In light of some shootings on college campuses in the past year, some students and faculty in Georgia are pushing for the right to carry handguns on campus.
A proposal in the Georgia Legislature earlier this year that would have allowed gun-toting students and faculty on college campuses failed, but part of the legislation remained allowing permitted gun holders on public transit and in restaurants.
Some still hold out hope that the issue of guns on campus could resurface.
Opponents believe such legislation would only lead to more chaos.
But those such as Augusta State University freshman David Urbanawiz say it would make them feel safer.
"If someone comes wanting to shoot, but they know students have guns, they're going to think twice," Mr. Urbanawiz said. "It's going to be a deterrent."
State Rep. Tim Bearden sponsored the bill earlier this year that would have allowed permit holders to carry a weapon to class. He said he plans to continue advocating for that right.
Mr. Bearden, who serves Carroll and Douglas counties in District 68, believes permit holders should be 21 years old, have a mental background check, Georgia Bureau of Investigation and FBI background checks and provide fingerprints to their local sheriff's departments.
"I think those individuals should be allowed," Mr. Bearden said. "How many innocent people must die before we give people the right to defend themselves in public?"
Students and faculty carrying concealed weapons, especially during chaotic situations, would likely cause more problems for law enforcement, said Jasper Cooke, Augusta State's director of public safety.
He said it's hard to second guess what might have happened had students and faculty at Virginia Tech University or Northern Illinois University had guns when fatal shootings occurred at both campuses.
"It could have been better or worse," he said. "The problem is when law enforcement comes to the scene, it will be really unclear who the bad guy is if you have a bunch of people with guns."
Mr. Urbanawiz said he would settle for faculty members being allowed to carry guns. But trained and qualified shooters could still cause collateral damage by taking action in a school shooting, said Ladd Everitt, a spokesman for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.
A 2006 study by his organization showed that out of 364 shots fired by law enforcement, there was a 28 percent success rate.
"What would the success rate be for someone who's going to have a day class in shooting?" Mr. Everitt asked. "Where would the bullet be going with innocent people in the line of fire?"
ASU sophomore Vanessa Patterson agreed, saying more guns would equal more violence. She said more police protection and quick responses would be the best solution.
Members of the Students for Concealed Carry on Campus group will hold a nationwide Empty Holster protest Monday through Friday, said Georgia Southern University SCCC chapter president Ben Banks.
He said he plans to inform other students about the benefits of allowing trained, certified people to carry guns on campus. According to the Concealed Carry on Campus group's Web site, universities in Colorado and Virginia have approved legislation allowing guns on campus, and since then there have been no firearm-related crimes at those colleges.
Mr. Banks plans to rally for the legislation Mr. Bearden is supporting.
"Law enforcement can only do so much if a crazed individual comes on our campus," he said. "If there was just one person at Virginia Tech with a gun, there could have been a lot less harm there."
Reach Stephanie Toone at (706) 823-3215 or stephanie.toone@augustachronicle.com.
STUDY FINDS LACK OF RECORDS
Concealed Carry Weapons permits are licenses issued by the state to those who meet the age requirement, take a class, pass a written test and a shooting test, pass state and federal fingerprint and background checks and pay a fee.
A study by Third Way Culture Project found:
- One-fourth of felony convictions are not available in the automated National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
- In 2005, 3,215 criminals obtained a firearm simply because missing records meant the background check could not be completed within the allotted three-business day timetable.
- More than 9 out of 10 disqualifying mental health records are not in any system used to screen gun buyers.
LOWER CRIME RATE
According to the National Rifle Association's Web site:
- The number of right-to-carry states is at an all-time high, up from 15 in 1991 to 40 today.
- In 2006, states with right-to-carry laws, compared to the rest of the country, had lower violent crime rates on average: total violent crime lower by 26 percent, murder by 31 percent, robbery by 50 percent and aggravated assault by 15 percent.
- FBI data show that between 1991, when the violent crime rate hit an all-time high, and 2006, total violent crime has decreased 38 percent, murder 42 percent, rape 27 percent, robbery 45 percent and aggravated assault 34 percent. During 2004-06, total violent crime was lower than anytime since 1974. For the past eight years, the murder rate (fluctuating between 5.5 and 5.7 per 100,000 annually) has been lower than anytime since 1965.
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