Guns In Dorms: A Disturbing New Trend?
The possession of guns in dorms and on campus is prohibited at most universities, even with a concealed carry permit. That trend may be changing, as Liberty University takes another step toward allowing students the freedom to defend themselves by keeping guns in their rooms.
The Christian University, based in Lynchburg, Virginia, has allowed visitors and students to carry guns on campus since 2011, but the weapons were not allowed in the dorms.
President Jerry Falwell Jr. announced to a crowd of students at the Friday night convocation that the University would be amending its rules. This comes partially in response to the recent mass shooting in San Bernardino County, California, in which 14 people were killed. Since then, many students had requested that the campus “gun-free” zone be repealed.
Falwell urged the students to arm themselves to help deter such attacks.
“I take very seriously my responsibility to keep you safe in an increasingly dangerous world… I just want to take the opportunity to encourage all of you to get your concealed carry permit. We offer a free course and let’s teach them a lesson if they ever show up here.”
The students roared their approval of his remarks. During his speech, Falwell referred to a small pistol that he was carrying in his back pocket, much to the crowd’s delight. He obtained his concealed carry permit in 2013.
Falwell's Christian school, after Muslim comment controversy, to allow guns in dorms https://t.co/HZYiZun7Vq pic.twitter.com/6YKeKWeo1q
— CBC News (@CBCNews) December 10, 2015
According to NBC News, a Virginia resident must be 21 in order to obtain a concealed carry permit. Approximately 950 faculty, staff, and students already have their permit. WCVB.com reports that 240 students have requested the free training from campus police since the previous Friday. The gun safety classes are required to obtain a concealed carry gun permit.
According to Falwell, most of the students who are old enough to obtain a permit do not live on campus, so the impact would be limited.
Yet, not all college campuses will be quick to allow guns in their dorms. Texas law requires public universities to allow concealed carry holders to bring their guns onto campus beginning August 1, 2016. This date is the 50th anniversary of the 1966 shooting at UT Austin, when Charles Whitman climbed up the campus clock tower and then proceeded to kill 16 people.
In response to the new gun law, the University of Texas put together a 19-member committee, called the Campus Carry Policy Working Group, to evaluate and propose rules regarding the availability of firearms on campus. This task force, consisting of staff, students, and faculty, just released its recommendations on how to interpret and follow the new gun law.
The Star-Telegram reported on the new publication.
“Every member of the Working Group — including those who are gun owners and license holders — thinks it would be best if guns were not allowed in classrooms. Nevertheless, the Working Group does not recommend that classrooms should be designated a gun-exclusion zone.”
The Working Group’s recommendations do not allow students to keep guns in dorms. However, parents with concealed carry permits are allowed to bring their weapons into the residence halls. Another allowance to the gun-free zone is Married Student Housing (called University Apartments), in which guns are permitted, but recommended to be stored in safes.
Although the right of the people to keep and bear arms has been protected by the Second Amendment since December 15, 1791, it is still quite a divisive subject. Allowing our college students and those that work with them to carry weapons on a campus is disturbing to many, hopeful to others. It comes down to whether you feel we are safer as a society if everyone is armed, or only the authorities.
Do you think colleges and universities should allow guns in dorms and on campuses throughout our country?
[Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images]
