Guns Don't Kill People..

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed"

In the coming months a number of states in America will decide whether or not guns should be allowed to be carried on college campuses. As it stands, most states allow a person to carry a weapon as long as it is concealed. These laws though currently ban the owner from carrying their guns in schools, colleges, hospitals, churches or bars (unless with the owners permission). America has a problem with guns, this is well known, but is allowing people to carry guns in more places the wisest decision to help with America's gun problem?

As the saying goes, 'Guns don't kill people, people kill people', and many American's see this to be true. However, events from recent years have seen a steady rise in gun related incidents and there have been a number of high profile mass shootings such as Virginia Tech and Columbine. Therefore is it wise to let students carry a gun to class? The argument is that if someone does come onto campus with a gun, if someone else has a gun they can stop them with their gun. Confusing I know.

When I was studying in America I was genuinely scared of someone shooting me whilst I was learning about the student movement of the sixties, or what happened at the end of the Cold War. I once am pretty sure I did see a boy with a gun in his bag. So what did I do? Smiled at him a lot so if he decided to go crazy he might spare me because I smiled at him a few times. Genuinely.

Many colleges have their own campus police. These are proper police with proper powers, not like campus security you see in England. They carry guns. Surely if there were to be an incident it should be the police who are fully trained in firearms who should try and stop a potential shooter, not a rogue student?

It has only been in recent years that a Supreme Court judge has ruled that he interprets the second amendment to mean an individuals right to own a gun. This is a new step, and will make it even harder now for federal or state governments to bring in any form of gun control legislation. The NRA, the most powerful lobby group in America, is right behind expanding the laws for where individuals can carry guns. If  recent history is anything to go by, once the NRA are on board a campaign it is like an express train where the breaks don't work. They go full steam ahead and will probably achieve what they set out to as they have a huge pool of money to draw from.

So, in the coming months we will have to wait and see if individual states expand the laws. I personally hope that they are kept as they are. America already has such a complex and dangerous relationship with guns and there is no need to muddy the water further.