Gun Control and Concealed Carry

Tim Landgraf

English 1000

14185295

Gun Control and Concealed Carry

The topic of gun control and concealed carry interest me more than the topic of global warming so I decided to switch. There has been an increasing discussion over the use of concealed firearms and if it should be legal at all or not. The first article that I read talked about how students at Virginia Tech University were campaigning to initiate a concealed carry law or have the state of Virginia soften the gun laws. On April 16, 2007, Virginia Tech was subject to a brutal attack which killed 32 people and injured 17. A student started a campaign to have concealed weapons legal in which they can all feel safe and have a way of protecting themselves. “Students for concealed carry has had a two-part mission since its inception. First, members seek to send a message about the importance of guns in maintaining a safe campus. Second, they work to change state policies to legalize the concealed carrying of weapons by licensed permit-holders on college campuses”. This Concealed Carry campaign has achieved national recognition through many student organizations in many different colleges. It not only promotes great awareness of concealed carry but useful information and maintaining a safe campus. 

This article has really affected the way I think about concealed carry. Before, I wasn't really swayed to any side regarding legalizing concealed carry or not. Reading this first hand example of students surviving a massacre on their campus makes you think of what would happen if they had a way of protecting themselves. Having a concealed carry law could certainly make people feel more safe in their university and have a way of protecting themselves if the situation were to arise. Although I could see how an opposing argument could contradict the right to have concealed carry. Violence could actually begin to get higher if people were not educated in concealed carry. Accidents might happen, people could snap and use their weapon that was supposed to be for self-defense now on attack mode. What was supposed to be a tool for safety could also be used as what it was designed to be, a weapon.   I like that you're considering the issue from multiple angles, Tim.  Try to spend some more time considering why you would lean to one side or the other.  What are the benefits of concealed carry (in your opinion)?  What are the drawbacks?  How would you weigh out the pros and cons?  What are some benefits/drawbacks you might not be thinking of?  That is, how might you look at this issue in a different way?

Having a concealed carry weapon depends of the safety laws that are put in place. What are the extent to the safety laws? These safety laws could allow a concealed carry weapon but could put certain restrictions on it. That would make people feel safe if they had a concealed carry firearm or people without. The topic of concealed carry is all about making people feel safer. Educating people about the concealed carry is one way of preventing anything from happening.