State Laws Dismiss Firearm Protection

Photo Courtesy / Wikipedia Ownership of weapons can be a benefit to your own safety.

By Adam Lambert

Contributing Writer

In Monroe County Pennsylvania, any person over the age of 21 who applies for a concealed carry permit, and is then approved may legally carry a firearm concealed on their person.

That is except for in certain government buildings and of course school campuses.

Why is that? 

Many mass shootings that have happened recently are on college campuses, and most if not all of these campuses have laws against carrying a firearm.

Then you may ask yourself how is this happening if an individual isn’t allowed to have a firearm on campus.

The answer is simple.

Anyone with malicious intent doesn’t care what the law says. 

So, if that is true then would it not be a better idea to at least give those innocent individuals the ability to fight back?

There are several universities across the country that have started to think this way and in turn have started allowing students to carry on campus if they can legally obtain a cancelled carry permit in the state they are located in.   

I have personally discussed this with a handful of students on this campus and the opinions are split. 

The biggest disagreement I hear is that they (students) don’t feel safe with some students they know being legally allowed to have a gun in class.   In response to this, I wonder how these students feel when they travel outside of campus.  The point of concealed carry is to not have it known that you are carrying a weapon.

Specifically, any number of people see you at the grocery store or out at a restaurant can have a firearm on them. 

My question to any of those students is, do you fear every other place away from campus?

And if you are afraid, why not carry a firearm so you have some chance of defending yourself?

Another argument is that college students are too immature, stressed or hormonal to carry a firearm. 

My response to this is twofold. 

First, if campus carry was legalized in PA, then it would not intrude with the qualifications already set in place.

This includes an individual having to be at least 21 years of age and have a clean background check.

Second, by the age of 21, students are mature enough to vote and have the ability to drink alcohol.

But still, they aren’t mature enough to be able to have a firearm on a college campus?

Except for the fact that at the age of 18 or 17 with parents’ permission, we allow young people to become soldiers and carry much larger-sized guns.

My question to people that really oppose carry on campus is:

Do you actually just hate firearms or do you have a problem with how this state provides citizens with the ability to concealed carry?

Email Adam at:

ajl0432@live.esu.edu