Rhetorical Analysis on article "Why Our Campuses Are Safer Without Concealed Handguns"

While the debate and argument over the carry on campus law continues, more and more concerns are surfacing about the jeopardy it could put our nation in. Are students even mature enough for the handling of weapons? Students are not to be trusted with guns and college campus should stay a gun-free zone. Carrying a gun in general requires responsibility that people of a young age sometimes tend not to have. The handling a firearm and a lack of responsibility within a person can be a very dangerous situation. Judgement and maturity of such a young group are things to consider when thinking about the carry on campus law and a student’s capability to make smart choices when handling a weapon can’t be trusted.

David Skorton and Glenn Altschuler wrote the essay “Do We Really Need More Guns on Campus.” This essay focus on the guns on campus controversy. There are two sides that the authors explain: the side in favor and the side against. Every side has points to think about it. For example, some reasons to be against the conceal are the fights, the lack of experience and the drug abuse. The side in favor has good reason too, as the importance to stop a mass shooting, the right to bear arms and the secure feeling that the gun give.

Bowling for Columbine film by Michael Moore is a film in which its central argument is that Americans are afraid of each mainly because of the media whose goals are to put fear in the American community. Unlike several documentaries this one is unique; this film is intended to appeal to the audience who are against guns or are pro-gun control and safety. Across this film, Moore’s takes all of the audience through an exploration of the history of guns and violence, and with the big question, we all ask when a young adult commits a violent act, whom should we blame for this? We start off with ethos or credibility.

A major issue in the United States is gun control. Due to multiple mass shootings in schools and public areas, restrictions regarding guns have been implemented across the United States. Andrew Parks, a student at The University of Alabama, wrote an article against gun restrictions. His article, “The University should allow concealed carry,” supports the idea of college campuses like The University of Alabama, allowing students to conceal carry firearms. In an article written by Jennie Kushner, the opinions of students on the University of Alabama’s Police Department’s gun policy are presented. The safety of student body relies on the students’ feeling safe. That safety comes from less gun control laws and policies on campus. Each of the articles stated provides information against gun control in different ways.

Dear Mortimer I am writing this paper to persuade you to rethink your position concerning the preemption of firearms regulation regarding college campuses. All over the world violence occurs when we least expect it. As the human race evolves, so does the technology we use. We have acquired the ability to kill a man without being in his general vicinity. With just the slight movement of my finger I can end someone’s life. One small confrontation could lead to a terrible travesty. In the United States alone, we have seen many shootings in educational buildings from the students themselves. When you put guns in the hands of students, you are asking for death. People may say it adds protection to people wearing guns, but what about the people without them? I strongly believe that if this bill is allowed to continue we be seeing a large number of shooting in buildings of education, which is unacceptable. One small miscommunication between two armed students could start a firefight.

In addition to youth and gun crimes, much debate has sparked over whether or not college officials should allow students to carry concealed weapons with them on campus. Renee Montagne has interviewed many people, college students included, in her article, “Texas Lawmakers Aim for Guns on College Campuses” About their opinions of guns on campus. Many disagree, stating that it is a terrible idea, and will lead to gun-related accidents, or mass killings, like the one that took place at Virginia Tech (Texas Lawmakers). Some people, such as Stephen Wright, point out the fact that by simply carrying a legally weapon does not cause mass killings or

Concealed carry and college campuses are two major topics currently in the media, yet these two topics are rarely used in unison, until now. The topic of whether or not concealed carry should be allowed on college campuses is a now mainstream debate with multiple views and numerous differentiating opinions. Many of the general public question if campus police is capable enough to protect a university’s enormous student body? Another commonly discussed issue is if concealed handguns actually do deter crime, and if they are capable of aiding in stopping a mass shooting spree? Or if guns on campus, carried by fellow classmates would make students as a whole feel more cautious or on the opposing hand make students feel more secure with guns carried on campus? If guns are allowed on campus, how will this affect a growing student’s ideology? These questions and many more are highly spoken of in our social media based generation, the answers to these questions help to improve our knowledge on this debate of concealed carry on college campuses, which will lead us to form our own individual opinions on this debate topic based on the facts and evidence presented.

