by Christine Zibas

Created on: November 22, 2008

With the recent shootings and death of students on the campuses of Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University campuses, it seems that banning weapons of all kinds on college campuses would be a foregone conclusion. Yet, it is not. Indeed, some have advocated a vigilante justice in which all students should be allowed to carry firearms to defend themselves in case of attack by another student or outsider. However, the fundamental problem with this logic is that the number of accidental deaths from guns is even greater than planned attacks.

Indeed, there are few places (beyond sport shooting, hunting, and law enforcement) where guns actually belong. A majority of gun owners are responsible citizens, but often these guns fall into the hands of those who are not experienced or have ill intent for their use. Schools of all kinds benefit from a gun-free environment for a number of reasons.

First and foremost is the issue of safety. Living and studying in a gun-free environment ensures that the overall atmosphere will be given over to the true purpose of college: learning. Adding the ability of gun ownership and possession to a college campus adds a new level of stress for the majority of students. It would be impossible to know who owned a gun and how that person intended its use. Many crimes in the US are committed with stolen guns, and this would be just as true on a college campus as anywhere else.

Second, there would be a false sense of security. When a gun is used as the sole means of protecting oneself, people would tend to engage in more risk prone behavior. With the known additive of alcohol (a staple for many college students), the mix becomes very dangerous. With so much drinking and partying taking place on college campuses, adding firearms to the mix is a certain recipe for disaster and accidental death, if not intentional mayhem.

If it seem so obvious that college students and guns are a bad mix, why is it so difficult to make campuses gun-free zones? The single greatest answer is the National Rifle Association (NRA), the lobbying arm of the gun industry. The NRA doesn't want any restrictions on gun ownership in any environment. However, the American public, including school administrators, students, and parents have seen the terrible results of not having a gun-free college campus. Isn't it time to stand up for a change? If only one life is saved by the prohibition of guns on college campuses, the decision will have been a good one.

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