A “campus carry” bill is being considered by 13 states in the country. Backers believe armed students will drastically reduce violent crimes like rape and other types of assaults that are often heard about.
According to CBS News , students are “divided” on the issue. Those opposed at Florida State University fear that by giving students the green light to be armed with a firearm, it poses a dangerous risk. Those in favor of the idea strongly feel that crime victims have a right to defend themselves against being attacked.
Students for Concealed Carry co-president Rebeka Hargrove is all for the campus-carry bills. She has a concealed weapons permit but isn’t allowed to enter the FSU campus with her gun. Hargrove says guns will ward off rapists and help students fight back if a mass shooting occurs, which has also been a problem at schools and universities.
Florida State University Police Chief David Perry isn’t on board with the idea of a campus carry bill. He points out that if several people tried intervening in something like a mass shooting, having “two or three or more people with weapons yelling commands, people firing rounds that can’t be accounted for, that’s just not a good mix.”
At this point, seven states allow students to carry guns on universities. Florida currently bans students from possessing guns at school, but a new bill in the state legislature might reverse that, according to the report.
For his part, Perry is openly against public universities in Florida permitting students to carry guns because it would make campuses more unsafe.
“There’s also a culture of drugs, there’s also a culture of underage drinking, there’s also a culture of sometimes poor decision making,” Perry adds.
Yale Law student Alexandra Brodsky helped start Know Your IX, which is an advocacy group that “helps survivors of sexual violence.”
Brodsky says campus-carry laws won’t be effective. It basically comes down to the weapon possibly being used against you.
“We’re talking about why shouldn’t a woman be able to carry a gun to protect herself. But if you’re going to give her a gun, you’re also going to have to give rapists a gun, and I think we can all realize that’s a really bad idea.”
Other states, including Texas, Illinois, Colorado, and Virginia, are seriously looking into passing the measure.
According to NRA Institute of Legal Action, the campus carry bill in Arkansas was defeated earlier this month.
[Photo Credit: The Well Armed Woman ]