Guns on campus not about safety

By John Johnson

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Nearly all U.S. colleges and universities have adopted policies that prohibit the possession of firearms on school property. Those include the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa, which allow only campus police to carry guns.

Now these policies are under attack by the gun lobby. Following the mass shooting at Virginia Tech in 2007, the gun lobby began pushing legislation that would take away the right of a college to regulate the possession of firearms on campus.

Proposed legislation would allow anyone with a permit to carry concealed weapons - students, faculty, staff and visitors - to possess and carry concealed handguns on college campuses and to keep firearms in student dormitories and fraternity houses.

The case against guns on campus is strong. The college-age years are among the most volatile periods in a person's life. As such, these are the peak years for abusing alcohol and drugs, attempting suicide and experiencing other mental health problems. If guns are present, it is more likely that these situations will result in serious injury or death.

Whereas school shootings attract national attention, these events are rare. Thus, it is highly unlikely that an armed student would be in a position to prevent a mass shooting. On the other hand, the unintended consequences if guns were readily available to students - shooting during an argument or dispute, attempted suicide, unintentional shooting, etc. - are real and would make college campuses more dangerous.

Actually, America's colleges and universities are among the safest environments for students. Much safer than the communities that surround them. Crime rates on college campuses pale in comparison to the general population. For example, the homicide rate on college campuses is one homicide per million students per year. This would be like the entire United States having 300 homicides per year instead of the 18,000 homicides in 2009.

Further, a growing body of evidence shows that conceal carry licensees are a threat to public safety. An ongoing study by the Violence Policy Center (www.vpc.org) documents that since May 2007, citizens legally allowed to carry concealed handguns have killed at least 11 law enforcement officers and 297 private citizens, including 25 shooters who killed themselves after the attack.

On analysis, the gun lobby's plan is not even practical. For example, will every class have a designated shooter? What about classes where no conceal carry licensee signs up? What about freshman and sophomore classes where students are generally not old enough (21 in Iowa) to obtain a permit to carry?

Nonetheless, legislation to allow guns on college campuses has been introduced in at least 20 states so far in 2011. How does this legislation get legs in so many states?

The answer is that this legislation is not about safety. The gun lobby is not interested in the safety of students, faculty and staff. They are only interested in being able to carry concealed handguns in public places where they are currently prohibited from carrying, i.e., college campuses.

They are using the tragic shooting at Virginia Tech as cover for their real agenda, which is to push guns into every nook of society.

One can only hope that lawmakers in Iowa are intelligent enough to see through their scheme. The answer to gun violence is not more guns.

John Johnson of Cedar Rapids, a retired mechanical engineer, served as director of Iowans for the Prevention of Gun Violence from 2000-2006. He is currently co-director of the Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus, a project of GunFreeKids.org (www.keepgunsoffcampus.com). Comments: johnw

johnson@mchsi.com.