By Sam Straub

I appreciate the opportunity to respond to the opinion piece published by the Exponent last week concerning concealed carry. The column brings up several common misconceptions about concealed weapons which I would like to address.

The author states that he “would feel far less safe knowing that potentially thousands of students … are walking around carrying guns.” The goal of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus is not to arm every college student. It is to allow for properly trained and licensed individuals, who have a valid concealed carry permit, to defend themselves at school. Forty-eight states allow responsible adults the opportunity to carry a concealed handgun to defend themselves at work, while shopping or going to a movie. Why are these same individuals not allowed to ensure their own safety while at school? SCCC is also working toward legalizing concealed carry in Wisconsin and Illinois, the only two states without concealed carry laws.

Another argument raised by the column is the possibility that permit holders are vigilantes. A licensed person concealing a handgun is doing so for their own protection. They have already demonstrated that they respect the rule of law by legally obtaining permission to carry a firearm.

The author also implies that inexperienced concealed weapons holders may cause more harm than good during a shooting. Concealed handguns allow a person to defend themselves from all violent crimes, not just large scale shootings. Crimes on campus are not limited to Virginia Tech and NIU style scenarios. A typical confrontation with criminals occur at very close range. A few training sessions, which are often mandated by state law for a permit, can more than adequately prepare a person to engage a threat at short range. As to the possibility of being mistaken as a shooter during a large scale crime, as noted earlier, a lawful concealed carry holder is not a vigilante. They will not be roaming the halls searching for targets. In addition, a typical confrontation between armed individuals is very short, lessening the chance of police confusion.

In conclusion, I would encourage everyone to research the proven track record of lawful concealed carry in the United States. I believe that once you examine the facts, concealed carry will become a much more accepted solution to ensuring the prevention of future violent crimes.