TO THE EDITOR:
To elaborate on the objections of Katie Noonan (“More guns won’t solve the campus’ safety issues,” March 30) and others from the UNC community regarding concealed carry on college campuses, there seems to be a disconnect between the perceived effect of gun control laws and the success statistics accompanying these regulations.
For example, when England instituted the most restrictive firearms legislation in the EU in 1997, overall gun crime in the following years skyrocketed. Since 1998, the number of people injured by firearms per year has increased more than twofold.
Additionally, the United Kingdom currently has a higher crime rate per capita (85 per 1,000) despite its highly restrictive gun laws, compared to the United States (80 per 1,000.) Outlawing firearms does not stop violent crime from occurring and in some examples may encourage criminals.
I would guess that less than 1 percent of the student body currently has a concealed carry permit, and I would not feel any more anxiety about these individuals carrying a firearm than I do about the DPS officers who carry firearms on campus every day. Concealed carry of firearms provides responsible individuals with the ability to defend themselves in dire situations. Concealed carry allows a person to protect their life and the lives of those around them when the police are not present.
Michael Veasey
Junior
Peace, War and Defense
