While the recent school shootings have taken place on American school campuses, there have also been several gun-related cases on colleges and universities. As a result, gun control on college campuses is an issue of concern to students, school staff and others. This has even led to an increase in writing essays on gun control at universities, as reported by writing services, particularly in theMain essay review. However, the situation is complicated. American universities and gun control have a unique relationship. Nobody seems to agree on the best approach to the problem. Still, facts and statistics about gun control seem to indicate that restricting guns on campus is a step in the right direction. Read on to learn more about the benefits of gun control on college campuses.
The ins and outs of gun control on college campuses
There are downsides to restricting gun access on college campuses. The same goes for asking for stricter background checks or restricting who can own and carry firearms in schools. However, these disadvantages are not related to the effectiveness of these measures. In fact, research shows that, despite some states, more guns will not make schools safer. Instead, the real challenge is cultural and educational. While international students may think otherwise, many Americans consider the right to own and bear arms sacrosanct.
Of course, when considering the pros and cons of gun control on college campuses, the key thing to remember is that the facts and statistics largely support the idea that fewer guns on campus help. When gun control advocates overcome Second Amendment rhetoric about the destruction of rights, their solutions work.
Gun rights and cultural memes about firearms
As mentioned above, those who oppose gun control to solve the epidemic of gun violence on campus have done an excellent job of developing compelling talking points. These include
Misuse of historical gun control data
- Hitler used gun control!
- Governments that want to control their citizens first take out their guns!
- Countries that have gun control still have gun violence because criminals still have guns. Lobbyists often use false data to convince people that gun control not only does not solve the problem of violence, it actually makes it worse. Unfortunately, they are very effective at using keywords to create an emotional impact.
Spreading falsehoods about students against gun violence
Students at Marjorie Stoneman Douglass High School in Florida, the scene of a 2/14/18 mass shooting, have become very politically active. An unfortunate side effect of this is that many of these students have been the target of attempts to smear them. They were labeled FBI agents and crisis agents. One student in particular was rumored to be in his late 30s and a convicted felon. These conspiracy theories are designed to derail the political efforts being made. Others were accused of intimidating the shooter.
Attribution of gun violence to video games Bad parental bullying, etc.
Anyone following the tragedy of gun violence on school grounds has probably seen quotes and memes that claim the problem isn't that we allow guns, but that we accept different behaviors and cultural shifts. The Walkup movement has mistakenly tried to blame bullying for the problem. This is despite the fact that many school shooters have not been bullied and are usually sociopaths who enjoy hurting others. Other allegations refer to lack of discipline, insufficient religion, permissive education, etc.
These statements ignore the fact that the same cultural issues exist everywhere, but gun violence does not. Regarding the issue of bullying specifically, the notion that bullying leads to gun violence also fails to address the fact that some of the most bullied populations, such as members of the LGBTQ community or people with disabilities, have no history of shootings in schools .
Suggest we hand out guns to college students and immortalize the good guy with a gun myth
One of the strongest arguments made by opponents of campus gun control is the notion that students who are allowed to carry guns on campus are likely acting heroically. In fact, this concept is problematic. First, those who are extensively trained to deal with these situations often make mistakes in their responses. Given that concealed carry training usually consists of only a few hours of classroom instruction and some time at the shooting range, the average student is unlikely to be able to use a gun to a successful outcome. This also ignores the fact that when first responders arrive on scene when an active shooter is present, they have no way of distinguishing between good with a gun and bad with a gun.
Misrepresentation of mental illness and gun control issues on college campuses
The vast majority of people with mental illness are not violent. The notion that solving the mental illness crisis is the key to solving this epidemic is simply wrong. It also ignores that the gun lobby has been actively working on thisReverse gun restrictions for the mentally ill.
Use tone control to try to end the discussion
In response to the recent student strike against gun violence and comments from gun control advocates, media representatives and pro-gun politicians have often chosen to ignore the issues in favor of sound surveillance. They focused on describing the strike as vagrancy and disrespect. They focused on the students' use of strong language and ignored the points raised. Tone policing is often used when those on one side of a debate want to foster negative feelings toward those on the other side of the debate. Instead of addressing the merits of the points, they portray the other party as being unreasonably angry, rude, or disrespectful.
Promoting gun culture through the exploitation of toxic masculinity
Don't you want to be able to defend yourself? Gun control advocates want you to be a victim! Wouldn't you want to save your friends if a madman opened fire in your classroom? Young people in college are often at an age where they are extraordinarily receptive to messages about their masculinity and forming their own identities. Those who oppose gun control on campus often seek to exploit it by promoting toxic notions of masculinity to further their goals.
Combat and Convince: How Students Can Successfully Fight Gun Violence
So how can a student advocate for better gun control policies on college campuses? The first step is to give sensible people on the other side of the debate the respect to raise their talking points. It is important to avoid frontman arguments or treating those who fear the effects of gun control as backwards bureaucratic stereotypes. Like labeling Emma Gonzales a "skinhead lesbian," labeling and insulting the other side does not help the gun lobby.
Next, it is imperative that people rigorously verify the claims they are making. One of the links above contains many untruths perpetrated by the gun lobby. However, it also mentions some untruths that are commonly used by those who are pro-gun control on campus. One is that there is a direct link between mass gun ownership and gun violence. This is not something that has been proven to be true. In fact, your countries are like Switzerland, where gun ownership is mandatory for many. However, they don't have the same problems with gun violence as the United States.
On the other hand, the gun control movement often makes the mistake of giving credence to opposing points of view by debating them all as if they were of equal value. If some believe guns shouldn't be allowed on campus, then spending time debating someone who is likely making false claims on social media is a bad call. Instead, it's better to invest time and energy in places where changes can be made and people who can be persuaded to make those changes. For college students, this might mean reaching out to officials, local politicians, and board members. It can also mean getting other students to volunteer to make the campus safer.
Finally, being able to highlight the benefits of Gun Conl on college campuses in a way that is identifiable and easily digested is very important. We live in a world of social media and soundbites. Sometimes the best way to persuade people to engage in a debate like this is to be brief and sweet. It may be uncomfortable for some, however.Sloganshas its place.
Gun control can help set a nonviolent tone on campus
Efforts to promote gun control on campus are not just an effective way to prevent gun violence. You too can help address and mitigate the troubling problem of campus-wide violence. This is extremely important, as school violence takes many forms, has the potential to affect many people, and the official response to such incidents is often mediocre at best. Whether it's sexual assault, gun violence, domestic violence, harassment or police brutality, any action taken to reduce the likelihood or mitigate the harm caused by violence is critical.
Diploma
Recent tragedies have sparked a movement that is more likely than ever to lead to true gun reform on campuses. To succeed, however, gun control advocates must understand the opposition, address them appropriately, and learn where to best invest their time and energy.