Guns on Campus

The University of West Florida has been the pinnacle of what you could call a culture war. Anti-abortion stands and wildlife sanctuaries are but two hot topics that have heated up much discussion and debate among students for the past few weeks.

Now the university faces an even greater dilemma, one that has been gaining massive amounts of
attention recently.

Guns. No, let me refrain that. Guns on a University campus.

Senator Greg Evers bill known as SB234 will allow licensed gun holders to bring their weapons of mass destruction to university campuses.

Our university is divided when it comes to finding a stance on the issue. Some say students should be able to carry a weapon if a license is obtained, while others are saying that guns should not be allowed on campus.

Don't get me wrong, if you feel as if a gun will make you feel safe, good for you.

In a recent Voyager poll, many expressed that one should be allowed to carry a gun if a license is obtained. I feel as if this could be linked to the fact that UWF is a commuter campus and people aren't always here 24/7. Those who are always here seem to lean towards the fact that guns are a bad idea.

Personally, I believe our university does not need this poor excuse of a bill. Sure, we get the occasional creep on University Parkway and a man hiding out in the woods. Does this mean we should have guns just so we feel secure? I feel as if the UWF Police Department is perfectly capable of handling any situations that students may have.

We haven’t even had a campus shooting as far as I’m concerned. I would probably understand if we
were in a poor area with high violence, but we aren’t. We’re in a civilized community.

We are not a large university and (for the most part) we all get along. The whole bill is ironic to me. Bring a gun to feel safe, but live in fear of being shot by someone else.

It seems to me that guns would intensify situations. I’m here to learn and I want to feel safe on this campus. I don’t want to worry about whether or not the guy (or girl) next to me in class has a pistol in her pocket.