As anyone who is slightly aware of politics in Texas may have heard, it is now legal for a licensed citizen to carry their concealed handgun on college campuses. I have heard the outrage of students and teachers alike as they shake their heads in confusion, and even disgust. I am of the opinion that each person is entitled to their own beliefs and opinions, and that no one person has the right to slander them because they have a different view on the topic. That being said, allow me to take a moment to explain why I support those who believe this is the right thing.
The one question I am asked when someone discovers my position is always, “What are you afraid of?” The answer to this is simple: Nothing. The argument that we do not need guns is both uninformed and dangerously negligent. I am not going to tell you that we need our guns to defend against the Muslim threat or anything as uneducated as that. I am going to tell you that if you really need to see why we need guns, then you need not look any further than the various media stations. Every single day there is some sort of shooting or massacre. As far as actually needing it is concerned, I like to live by the philosophy: I’d rather have it and not need it, then need it and not have it.
Then there are of course, those who state that they will never feel safe knowing someone in their class is carrying a gun. To this argument I would like to point out a simple fact. If the classmate is like the majority of gun owners, you will never know it’s there.
Of course there is the individual who is not like the majority and intends to use that gun. Something that I feel a lot of people tend to forget is that if someone does bring a gun to campus in order to hurt people, they will in fact, do so even without a handgun permit. Allowing students to carry their guns will not increase the number of shootings. It will only increase the rate of preparedness for such a tragedy.
I truly believe that this will increase the safety campus wide. There are those who tell me I should trust the police and emergency responders to do their job. Let me make very clear that I do trust them. However, if a shooter or something similar is not only on my campus, but in the very building I am, it is no longer a matter of trust. That person wants to hurt people, plain and simple. While actually using my weapon is a last resort, I am of the firm belief that if a bad man with a gun will not listen to reason and continues to threaten those around him, the only thing that will stop him is a good man with a gun.
Let me end this by saying that I am a gun owner. Let me also say that I truly hope that I will never have need to use it. Realistically, however, there may very well come a day when I do need it. And on that day, I will have it.
Very well said.