Guns in College: A fiscal perspective

Jack Howard

James Knitter wants guns on college campuses. He leads the University of Arizona's chapter of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus. He argues that allowing the “good guys” to carry concealed weapons on a college campus can help deter against a possible shooting attack. The fear of gun’s rights advocates is that keeping a college unarmed, you are inviting more crime because you have created an easy picking ground for thieves. On the other side of the issue, police chiefs argue that many concealed carry permit owners have very limited experience with guns and could possibly do more harm then good. They believe that the student’s safety should be left to law enforcement officers who are required to have many hours of training.

While both sides have valid points, there is an inherent issue that isn’t addressed. When you disarm a population and don’t allow them to protect themselves, who then bears the responsibility of their protection? More importantly, who is liable if a student fails to be protected and is attacked and injured on a college campus? Does the college bear the responsibility for neglecting to protect its populous? Does the local law enforcement agency bear the bulk of the blame? Now consider the other side. If you allow a population to arm themselves, you put a lot of the responsibility for their own defense back on their shoulders. A lot of potential litigation and money could be spared if the students of a college or university were allowed to legally arm themselves.