Writing Feedback / Should Guns be Allowed on College Campus? - my finals essay [6]

To EF_Kevin

I have the utmost respect for the law enforcement officers, but let's face it, they can not be everywhere all the time. What is the percentage of 911 calls that actually stop someone from getting murdered compared to cleaning up the mess? I bet that percentage is small. That's why I believe a person has the responsibility to protect themselves.

More people are killed by cars than guns every year. You can drive a car at 16, in Ga, you have to be 21 to get a weapons license. Students on campuses now are not all in the 18 - 22 year old bracket. There are a lot of mature, sensible headed adults going back and they should be able to carry for protection. They typically do not go out and get drunk every night, so that argument really doesn't hold water any longer.

My wife attends a university and she some times gets out of class late. Why do you think it would be wrong for her to protect herself? I don't want her to depend on someone else for protection, why should she. Police can't be everywhere all the time.

It has been shown that all the fear that anti-gun people have never materialize when a law is passed that allows those who choose to carry are allowed to do so. The streets do not run red, it just doesn't happen.

I'm curious though, why are you scared of guns? I bet it's a lack of knowledge and/or experience with them.

And yes, I did go to college. So I know all about the late night beer drinking. Guess what, I had guns then and lived with guys who had guns. Not one time did those guns jump up and kill someone. Not all people are totally ignorant of what a gun can do and they respect that. Remember the four basic rules of gun safety? It really is simple.

If a person doesn't want to own a gun, that's fine. I have no problem with that. But that shouldn't cause those of us who do to have to bear such a huge price in order to do so.

(Posted late and I'm tired, forgive me for any grammatical and spelling errors.)

Writing Feedback / Should Guns be Allowed on College Campus? - my finals essay [6]

While you wrote a good essay, I do not agree with your personal opinions nor do I believe you got all you information correct.

"The Constitution of The United States of America already grants citizens the right to carry guns, and being in the south, I am by far no stranger to seeing a gun from time-to-time, but it is not appropriate for guns to be in a vulnerable area such as a college campus."

Why is it not appropriate to carry a gun on a college campus? Are lives not important on campus? Is there some kind of force field around campuses that protects the faculty and students?

"In Georgia, according to a website called georgiapacking.com, a citizen does not have to obtain a permit to carry a weapon as long as they are not prohibited from owning a firearm."

This is not entirely correct. A person can NOT carry a weapon as long as they are not prohibited from owning a firearm. You make a very broad statement here. Citizens are allowed to have a gun in their home, vehicle and place of business (assuming they own the business) only without a license and aren't prohibited from having one. They can not carry anywhere they wish.

"This permit only costs the gun owner thirty (30) dollars."

Again, this is not correct. I'm not aware of one county that charges only $30 for a license. Most counties are around $80. Which includes background checks to ensure no one who shouldn't own a gun based on history, is able to obtain one legally.

"Should colleges ever allow guns to be carried on their campus, it is highly likely that crimes and violent crimes would increase on a college campus."

Another personal opinion based on not one single fact. If fact, when guns are allowed, the atmosphere is usually milder and more friendly. Those against guns have argued that little myth many times and it's been proven to be just that a myth. When the rights have been given back to the people, blood didn't run down the streets like the anti-gun folks swore it would.

"Mandatory psychological evaluation could easily have given the emotional maturity levels of the person or persons involved in the shootings, and it could have prevented the shootings."

Another opinion. But for arguments sake, let's run with this one. Let's say a mandatory evaluation would be done. You can not say for a fact these individuals would not pass the test. So in order to maybe prevent a small percentage of applicants from getting a license, you want to burden the taxpayer with another tax to exercise his/her right to protection?

"The fact that a gun safety training course is only sixteen (16) hours is appalling when mounted against the numerous times that a child or loved one were injured or shot by a gun going off accidentally. Now compare this to a twenty-one (21) year old college student getting a gun for the first time. Many people, when they get a new toy, want to show it off, and a gun is one of the more dangerous toys around. This college student, with the good intention of just showing the gun, is not thinking about the possible consequences, and he is (even though he has passed all of the state requirements) unprepared for the repercussions involved if the gun is accidentally fired by him or a friend. A comprehensive gun training and safety course lasting several weeks, may be what is needed to fully prepare the college student for many possible scenarios and the repercussions involved in owning and operating a firearm."

I totally agree, 16 hours of training is ridiculous. It should be a life long training course, taught at home or at the range, from parents. If it weren't so hard to legally get a gun, the safety rules would be known for many years before the person were even of age to get a gun. The rules have all but disappeared in the homes of those who don't hunt. You can't train stupid people to not be stupid. Idiots will be idiots no matter what. Yet you again want to burden the taxpayer with more taxes in order to exercise their right. How many hours does a 15 year old have to have before getting his/her drivers license? And yet, when they get the car for the first time alone, they show it off like a toy. That's a 3,000 lb loaded gun.

"Owning a gun is as American as apple pie, and we have been granted this right by our forefathers in the Constitution of The United States of America."

Do you think our forefathers really meant that we have to pay taxes and go through some long, drawn out training course in order to keep and bear arms? People have become so scared of guns that it's become a taboo in most peoples mind. Therefore, safety is never taught. But there are really on 4 basic gun safety rules and they are very simple.

1) All guns are always loaded!
2) Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy!
3) Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target!
4) Always be sure of your target and what's behind it!

Can't get much simpler than that. Follow those rules and safety is achieved.