Persuasive Essay On Guns On Campus
Guns on Campus On April 16 of 2007, a man named Cho Seung-Hui entered the campus of Virginia Tech University. He walked around the school carrying a gun. Seung-Hui shot and killed 2 students in their dorm room. Within two hours later, he had shot classrooms full of students. 30 more young adults’ lives were taken that day. Cho also took his own life after the shooting. Later we would refer to this as the Virginia Tech Massacre (source # 5). Tragedies like this are sparking controversial conversations all across the country. Republicans are working to loosen gun restrictions and allow guns on school campuses. Democrats are fighting for tighter gun laws and for guns to be completely banned to avoid more shootings on schools. The main
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question being asked lately, especially after the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, is should guns be allowed on school campuses for personal protection? In the past, previous legislators have tried to do their part in protecting our schools and adding laws against guns in schools. In 1994, President Bill Clinton signed the gun free schools act. This act had a zero-tolerance policy for weapons and fire arms on school premises. If caught with possession of a weapon, the student would be forced to serve a one year expulsion from the school district and a referral to the criminal justice system (source # 5). More recently, on January 8, 2008, President George W. Bush signed the National Instant Criminal Background Check System Improvement bill. This bill worked on improving the system that provided background checks whenever someone was purchasing a gun. This would prevent mentally ill and felons from buying a firearm (source # 5). Unfortunately in our country, we have experienced multiple shootings in schools. Many take place from the previous century. For example, on May 6, 1940, Vieling Spencer was removed as principal in a Junior High School in South Pasadena California and preceded to shoot six school officials before committing suicide by shooting himself in the neck. More than 50 years later on November 1, 1991, a former University of Iowa graduate Gang Lu killed four members of the faculty, one student, and severely injured another student all before committing suicide (source 5). These are not the only shootings we have experienced in our country. There are several more. More recently we have had to deal with the tragedy of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut. On December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza shot his way past the buildings security system (source 4). Teachers and students began to hear shots fired around 9:30 that morning as the announcements were being read. After the shots were initially heard, Principal Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung and the school psychologist Mary Serlach entered the hall to investigate but were shot and killed. Lanza then made his way to first grade and kindergarten classrooms. A teacher, Victoria Soto, tried to move her students away from the door as an initial reaction but the gunman entered, shooting her and six other students (source 4). Lanza kept moving toward other classrooms. In one, a substitute teacher, Lauren Rousseau had been filling in for another teacher on maternity leave when she and all 14 students in the class were shot and killed (source 4). After police were called, they came and evacuated and searched the building. By the end of this tragic morning, twenty students, ages 6 and 7 had been killed, along with 6 adults before Adam Lanza took his own life. This recent shooting sparked the recent debates over gun control and allowing guns in schools. Since the shooting at Sandy Hook, safety proposals have been made by legislatures. President Barak Obama proposed a Comprehensive Safety Program that would give schools $150 million that would cover adding over 1,000 counselors, social resource officers and psychologists to schools (source 1). The National Rifle Association (NRA) had expressed the idea that there should be armed officials or teachers in every school (source 3). This idea faced immediate criticism from many democrats who are fighting for gun control. Civil rights groups also disagree with the NRA. Some legislative groups suggested adding more police to schools. These civil rights groups think that adding police to schools won’t necessarily make schools safer. (source 3) Representative Mike Thompson stated, “Arming the teachers is merely a response to the last tragedy. The one before that was at a shopping mall in Oregon and the one before that was at a movie theater in Colorado. I don’t think the proper response is to arm all projectionist in movie theaters or all vendors at the mall.” The recommendations to allow guns on campuses even started after the tragic Virginia Tech shooting. Civil rights groups concluded that there is no credible evidence to support that allowing concealed weapons would reduce violence on college campuses (source 6). Judith Brown Piannis (source 1) of the Advancement project which is a coalition of civil rights groups supporting students said, “We don’t need more guns. We need people who can build relationships with young people.” A study of crime later found that out of 30,000 people killed by guns in 2005, only 147 were shot and killed in justifiable homicide, or in simpler terms, self-defense (source 6). Some groups point out that police men in schools could actually lead to more arrests. Minor disciplinary disturbances in schools could end up turning into hand cuffs and looking at jail time. The early arrests for students could lead them down a path of school suspension and expulsion. This would make the police station more like the principal’s office and the local prison more like a Saturday detention (source 1). Educators also have a fear of allowing guns on campuses. There is a fear of injuries with guns in class especially when dealing with immature students. The educators and faculty also question if this is economically achievable to arm teachers and staff members at schools when money from school districts could be spent on supplies or other educational items (source 2). The main subject as to where people hope guns will be allowed is in college campuses. Many college professors point out that many students are alone for the first time. Many students also get into drugs and alcohol and adding guns into that situation would not mix very well. Carrying a gun on a college campus is much different than carrying a concealed weapon in another public setting. “The effects of allowing firearms on campus are not insignificant. Carrying firearms by those outside of law enforcement poses an enormous threat to thousands of students, faculty and visitors on campus.” Politicians think that installing security systems in schools could help solve the problem of school shootings without risking letting guns into the buildings. Some of these are not supported because the gunman of the Sandy Hook shooting had shot his way through the system to get inside. In Virginia, 69 percent of elementary schools, 51 percent of middle schools and 37 percent of high schools contain controlled access systems in order to get into the building. These systems would make it harder to enter the school unlike most today that just leave doors open and tell visitors to report to the office like South Lyon East High school. In Maryland, governor Martin Omalley proposed spending $25 million in construction to tighten school security systems.
