Conceled Weapons on Campus

Of all the things you put in your backpack as you leave home for your college classes a gun is usually not include. On college campuses across the United States the ability to bring a concealed weapon with you to class may become a reality.  A choice that I believe students and faculty holding a valid CCW permit should have. I am not advocating that everyone be allowed to carry a gun on campus only those with a valid CCW permit.

In the aftermath of several college campus shootings nationwide and recently at UC Berkeley, there is a growing movement to allow students and college professors to carry a gun on campus.  The states of Utah and Colorado already allow CCW (concealed carry weapon) permit holders to carry their gun.  The states of Nevada, Tennessee, Arizona and Georgia all have pending legislation. These laws will not allow just anyone to carry a gun only those students and staff who possess a valid CCW permit.  Yes, that’s right a valid CCW permit. A state issued permit that subjects you to an intensive background search. This background search has to show that you are over 21, not a convicted felon, not convicted of any crime involving the unlawful use of alcohol, drugs or any other controlled substance plus other requirements that vary from state to state.

Why do you need to carry a gun to school?  Many students point to Virginia Tech where 32 students were slaughtered by a suicidal madman.  Others point to the case of Amanda Collins a student at the University of  Nevada Reno, a CCW permit holder who was not allow by campus policy to carry her gun. Collins who was unarmed, as required by UNR policy, was attacked by serial rapist and convicted murderer James Biela in a university parking garage. She recently testified before the Nevada State legislature and said, “I know at some point during my attack I could have stopped it. Had I been able to do so, two other rapes would have been prevented and a life could have been saved”.

Both of these cases were on campuses that had university police departments.  However the police was not able to stop the killings or the rape.  In the case of Virginia Tech a legally armed professor or student could have stopped the shooter. This was the case in Appalachian School of Law shooting were two students upon hearing gunshots went to their cars and retrieved their handguns and was able to subdue the shooter and hold him for police. 

CCW permit holders are not asking for anything new just the right to be able to defend themselves if necessary on a college campus.  Dependable Americans, including students and teachers, with valid CCW permits already carry their guns into shopping malls, banks, churches and grocery stores among countless other places every day. Why should a college or university campus be any different?