Although the thought of a student with a gun in class makes many people a bit uneasy, one must think about if it directly affects them. Currently, there are more than 306,000 concealed pistol license holders in the state of Michigan. These people carry a loaded firearm on their person each day without incident and without the knowledge of other people. They are normal people who choose to protect themselves in the case of a life-threatening event and who do so without affecting anybody else’s daily life. The law being proposed is a mere expansion of the rights currently enjoyed by these responsible gun owners and should not be hindered.

A common argument against the bill is that a concealed weapon will create an atmosphere of uneasiness or will make some people feel less safe. The reality should be just the opposite. Law abiding citizens who carry a firearm are a more quickly responding form of protection than dialing 911. In the event that a school shooting occurs, there is a large amount of time between the first shots and the end of the situation. When seconds count, police are minutes away. In that amount of time, students are defenseless against such an attack and have no option other than to hope that help arrives in time.

The thought of another Virginia Tech or Columbine incident is both horrific and completely within the realm of possibility. A law saying that a school is a “gun-free zone” is not an effective deterrent to crime, as history has shown. To some, it is an easier opportunity to do harm to others without resistance.

By eliminating the “gun-free zone” hindrance to a Constitutional right, citizens are allowed to continue to defend themselves in their daily lives without affecting others. The rights of a concealed pistol license holder should not stop at the doors of a school.

Dennis Klimek, economics senior