¶ … Concealed Gun Carrying on College Campuses
College is a stage in a young person's life that is filled not only with hard work, the proverbial sweat, and often tears, but also with fun, new friends, and new love. It is one of the most carefree and happy times in life, between the restrictions of school and the woes of work. It is unfortunate, therefore, that some criminals feel the need to prey on the young and innocent lives contained within tertiary campuses today. Particularly, the victimization of women in the form of assault, rape, and murder, is increasingly reported. For this reason, an increase has also been seen in the call for the right of campus students to carry concealed weapons. The main argument in favor of this position is that students who are otherwise vulnerable to vicious and sometimes murderous attacks will be able to protect themselves from potential harm. The importance of legislation such as the Nevada Campus Carry Bill cannot be overstated, since it has the potential to protect the innocent and save lives.
The "campus carry" measure in terms of the Assembly Bill 148 has been sponsored by Assemblywoman Michele Fiore, who is also a gun rights advocate (Whaley, 2015). Fiore was inspired by Amanda Collins, a concealed weapons permit holder, to sponsor the measure. Collins was unarmed when she was raped in 2007 by James Biela in a parking garage on a Reno campus. Although she is a permit holder, Collins' argument is that the government should not mandate the choice to carry a concealed...
Indeed, Biela has later raped two more victims, one of whom was murdered, all before his arrest and death sentence in 2008. Had the victims involved been allowed to carry concealed weapons, the crime could have been prevented and lives saved.
Self-defense is an inherent right of which nobody should be deprived, especially when one is part of a relatively vulnerable population such as a female college student (Birnbaum). No person, of whatever population, should be victimized to the point where he or she is forced to remain indoors at certain times of day because of the criminal actions of others. Indeed, law-abiding citizens should have more rights than criminals. This cannot be the case when criminals obtain weapons illegally and victimize those who are not allowed to carry guns of their own.
Indeed, according to Birnbaum (2012), those in favor of carrying firearms on campus argue that the criminals in question would not be as likely to attack college students if they have reason to believe they might be armed. This is particularly the case for more vulnerable populations. Having the right to carry a concealed weapon would empower this population to move more freely than is currently the case. This is the core of democracy, and especially of campus life. It is a time during which students should experience freedom and joy, not fear…
