JMU students debate campus carry

Two James Madison University students present their opposing positions on armed students and teachers in the JMU student newspaper:

The anti-carry side:

GUEST COLUMN: More guns are not the answer
Barbie Spitz, member of JMU Students for a Democratic Society
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Allowing guns on campus will only breed more opportunities for violence. The answer is not defense, but acknowledgement of the root causes of gun violence. We need to provide more help for troubled teens, question the values and activities of our society that cause so many to turn to violence and make more room for those who might not fit into the conventional culture of today’s society.

Defending yourself from guns by using a gun? Talk about a band-aid solution to a bullet wound.

Barbie Spitz is a senior sociology major and africana studies minor. For more information, visit studentsforgunfreeschools.org.

The pro-carry side:

GUEST COLUMN: Concealed carry combats an unlikely but dangerous threat
Daniel Dales, campus leader, Students for Concealed Carry on Campus

The Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois shootings were two instances that received heavy media attention. While these events are relatively infrequent, widespread attention on the issue should not be overlooked. There are many other instances that have not received such attention. In fact, there have been seven campus shootings since the incident at Virginia Tech last April. Regardless of the number of shootings, any incident that causes students on a public campus to fear for their safety absolutely warrants widespread attention.

SCCC advocates concealed carry on campus for personal protection by licensed adults over the age of 21. We have never stated that we do not intend to use our weapons, as the reason we carry them is in the extreme event that we would need to use them.
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daniel dales is a senior biology major and criminal justice minor. For more information, visit concealedcampus.org.

Read both positions here.