These systems would include cameras and shatterproof glass. They would identify visitors and force them to be entered by a staff member. This would improve the amount of security there is on schools and potentially make them safer and prevent any intruders from entering. Although many politicians and governmental officials oppose any idea related to adding guns in schools, Gun training has recently been offered to teachers in Utah. These training sessions have been offered to them for free and would educate them on the proper techniques in aiming and firing a gun so they could be armed in schools. These teachers were required to apply for a concealed weapon permit, go through criminal background checks and leave finger prints. At Colorado State university, after the Virginia tech shooting, the university had removed the rule allowing students to carry concealed weapons. The students were very alarmed. They wanted the ability to protect themselves if the situation needed them to and they felt like that ability was being taken away from them when this rule was removed. The students and student government voted to reject restrictions and circulated a petition fighting for the rights to carry guns on
campus. Some gun rights proponents say that college students should have the same rights as any other American citizen and have the right to bear arms. It is argued that guns could do good for schools because in 1997, a teacher in Mississippi ran to his truck to retrieve a gun and threatened to shoot a gunman who had already shot and killed 2 students earlier. This situation had been prevented from going any further. In conclusion, the debate recently over guns in schools will only get worse if another shooting arises. Is it just an act of terrorism with mentally unstable people? Or is it something that can be prevented if we allow guns on campuses.
question being asked lately, especially after the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, is should guns be allowed on school campuses for personal protection? In the past, previous legislators have tried to do their part in protecting our schools and adding laws against guns in schools. In 1994, President Bill Clinton signed the gun free schools act. This act had a zero-tolerance policy for weapons and fire arms on school premises. If caught with possession of a weapon, the student would be forced to serve a one year expulsion from the school district and a referral to the criminal justice system (source # 5). More recently, on January 8, 2008, President George W. Bush signed the National Instant Criminal Background Check System Improvement bill. This bill worked on improving the system that provided background checks whenever someone was purchasing a gun. This would prevent mentally ill and felons from buying a firearm (source # 5). Unfortunately in our country, we have experienced multiple shootings in schools. Many take place from the previous century. For example, on May 6, 1940, Vieling Spencer was removed as principal in a Junior High School in South Pasadena California and preceded to shoot six school officials before committing suicide by shooting himself in the neck. More than 50 years later on November 1, 1991, a former University of Iowa graduate Gang Lu killed four members of the faculty, one student, and severely injured another student all before committing suicide (source 5). These are not the only shootings we have experienced in our country. There are several more. More recently we have had to deal with the tragedy of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut. On December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza shot his way past the buildings security system (source 4). Teachers and students began to hear shots fired around 9:30 that morning as the announcements were being read. After the shots were initially heard, Principal Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung and the school psychologist Mary Serlach entered the hall to investigate but were shot and killed. Lanza then made his way to first grade and kindergarten classrooms. A teacher, Victoria Soto, tried to move her students away from the door as an initial reaction but the gunman entered, shooting her and six other students (source 4). Lanza kept moving toward other classrooms. In one, a substitute teacher, Lauren Rousseau had been filling in for another teacher on maternity leave when she and all 14 students in the class were shot and killed (source 4). After police were called, they came and evacuated and searched the building. By the end of this tragic morning, twenty students, ages 6 and 7 had been killed, along with 6 adults before Adam Lanza took his own life. This recent shooting sparked the recent debates over gun control and allowing guns in schools. Since the shooting at Sandy Hook, safety proposals have been made by legislatures. President Barak Obama proposed a Comprehensive Safety Program that would give schools $150 million that would cover adding over 1,000 counselors, social resource officers and psychologists to schools (source 1). The National Rifle Association (NRA) had expressed the idea that there should be armed officials or teachers in every school (source 3). This idea faced immediate criticism