The Red and Black

Originally posted by

GB

Well said. Guns don't kill people, people kill people.

Originally posted by

GB

Well said. Guns don't kill people, people kill people.

Originally posted by

David

I completely agree with Glenn's article. I am a senior undergraduate and also a holder of a concealed carry permit. I understand the weapons policy and completely agree with its goals and intentions. However, it does nothing to enhance the safety on campus, but rather to inhibit the ability of students to protect themselves.

Some would argue that as students we are not responsible or mature enough to be allowed to have a weapon with us. Well, the reality is that there is an enormous probability that you have seen a UGA student who is legally possessing a firearm--you just didn't know it. That's the point of a CONCEALED weapon license. Outside the realm of UGA we are considered old enough, mature enough, and responsible enough to be granted this right guaranteed us as legal citizens by our Bill of Rights. After all, if one goes through the process for obtaining a Georgia firearms license then he or she should be allowed the privileges and protections afforded by that license. It's like saying that once you pass the driving test and get your drivers license you can drive all over Athens...except while on campus. Improper use of a vehicle can be just as dangerous, if not more so, than a firearm. And it's not extremely easy or quick to obtain this permit. A recent article in the AJC by Alice Johnson stated that a license could be obtained by "anyone who can pass a fingerprint background check and pay the $15 application fee." The process is a bit more complex than Ms. Johnson would have us believe. In its entirety, the application process takes about 3-4 months. The applicant must be at least 21 years old with a clean criminal record. As for the fee, $15 is only the application fee and does not include the price of the GBI/FBI background check that takes the majority of the waiting time to complete--so the total is actually closer to $50, an amount that most college students don't have to spare on something as trivial as this.

The most ridiculous part of the policy is that it is not applied equally to all of us on campus. I know many who fall under the category of faculty, staff, and most certainly visitors whom I would less likely trust with a firearm than most of my peers. However, they can legally have one on campus, while we are to remain defenseless. No offense to the UGA or Athens-Clarke County Police Departments, but they cannot be everywhere at once and are unlikely to make any difference in the first few minutes of a confrontation. Besides, they're just too damn busy arresting underage drinkers to worry with us. It just seems illogical that I could have a gun locked in my truck the morning of graduation and be guilty of a felony; but if it's not discovered until after I leave Sanford then it's perfectly legal since I possess a firearms license and am no longer a student. How does that in any way make sense?

There are also provisions of the policy that are absurd in any regard. Most pocket knives are prohibited and, let's face it, there aren't too many males in the south that don't have a pocket knife. Technically kitchen knives are also illegal, so I suppose we should all plan on eating homecooked meats in very large pieces. And last year a student received a felony charge for being in possession of a baseball bat that he used at the IM fields (yes he had another weapon as well, but in that case why charge him for having the bat? The other weapon I'm sure would have been much more effective.). These are things that I would trust my middle school-aged cousin to have, but according to our administration we as adults have no right to them.

All things considered, I have felt extremely safe at UGA. But it never hurts to have a backup plan in case things don't go the way the University intends them to; and how often does that actually happen anyway?

Originally posted by

Laura

I think there was a discussion very similar to this last spring in the Red and Black comment section. At that time, a number of people offered arguments in favor of allowing concealed weapons on campus. I offered an argument against, and I'll offer it again here.

The primary argument made in support of carrying concealed weapons is that the owner will be able to intervene in the event of a horrible scenario such as occurred at Virginia Tech. I definitely understand this point. At our core, it speaks to the horror we feel at being indiscriminately targeted by a disturbed individual who cares nothing about his victims. But, the presence of concealed weapons on campus is no guarantee that we will escape this fate, and it is very unclear exactly how well concealed weapons will prevent this kind of violence.

Individuals who commit these kinds of campus horrors will not be deterred by the possible presence of concealed weapons. If someone is determined to carry out a horrible act, they will find a way to do it. Last spring, a South Carolina high school student was caught with enough materials to make a bomb. Fortunately, his parents were tipped off and called police, but this situation indicates the determined and disturbed nature of people who are capable of committing crimes like this. A concealed weapon will do no good against a concealed bomb.

Apart from the extreme example of campus violence, others suggest that concealed weapons will deter more common crimes. I have heard arguments from proponents of concealed weapons permits suggesting that, because of my opposition, I am a sheep who can only blame myself if I find myself the victim of a crime. But, for those who wish to carry concealed weapons as a crime deterrent, how will you decide when to use your weapon? Trained police officers often have difficulties judging when force is necessary. How will you know when you are justified? How far are you willing to go when confronted with a questionable situation? Can you trust yourself not to become emotionally charged? I wonder whether Ricky Gear of Bogart asked himself those questions before the tragic events of last spring. The truth of that story may never be known, but, in the end, BJ Mough was shot in the back. This is a tragic example of how firearms exacerbated a situation and took a life. My argument against concealed weapons on campus asks that we leave law enforcement to those who are trained for it, and exercise caution, rather than aggression, for campus safety.