Since those horrible days in 1966 and 2007 there have been at least 6 other major shootings at American College Campuses. Among those six, a custodian shot and killed 7 people while injuring 2 at the California State University on July 12, 1976. Also involved in a horrific shooting, Douglas Pennington was a parent of 2 students of Shepherd University. He killed 2 people before committing suicide. Some say this is reason enough to prohibit the use of guns all together, but there is still a voice that rings out heavily across the Nation- nearly 3 million voices, to be literal. That voice is the N.R.A. (Jost, 2007, 126)

If college campuses legalize the right to obtain a concealed weapon there could a risk of escalation in violence on college campuses. Allowing college students to carry a concealed weapon on campus makes for many opportunities of potential misuse of the weapon. According to the Journal of American College Health, most college students don't have experience shooting or holding a gun, therefore, they could make a mistake and unintentionally harm somebody or even themselves. Granting college students access to guns will pose increased risks of incidents of self-injury, accidental shootings and even murders. The University of Louisiana system shows that evidence also indicates that the presence of concealed weapons on campus would increase the likelihood of

Students and staff with guns are not only a danger to other people, intentions malicious or not, but also to themselves. Students under high stress and emotional distress in general do not need to be around tools that can cause so much harm with so little effort. This argument, with the resounding knowledge of the high use of mind altering drugs on college campuses, mixed with the statistics surrounding the unhealthy psyche of students should be enough to show that campus carry is a bad

One important group in the controversy over campus carry rights are gun rights activists. Because these people believe guns should be allowed on campus, they tend to say that these beliefs promote safety on campus. Furthermore, because they care about college students, the. Jason Russell graduated from the University of Rochester and is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner. His point of view on this controversy is that he wants everyone to carry guns for protection on campus. He recently argued that campus carry should be universally legalized in his article, “Should Guns Be Allowed on College Campuses?”, the principal claim is, “taking away guns... won 't rid the world of criminality.” He supports this argument with one main reason: the fact that concealed carry would have helped victims in many situations. For instance, when saying that concealed carry can protect students, he writes about a victim of rape who said “all I wanted was a chance to effectively defend myself.” And when

Gun ownership is on the rise and even college students want firearms now. Since 1999 college students owning firearms for protection has increased over 19 percent (DiMauro 17). With this rise whether or not these numbers should increase has become a heated issue. As of now 26 colleges allow concealed carry on campuses, totaling in over 70 campuses(Burnett) and many others are in consideration. Organizations such as Students for Concealed Carry are at work to educate the public on the truths of how on campus carry would to some degree benefit college students, professors, and all visitors. Firearms can be and should be allowed on college campuses primarily because it is a not only a fundamental right guaranteed by the constitution but also

Journalist, and professor of higher education emeritus at the University of Maryland, College Park, Robert Birnbaum wrote the article “Ready, Fire, Aim, The College Campus Gun Fight” in which he writes about two sides which he defines as “MoreGuns” and “BanGuns” and if one sides argument holds more truth as to whether guns on campus is a positive or negative reality. The article comes from a magazine called Change Magazine. Change Magazine focuses on the modern issues that arise in higher learning. The purpose of the magazine is to inform the readers and stimulate thinking. He reaches audiences on both sides of the argument by adopting a mostly non-emotional, and logical tone that will connect with his readers using facts. Birnbaum builds trust with the reader by being respectful to both sides of the arguments and presenting facts for both sides, at first he appears to be in the middle of the issue, but then as the article continues he shows his favored stance on the legal side by referencing the constitution which increases the strength of his argument.

“Colleges and universities occupy a special place in American society. They are much more than a series of buildings and collection of individuals. Instead, they are dynamic living and learning environments where individuals with varying levels of maturity interact, often under stressful circumstances. While recognizing the right of responsible individuals to possess firearms under other circumstances, the unique characteristics of a university campus make the presence of firearms problematic. The shootings that have occurred in recent years at US colleges and universities have generated passionate debate about how best to prevent such violence and whether persons should be allowed to carry concealed guns on campuses. Experts believe there is no credible evidence that students or staff carrying guns would reduce crime. In fact, research has shown that the brains of most college students have not fully developed regarding impulse control and judgment” (Dickerson). Therefore, guns should not be allowed on college campuses because it would lead to an escalation in violent crime, distract from the learning environment, and lead to accidental discharge incidents.

The documentary film “Bowling for Columbine” effectively uses the techniques of the documentary film style (like interviews and media footage etc) to present the truth that America is a country driven by terror, resulting in the ridiculous amount of firearm possession that exists in the States today. It is successful in its selection and use of media footage in that it convinces the viewer that we are manipulated by the media bombardment into being constantly pumped with fear. The film educates the responder of the shocking death toll as a result of gun –violence, which is exceptionally higher than any other free world country (USA-11127 gun deaths per year, closest to that is Germany-81 gun deaths per year.) and questions the importance and ultimately the safety of such high figures of gun possession. “Bowling for Columbine” successfully asks the question of its slogan, “Are we a nation of gun nuts? Or are we just nuts?” and leaves the viewer aching for the answer.