from many democrats who are fighting for gun control. Civil rights groups also disagree with the NRA. Some legislative groups suggested adding more police to schools. These civil rights groups think that adding police to schools won’t necessarily make schools safer. (source 3) Representative Mike Thompson stated, “Arming the teachers is merely a response to the last tragedy. The one before that was at a shopping mall in Oregon and the one before that was at a movie theater in Colorado. I don’t think the proper response is to arm all projectionist in movie theaters or all vendors at the mall.” The recommendations to allow guns on campuses even started after the tragic Virginia Tech shooting. Civil rights groups concluded that there is no credible evidence to support that allowing concealed weapons would reduce violence on college campuses (source 6). Judith Brown Piannis (source 1) of the Advancement project which is a coalition of civil rights groups supporting students said, “We don’t need more guns. We need people who can build relationships with young people.” A study of crime later found that out of 30,000 people killed by guns in 2005, only 147 were shot and killed in justifiable homicide, or in simpler terms, self-defense (source 6). Some groups point out that police men in schools could actually lead to more arrests. Minor disciplinary disturbances in schools could end up turning into hand cuffs and looking at jail time. The early arrests for students could lead them down a path of school suspension and expulsion. This would make the police station more like the principal’s office and the local prison more like a Saturday detention (source 1). Educators also have a fear of allowing guns on campuses. There is a fear of injuries with guns in class especially when dealing with immature students. The educators and faculty also question if this is economically achievable to arm teachers and staff members at schools when money from school districts could be spent on supplies or other educational items (source 2). The main subject as to where people hope guns will be allowed is in college campuses. Many college professors point out that many students are alone for the first time. Many students also get into drugs and alcohol and adding guns into that situation would not mix very well. Carrying a gun on a college campus is much different than carrying a concealed weapon in another public setting. “The effects of allowing firearms on campus are not insignificant. Carrying firearms by those outside of law enforcement poses an enormous threat to thousands of students, faculty and visitors on campus.” Politicians think that installing security systems in schools could help solve the problem of school shootings without risking letting guns into the buildings. Some of these are not supported because the gunman of the Sandy Hook shooting had shot his way through the system to get inside. In Virginia, 69 percent of elementary schools, 51 percent of middle schools and 37 percent of high schools contain controlled access systems in order to get into the building. These systems would make it harder to enter the school unlike most today that just leave doors open and tell visitors to report to the office like South Lyon East High school. In Maryland, governor Martin Omalley proposed spending $25 million in construction to tighten school security systems.
These systems would include cameras and shatterproof glass. They would identify visitors and force them to be entered by a staff member. This would improve the amount of security there is on schools and potentially make them safer and prevent any intruders from entering. Although many politicians and governmental officials oppose any idea related to adding guns in schools, Gun training has recently been offered to teachers in Utah. These training sessions have been offered to them for free and would educate them on the proper techniques in aiming and firing a gun so they could be armed in schools. These teachers were required to apply for a concealed weapon permit, go through criminal background checks and leave finger prints. At Colorado State university, after the Virginia tech shooting, the university had removed the rule allowing students to carry concealed weapons. The students were very alarmed. They wanted the ability to protect themselves if the situation needed them to and they felt like that ability was being taken away from them when this rule was removed. The students and student government voted to reject restrictions and circulated a petition fighting for the rights to carry guns on
campus. Some gun rights proponents say that college students should have the same rights as any other American citizen and have the right to bear arms. It is argued that guns could do good for schools because in 1997, a teacher in Mississippi ran to his truck to retrieve a gun and threatened to shoot a gunman who had already shot and killed 2 students earlier. This situation had been prevented from going any further. In conclusion, the debate recently over guns in schools will only get worse if another shooting arises. Is it just an act of terrorism with mentally unstable people? Or is it something that can be prevented if we allow guns on campuses.