Editor-in-Chief

Mutually assured destruction.

That’s the best way I can sum up why I support the legal right to carry concealed firearms, both on campus and otherwise.

Remember the Cold War? We had two super powers, vying for power and supremacy, both with an arsenal of nuclear warheads capable of destroying the world several times over. What stopped each of them from blowing the other to kingdom come? Mutually assured destruction.

Have you ever seen the classic 1980′s movie war games? The only way to win the game thermonuclear war is not to play the game at all.

It’s pretty simple psychology and is valid at an interpersonal level as well. Really, who is going to rob a store if they think the clerk, as well as the other patrons, may be packing heat? It changes the whole risk-reward equation for a lot of crimes.

Sure, it is always best to call 911 and wait for the police to diffuse a situation, but sometimes that is not possible. Quick action can save lives.

It is well-known that if a person wants a gun, he or she can get one easily through various channels, some legal, some not. If a criminal wants to carry a concealed weapon, no little sign on the door or outside of campus banning the practice of concealed carry is going to deter them. But law-abiding citizens will respect those regulations.

Suddenly, in areas where concealed carry is banned, criminals only have to fear deadly repercussions from other criminals. All the law abiding citizens are now just blanks. So where do you think a criminal is more likely to strike? An area that allows legal concealed carry or one that bans the practice?

A lot of debate has been going on about whether the government should allow concealed firearms at the Missouri State University and other college campuses. Some students argue that allowing deadly weapons on campus will make the school a more dangerous place. But what about the thousands of deadly weapons already here (and out in the open)? Seriously, what is more dangerous than a raved lunatic in a motor vehicle?  Road rage happens. Maybe we should ban cars? Or sharpened pencils (those can hurt)? Really, I’d rather that people not have guns. But we don’t live in a perfect world and I’m a realist.

A drivers license is fairly simple to obtain, but not so with a CCW permit. An individual must be at least 23-years-old, have completed a training program and be fingerprinted at the Sheriff’s office.

Much of the debate has focused on how concealed carry may have stifled a campus massacre like the one at Virginia Tech. While I think it may have made some difference in that situation, these incidents are few and far between. Let’s look at a more likely scenario. Burglary. Assault. Rape. From 2005-to-2007, MSU police reported 144 robberies on campus, 8 cases of aggravated assault and 18 incidents of forcible sex offenses.  Shouldn’t students be allowed to defend themselves?

While I don’t know if I’d carry a gun myself, if my wife was out on campus after dark for classes, I’d feel a heck of a lot safer if she was carrying a concealed weapon. What rapist is going to attack a women if there’s a possibility he gets his dick blown off? If it happens a few times, I bet potential campus rapists might think twice.

Mutually assured destruction. You hurt me and I’ll hurt you. I wish this type of logic wasn’t needed in the world. Maybe someday it won’t. But for now, we should allow concealed carry of weapons in most public places, including campus. It could save lives.

Editor-in-Chief

The message on the signs are clear. Firearms are not allowed on the Missouri State campus, concealed or otherwise.

But will those signs stop a maniacal gunman?

Not according to MSU non-traditional student Andrew Simpson, who believes tragedies like the shooting at Virginia Tech could have been averted had law-abiding students been allowed to carry licensed concealed weapons on campus.

Students are protesting concealed carry bans on campus by wearing an empty holster.

All this week, Simpson and thousands of other students at MSU and around the nation will be protesting bans on concealed weapons on college campuses. But they won’t be carrying signs or shouting on megaphones. Instead, the message will be conveyed simply by wearing an empty holster.

“The empty holsters show that there really is not a whole lot of protection between you and (the assailant),” Simpson said. “Give us equality on campus. If bad guys can have (guns), why not us?”

A determined maniac willing to die in the process of killing others could obtain weapons, including automatic rifles, illegally through black market channels fairly easily, according to Simpson, which is why it is so important that students be allowed to carry concealed weapons to defend themselves. The mere threat of return fire may be enough to scare some assailants away.

According to Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, 11 schools around the country allow concealed carry on campus, and none have reported incidents of gun violence in the several years since it has been allowed.

“Virginia Tech was a disaster,” Simpson said. “We need to do something creative and new (to prevent future disasters).”

Students who wish to know more information about this cause can contact Nelson at (417) 551-1210. He is encouraging other students to participate in the protest by simply wearing an empty holster. Information from Students for Concealed Carry on Campus can be found at www.concealedcampus.org.