Self Defense

We all have the right to defend ourselves. Except for the extreme pacifist this right is recognized as ingrained in us, it does not need to be defined within laws (though it is), we are simply justified to use force to preserve our own life. Many, like me, feel this right includes the right to bear arms. Lets be realistic, people own guns. Some of these people are bad and because of this it is necessary to allow good people to own guns as well. Even if it were not necessary it would still be within our human rights to own the means of protecting ourselves. Not everyone is created physically equal and a firearm can become a great equalizer. A 100 lb woman with a Springfield XD .40 has a way to defend herself from a physically superior 200 lb, 6'00" man. Weapons are not bad, but some people who use them are bad.

So when can the government legitimately remove our ability to defend ourself? Legally they can do it almost anytime but morally the only time anyone should be able to remove your ability to defend yourself is when they can guarantee your safety. Honestly though, it is rare that the government can guarantee our safety yet we are forbidden from carrying firearms in many locations. One of those locations (at least in my home state) is college campuses. Why can I not carry a weapon at my school? I have extensive firearm training, I have completed a concealed weapons class, I have a concealed weapons permit and I have my own pistol that I can easily carry concealed so as to not disrupt or intimidate anyone. So the question remains, why can't I carry my weapon on campus?

The government apparently feels that the school and local law enforcement can guarantee my safety. Life has taught us otherwise. We continue to have school shootings where deranged people are able to take advantage of a proverbial "fish in a barrel" situation. Just imagine if one student was able to fight back at Virginia Tech or one teacher at Columbine could carry a weapon. Imagine that lives that would be saved if the government would allow us to fight fair. My school has over 100 buildings in an urban environment, we are only 6 miles from the 20th most violent city in the nation... yet I am legally not allowed to carry a weapon to defend myself and other students. My campus has public safety, but unless we can get an armed officer for every building on campus then my safety is still in jeopardy. This kind of risk could easily be avoided if we were simply allowed our constitutional right to carry a weapon for self defense.