It is my constitutional right to defend myself.

A university hosted town hall meeting discussed House Bill 1258 which would prohibit universities from banning legally owned guns on campus.

It is my constitutional duty to be an informed and responsible citizen.

Considering the following, I do not think having guns on a college campus is a responsible action on the part of the university.

I firmly believe in the Second Amendment and I do not think the right to bear arms should ever be taken away from American citizens.

However, I do not think high school students should be carrying weapons from class to class. Which leads me to venture to say I do not think college students should be carrying weapons on campus either.

Coming to campus for the first time, countless students broadcasted USI as one of the safest universities they have ever been on.

Not only does the university have blue emergency poles stationed all around campus, but it also keeps campus security on duty at all times and sworn in police officers who are on call for any issue that is beyond the breech of campus security.

With that being said, I do not see any reason why a student would feel in danger enough to carry a weapon.

According to everytownresearch.org, there have been over 200 school shootings in America since 2013.

That averages to nearly a school shooting every week.

Some say that allowing college students to have guns on campus would lower this number; however, I feel like it would make it harder to identify a dangerous shooter from a responsible citizen carrying a weapon.

If there is a simple no-gun policy on campus, then anyone on campus carrying a weapon will be identified and the weapon will be confiscated.

However, if students are allowed weapons on campus, then a student carrying a gun around campus is not seen as a potential threat and campus security would be slower to respond and maybe prevent an active shooter.

As a university who is responsible for countless lives, we cannot afford an accident.

We cannot afford for anyone to be able to take advantage of a system which, in theory, should work just fine.

Because the thing about theories is that there is always a margin of error and, in this case, that margin of error is human lives.

It’s not worth the risk.