Robberies near campus demonstrate need for fewer gun restrictions

Do you feel safe when you walk on campus every day knowing that there is no criminal carrying a gun around you? There are signs on the front of every door on campus stating that our campus is a gun free zone. The gun free zone policy prohibits anyone from carrying a gun on campus, but this policy certainly did not stop the man who robbed a student at gunpoint on campus at 1:13 a.m. Monday morning. How could this have happened, considering there is a sign on every door on campus stating it’s a “”Weapons Free Zone?”” As soon as the suspect stepped out of his vehicle with the firearm he was breaking the law. Did he miss reading all the signs or, because he is a criminal with no respect for the law, did he ignore the signs and the law, knowing the signs just insured that there would be no legally armed citizens with the ability to protect themselves, leaving thousands of victims for this criminal to prey upon?

Signage stating “”Weapons Free Zone”” does not make for a safer campus — it just makes for easier victims. A concealed carry license holder has the right to protect him or herself at literally thousands of establishments around the state, so why shouldn’t they have the right to protect themselves on campus? Is it because the campuses that allow concealed carry have had an increase in firearm related violence on campus? No. In fact, of the 71 college campuses that allow people with concealed carry licenses to carry firearms on campus, there has not been one single issue involving a license holder. Those who argue that guns on campus in the hands of a licensed carrier make for a less safe environment are simply not stating the facts. Become educated on the issue. If you do not like guns, don’t own one. If you don’t want to exercise your right to protect yourself that is fine, but don’t take that right away from someone that does.

— Coty E. McKenzie, Political science senior