Gun Control Debate

The Gun control debate has spilled over to College and Universities in many states across the nation. The issue surrounding guns on campus is caught in the whirl wind of public opinion concerning the beneficial and negative actions that will result if guns are allowed on campus. In this paper I will summarize several articles that will discuss some pros and cons of allowing students and faculty members to carry guns while on campus. One concern, as expressed by University of Texas professor Javier Auyero, is that allowing weapons in the classroom will hinder the learning process for students. He implies that by allowing individuals to carry on campus that the open debate in the classroom setting will suffer out of fear of controversy. His …show more content…
Auyero states, “let’s not be euphemistic about it, “vigilante” is the right word for the people (mostly men) who will carry guns.” How can one justify this unwarranted conclusion based on the information provided in the article? This is an attempt to defend his argument but is based on his preconceptions. The HCTSR scale would lead us to conclude that article is unacceptable. Silva, on the other hand, identifies a salient argument. An example of this would be, “according to the F.B.I., mass shootings account for less than 2 percent of gun- related deaths, while suicide accounts for roughly 61 percent of gun- related deaths.” She justifies her stance on letting the students decide and not politicians who may have personal hidden agendas by stating, “if allowing students to owns guns is truly about empowerment, we should listen to students when they say they don’t want guns on campus.” For these reasons I would rate this article as strong. Collins article would rate as weak for numerous reasons. She exhibits hostility to reason, as apparent by the following comment, “laws that prohibit campus carry turn women like me into victims.” She defends her views based on preconceptions, “two other rapes would have been prevented and three young lives would have been saved.” Even though Collins mentions, “campus carry would have saved my family and me a great deal of untold torment.” Our last article written by Lund rates out as acceptable. He identifies relevant arguments when he writes, “the university police are unable to prevent violent crimes, and it is heartlessly arrogant to disarm potential victims, leaving them and those they could protect at the mercy of rapists and other predators.” Justifiable reasoning is

Show More

The Gun Control Debate

The Debate On Gun Control