The Cavalier Daily
In the latest push for legalizing firearms on campus — something we have previously argued against — lawmakers in at least 10 states are arguing
allowing students to carry firearms will protect them against the
dangers of sexual assault. This is a veiled attempt at pushing a pro-gun
agenda, and demonstrates a complete misunderstanding about sexual
assault at colleges on the part of these representatives.
Perhaps
the most obvious flaw in the gun lobby’s argument is that allowing
campus carry would not exclusively put guns in the hands of potential
victims — it would also allow assaulters to legally carry guns on
campus. Potential rapists would now have a new tool in their arsenal
with which to attack.
But aside from this obvious lapse in logic,
the idea that guns would affect rates of sexual assault demonstrates
how little legislators understand the fundamentals of sexual assault on
campus. College women, according
to The New York Times, are typically assaulted by someone they know,
making them likely reluctant to use a gun against their attackers. There
is also the question of whether individuals will even have access to
guns in an instance of assault — would a typical student realistically
carry his or her gun to a party?
Even if the answer to that
question is yes, this presents its own set of problems. With binge
drinking at parties, the chance of gun accidents would be high. John
Thrasher, president of Florida State University, is a vocal gun rights
supporter who opposes guns on campuses. This is due to the death of a
student in 2011 who was shot and killed when another student, showing
his friends his rifle, shot the student when he didn’t realize his
weapon was loaded. Add alcohol and the general recklessness of a college
environment, and the potential for more stories in a similar vein is
high.