer to this very big problem? Does UNM need to consider changing its policy toward concealed weapons on campus for the greater good of all on campus?
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You know, I for one would feel less safe if someone was allowed to bring firearms on campus legally.
Right now, if I saw a firearm on campus, I would immediately be able to notify authorities - and maybe that in itself would or wouldn't stop something from happening. But I would prefer that to seeing a gun on campus (concealed or otherwise, sometimes you would notice - an opened bag in class, etc), and not knowing whether or not it was there for the right reasons.
I also would hate to hear of someone getting shot because some normal citizen "thought" the person posed some danger - but I know this can be hotly disputed!
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