Disarming citizens emboldens criminals

**DrDavidM** · 05-13-2008, 10:35 AM

Here is a nice article I found.

May 12, 2008

David Burnett: Disarming citizens emboldens criminals

The Pro Guns on Campus Argument

In a May 6 Times editorial, "Concealed-carry guns have no place on college campuses," readers were told students (faculty, staff, etc.) should not be permitted to carry defensively on a college campus because they're likely to "make things worse."
But this raises a serious question; given that the shootings at Virginia Tech, Northern Illinois, and even the smaller-scale shooting at a Louisiana technical college took place entirely at the discretion of mass murderers, how can wrenching control of the situation away from them possibly make things worse?
When living in the abstract world of "what may happen," it's always easy to paint a worst case scenario. It's just as easy to expect a licensed citizen can draw and fire in defense. If the claims of critics were right, we would see accidents and rage shootings play out in the rest of the state (and country) where concealed carry is legal. Instead, we see the reverse — an online Web site called the Civilian Gun Defense Blog documents daily incidents of self-defense.
Research also suggests concealed carry permit holders are less likely to commit a crime. Given the lengths to which they go to fulfill the legal requirements for their permit, this should come as no surprise.
Critics also claim police will have difficulty distinguishing murderer from defender. But consider the time it takes for police to respond to a shooting. Remember, they must first be alerted by a citizen calling 911, which may not be possible when fleeing for their life, or lying on the ground with a gunshot wound. By the time word is relayed, and police sprint to the scene, the shooting will almost certainly be over. Paramedics encourage learning CPR because of their limited response time. Citizens should trust both police and paramedics, but not depend on them.
This publication has taken the position that certain zones should continue to be "gun-free." Among them, they list courthouses and airports, and certainly there are good reasons for prohibiting concealed carry in the capitol. But these zones are truly effective, because there are armed guards and metal detectors to enforce the ban. College campuses currently rely on signs and ordinances. And it is difficult to accept that an individual bent on mass murder will be deterred by the threat of expulsion.
Students for Concealed Carry on Campus contends that because citizens carry responsibly and successfully elsewhere in the state, they should not be forcibly disarmed in order to fulfill a false sense of security. Disarming law-abiding citizens only emboldens criminals, and stacks the odds in their favor.
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David Burnett is a media liaison for Students for Concealed Carry on Campus.