Should Gun Control Be Allowed With Legal Concealed Carry Weapons On Their Respective Campuses?

In order to ensure the safety of all students and faculty on campus, as advisors to the governor we are proposing legislation to allow individuals with legal concealed carry permits to carry weapons on their respective campuses. By passing this legislation the people that will be most affected by these changes is the students and faculty of the schools. The following policy is to ensure the safety of everyone involved in academia so that they can have a safe educational experience. To make sure that the policy is effectively executed it is dependent upon the cooperation of the schools administration and police department. In order to implement these changes there must be a change in the current Tennessee code annotated section 39-17-1309 (TCA 39-17-1309). The primary goal for allowing guns on college campuses is that individuals have the means to protect themselves in the case of an active shooter on campus. It has been shown that gun-free zones do not have the intended effect that is wanted and that by having them it is just an invitation for sick people to perform their atrocities and leave innocent victims with no way of defending themselves. (Teeple, Thompson, & Price, 2012) The presence of firearms carried by law abiding citizens has been shown to decrease crime in the area that they were allowed to be. One study has shown that, “Allowing citizens without criminal records or histories of significant mental illness to carry concealed handguns deters violent crimes.” (Lott, Jr & Mustard, 1997) There are a few negative aspects from allowing firearms on college campuses. Many who oppose firearms on campus believe that it will increase crime rates at school and put students more at risk of being victimized. Faculty members fear that students who are agitated about their grades will be more inclined to use a firearm against them. This fear has even led to one University of Texas professor to resign citing that he would not feel safe in a classroom that allowed guns. (Nagourney & Turkewitz, 2015)Another reason for the opposition to firearms on campus is believed that it would increase the suicide rate among students at school. “College students are at elevated risk of firearm suicide: The firearm suicide rate of 18 to 21 year-olds is nine times higher than the firearm suicide rate of people 17 and under. And suicide attempts with guns are far more successful than other suicide attempts.” (Everytown For Gun Safety, n.d.) While there are many other issues in this debate on both sides, in this case it is believed that the pros outweigh the cons and that for the safety of both the students and faculty those who have a legal concealed carry permit should be allowed to carry firearms on campus. The following is the proposed legislation for allowing students and faculty to carry concealed firearms: 1. That all students and faculty with valid concealed carry permits from the state of Tennessee be allowed to carry firearms on their respective on campus for their own safety, along with the safety of others. 2. The person(s) that wish to carry their firearm must register that firearm with the campus police department and must fall these specific categories of firearms: - Guns allowed in and through the policy: semi-automatic hand, .45 Caliber or lower, excluding extended magazine and limited to