On Thursday, a University of Illinois graduate student entered a lecture hall on the campus of Northern Illinois University, his alma mater, and killed five students and injured 18 before killing himself. The campus shooting comes less than a year after the tragedy at Virginia Tech, the site of the worst shooting in U.S. history. The tragedies have sparked renewed debate as to whether students with concealed-carry permits should be allowed to have their firearms on campuses, which is currently prohibited in Ohio. Readers might remember the much-publicized October protests by members of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, which demonstrated around campus by wearing empty gun holsters on their waists.
We at The Lantern struggle to imagine what it would be like to have guns in classrooms. Would it deter possible campus shooters? Most likely. But what other consequences would arise? As training is a very necessary component to obtaining a concealed-carry permit, it can also be said that alcohol consumption is a common component to being a college student. Although many opponents of campus concealed-carry permits might envision their lectures turning into the showdown at the O.K. Corral, filled with squinty-eyed students watching and waiting with their fingers delicately tapping the pearled handles of their six-shooters beneath their jackets, a very real possibility is that something such as the Mirror Lake jump could turn into devastation. Here is a campus activity, complete with all the alcohol, adrenaline and testosterone that can be expected during a pre-Michigan November dive into sub-freezing waters, in which, should an altercation break out, bullets might replace fists. This would certainly be a worst-case scenario to allowing those with concealed-carry permits to arm themselves on campus.
Although it can certainly be said that the training needed to earn a concealed-carry permit might be one benefit - however bittersweet - to having guns legally on campus, the fact is that no one is perfect. Accidents happen and a fatal mistake would bode far worse for concealed-carry advocates on campus than a shooting would for the opponents of such legislation. Whether trained students with guns could prevent or minimize the deadly effects of a school shooting is questionable at best and as of yet, there have been no examples of the success or failure of such heroism.
We at The Lantern strongly oppose the legality of carrying a gun on campus.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 44
Neal Hicks
posted 2/20/08 @ 10:50 AM EST
I'm less worried about concealed carry, and more worried about people on anti-psychotic meds being sold guns, in this case multiple guns. Take that person off their meds and the anti- goes away and you are left with a psychotic person with an arsenal. (Continued…)
Roger Mcclintock
posted 2/20/08 @ 11:14 AM EST
Your story said "as of yet, there have been no examples of the success or failure of such heroism". Why don't you look up the incident at the Appalachian School of Law? For that matter, why don't you do any research at all before expressing your opinion? There are many incidents each year where armed citizens stop crimes, most of them without ever having to fire their weapons. (Continued…)
Joey
posted 2/20/08 @ 11:22 AM EST
Wow. Take one random sampling of when something might go bad and then attack concealed carry as evil. This screams of a straw man and the lantern staffer who wrote this should be ashamed of themself for doing it. (Continued…)
Brent
posted 2/20/08 @ 11:35 AM EST
The Lantern's main point as to why they oppose the CC on campus is that many students with guns will be getting drunk and firing them at mirror lake michigan Thursday and endanger everyone. (Continued…)
Doug
posted 2/20/08 @ 11:38 AM EST
I am really glad to see the people are at least acknowledge that this is a serious option. However, the points against are completely illogical.
Alcohol consumption is commonly brought up. (Continued…)
Charlie Heston
posted 2/20/08 @ 12:56 PM EST
Let's arm every student and or person that is on campus. Sure it woudl have to be throguh the same process that the state requires for concealed carry. (Continued…)
Rick
posted 2/20/08 @ 1:20 PM EST
It always amazes me to see articles such as yours. To speak on subjects you know nothing about. Remember when Ohio allowed concealed carry? The blood was going to run in the streets, shootouts would be everywhere. (Continued…)
Alex
posted 2/20/08 @ 1:23 PM EST
No one can be responsible for our safety like ourselves. A good deterrent is a populace that will not be an easy victim. The current policies of Ohio universities and schools are irresponsible when it comes to actual safety. (Continued…)
Voltaire
posted 2/20/08 @ 1:42 PM EST
Roger, I think they're talking about armed students stopping school shootings, not just armed citizens stopping any old crime.
slightly more educated student
posted 2/20/08 @ 2:06 PM EST
The person who wrote this article should have done about five minutes of research on other concealed carry laws before writing this article. This article emphasizes the possible problems with mixing alcohol and firearms. (Continued…)
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