Editorial: Guns on college campuses a bad idea

Would you feel safer if guns were allowed on campus? Would you feel safer if guns were allowed on campus?

Last week, the Oregon State University system decided to allow permit holders to bring their guns onto campus. This raises a host of concerns, and, in short, we are glad Pitt has a strict no-gun policy, regardless of permit.

It’s true that those who will commit crimes in the first place won’t give Pitt’s policy a second thought, but we think giving every individual with a permit the right to carry a gun on campus would do more harm than good.

It’s also true that we live, socialize and go to class in a city. The lines between campus and the city blur in every direction, and safety is — and should be — a main concern among students. At first thought, it seems that allowing guns on campus would act as a deterrent, assist people in emergency situations and provide a safer environment for students. This logic, though, is flawed for several reasons.

First, a gun has the potential to kill. Only allowing permit holders to carry them doesn’t take away this crucial fact. Mistakes can happen. When you allow potentially lethal weapons to enter a large, crowded space, the probability of injury skyrockets. And when those weapons are in the hands of college students and not professionals, the odds of safety look dismal.

That brings us to our next point: The college lifestyle simply does not mix with weapons that can kill. Alcohol, when mixed with immaturity and emotional young brains, is dangerous by itself. Add a gun and an argument could turn deadly. And with the typical Pitt student’s stressful lifestyle of classes, work and being away from home, tension often runs thick. Allowing guns on campus could even increase the number of student suicides.

Imagine a gunshot reverberating through your freshman dorm. It could be an attack or a drunken resident, but we don’t think it really matters. We don’t know about you, but we’d be scared for our safety. Allowing guns on campus gives freedom to some, but restricts many. Bringing guns onto campus dispels fear for some, but terrifies many. We don’t think the potential benefits — such as the ability to act violently and quickly in emergency situations and more freedom for those who choose to carry guns — would be helpful enough, frequently enough.

Instead of taking notes from Oregon, we view the state’s decision as a cautionary tale. And we don’t think allowing guns onto Pitt’s campus would deter crime in the first place. People would still get mugged; houses would still get burglarized. Permitting guns on campus wouldn’t automatically make everyone on campus skilled with firearms. The people who would be attacked would be those who aren’t expected to be packing heat.

Instead of championing a possibly destructive cause in order to stay safe, we think Pitt students should embrace the University’s policy. Use common sense: Travel in groups, stay in well-lit areas and always have a way of contacting emergency help.

Sure, guns don’t jump out of holsters and kill people, but allowing guns onto our campus and into untrained or inexperienced hands would be a deadly measure.