BY COLE WHITE | Opinion Editor | With a seemingly endless series of mass shootings around the country, the debate of concealed carry on campuses has been a controversial subject. Many students feel that they have the right to defend themselves. I would normally agree, except that in this instance “defending yourself” equates to “making everything worse.”
When Texas became the national lightning rod for this debate, one of its largest opponents was the chancellor of the University of Texas system, William H. McRaven. I should add that McRaven is a former Navy SEAL. He didn’t believe concealed carry made students safer.
Why? The same reason most law enforcement doesn’t think so—because students and teachers don’t know what they’re doing. Now, I know some people reading this have military or law enforcement backgrounds, and I’m not directing this towards you. I’m looking at the wannabe cowboys that took a four-hour course and suddenly think they’re ready to live out “Die Hard” in real life.
Carrying a weapon and using it effectively takes discipline and training—real training. Popping beer cans off a fencepost with a .22 doesn’t make you an effective crime-fighter any more than smashing mailboxes with a baseball bat makes me Babe Ruth.
A gun isn’t a magic wand that makes bad people vanish.
The average mass shooting lasts less than five minutes. Law enforcement is always quick to rush the shooter and take control of the situation.
That five minute timespan is only going to stretch when police have to go through and vet each and every campus Wyatt Earp out looking for the shooter themselves. A “good guy with a gun” looks exactly like a “bad guy with a gun.”
It’s not a great idea to be standing around holding a firearm during an active shooter situation, unless your idea of heroism includes the very real possibility of spending your last conscious thoughts on this mortal plane wondering if your insurance covers suicide-by-cop. Questions aren’t going to be nearly as important as drawing the situation to an end.
Let’s pretend you don’t inadvertently distract the police and give the shooter more time, but actually meet the shooter head on. You probably still won’t be much help.
The thing about mass shooters is that they’ve been mentally and physically preparing for this for months. Much like a wedding, this is their big day. They haven’t spent the previous hour wondering if they should go to The Rex for happy hour. That person is going to have better control of that assault rifle nuzzled into his shoulder than the sidearm in your trembling wrists and sweaty palms.
Concealed carry doesn’t equal competence.
Now, I personally find this sad. I believe everyone should have the proper knowledge to defend themselves and others.
If only there was some program that could offer the training and resources people would need, and perhaps in exchange for this, some sort of badge or uniform could be handed out to show people that they’re a “good guy with a gun.”
Unfortunately, until such a program exists, our nation’s would-be heroes will remain toothless.