The Second Amendment of the Constitution reads, “[T]he right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” As an American citizen, I support the Second Amendment and believe in the right to own a gun for protection. I recognize not all gun owners act responsibly, and I worry if a mass shooting occurs on campus, inexperienced concealed firearm carriers may harm innocent bystanders.
In response to the Aug. 30 article “Gun control ensures students feel in control,” I disagree with the statement, “Students who have concealed carry permits…[are] willing to take down an active shooter.”
In Oct. 2016, Johns Hopkins published research regarding guns on college campuses and reported, “Successful civilian uses of guns to stop a mass shooting were incredibly rare and about as common as armed civilians being shot while attempting to respond to mass shooting incidents.” Concealed firearms concern me because not everyone has the maturity and/or experience in handling a gun properly. Before carrying a concealed firearm, one should have intimate knowledge of how to use the gun and feel comfortable enough to safely fire if—and only if—necessary.
I do support the right to obtain a concealed firearm permit and concealed weapon. Most people who make the effort to obtain a permit are responsible gun owners; however, there are people who disregard safety and become dangerous in mass shooting situations, which is why concealed firearm carriers on campus should not necessarily give students a sense of security.
Leslie Twitchell,
senior English major
Washington, Utah
