4)  Should guns be permitted on college campuses?

Following the increase in mass shootings happening in campuses across the United States, there has been more debate about the allowing of students to carry or not carry guns within the campus grounds. The leading argument for allowing guns is to enable students’ to protect themselves while the opposing side opines that the increase in guns will directly lead to more violence. However, after careful analysis of the public debate regarding the issue, the supporters of permitting guns on college campuses provide more convincing arguments backed with evidence that can alleviate the concerns raised by the opposing group.

The biggest concern for many people is the idea that allowing students to carry guns will lead to more violence since anybody with a gun can easily have the capability to commit a crime should they decide to do so. However, this is wrong assumption that can be alleviated by use of national statistics comparing the violent crimes statistics against the trend of gun ownership. According to Morse et al (12), in the past 40 years, the total number of gun owners has increased yet the number of violent crimes is decreasing. The major purpose for many peoples’ desire to carry guns is for defensive purposes. Since the school campus grounds is the equivalent of their homes for the whole period of a full semester, students should be allowed to access protection that any other person is permitted within their homes.