Opinion column: Legalize Safety, and Approve Campus Carry

Which would you rather your next significant other conceal and carry– emotional baggage, or a gun?

A new bill by legislators Jesse Kremer and Devin LeMahieu would allow permitted individuals to carry their concealed handguns inside of university buildings. Currently, UWM policy bans guns on university lands or inside buildings, but the new bill would eliminate the campus exemption to the right to concealed carry in Wisconsin.

Letters have been flying about this issue at UWM. From an email by Student Association President Mike Sportiello, to a statement by Chancellor Mark Mone, to the resulting national coverage of the controversy. A response to Sportiello’s press release advocating for concealed carry, that has been signed by over 150 students in Wisconsin so far, is making the rounds as well.

As Seinfeld might put it, “What’s the deal with concealed carry?” Why are people so terrified of that which they do not see?

It’s simple: Concealed carry should be allowed on all public campuses across the country. Not only is it guaranteed by the ever-limited second amendment, but it is supported by statistics and legalizes safety.

A study by the Crime Prevention Research Center concluded that there is no evidence licensed concealed carry leads to an increase in either violent crime or gun deaths, as the murder rate dropped by 22 percent while concealed carry permits spiked by 146 percent. Makes sense. How can violence increase by a non-violent act like owning a gun?

In his letter to the student body, SA President Mike Sportiello expressed his concerns about suicide rates in the dorms. It seems like a valid concern, as 90 percent of suicides are committed in the home. However, Wisconsin law dictates that you must be 21 to obtain a handgun license, and an overwhelming majority of Sandburg residents are not of age to carry. Texas has a similar situation happening, with loaded, concealed handguns to be permitted in all buildings on their public campuses, taking effect in 2016. The University of Texas campus housing statistics and concealed handgun licensing statistics show that there will likely be five or fewer CCW license holders living in their dorms. Obviously, this is not a strong argument against the Constitution.

Too often we let the 2nd amendment be whittled away by legislation. Some say it is outdated, and that the founding fathers couldn’t have predicted new technology like semi-automatic weapons. But would they say the 1st amendment right to free speech is outdated because the founding fathers couldn’t have predicted the Internet? That the 4th amendment is outdated, and the NSA should be able to monitor our every move in the name of patriotism? Soon enough, the State will operate with no Constitutional restriction at all.

This ban on the concealed carry of guns on campus does NOT guarantee safety at our universities. It only guarantees that if I or any of my fellow students are put in an unsafe situation, we will not be able to protect ourselves to the fullest extent. It’s arguable that the right to concealed carry doesn’t even go far enough. Why should the state be able to take our away our right to defense and sell it back in the form of a permit?

The key word in “gun control” is “control.” Of course you have a 50/50 shot (no pun intended) at getting that right, but it is important to recognize that the entire gun debate is part of a broader issue about state control. How much power will the government have over us as supposedly free people? How much of our lives will we let them have? Nobody is truly against guns. They only want a small minority of people in power to wield them. Of course, in order to enforce gun control, they need some pretty big guns.

The answer to violence is more gun use in the same way that vaccines are the answer to viruses. We need responsible use for defense against attacks– be that in our immune systems or college campuses. While gun violence is a concern, concealed carry is not. It is not inherently violent to have the option to protect yourself with a weapon, it is a human right. My guess is, if this bill passed, you wouldn’t even notice it. The whole thing would be pretty under wraps. Literally.