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KevinNorris
Aughenbaugh
English12
15April2016
DangersofGunFreeZones
Doesgivingupyourrighttobeararmsreallymakeyousafe?DoGunFreeZonesreally
preventgunviolence?GunFreeZonesareasafehavenformassshootings.Gunfreezones
don'tdetercriminalstheyhelpthembyprovidingaguaranteethattheywillnotfaceanyarmed
resistance.Buttheydodeterthelawabiding.Afacultymemberwithaconcealedhandgun
permitwhobreaksthecampusgunbanwouldbefiredandlikelyfinditimpossibletoget
admittedtoanotherschool.Bringingafirearmintoagunfreezonecanhaveseriousadverse
consequencesforlawabidingpeople.ButforsomeoneliketheVirginiaTechkiller,thethreatof
expulsionisnodeterrentatall(AQuoteFromControl).Infact,mostmultiplevictim
shootingsoccuringunfreezones(GunControl:ExploringtheIssues)andconcealedcarry
lawshavebeenstatisticallyproventodetershootings.AstheConcealedcarrylawsreduced
multiplevictimshootingsbysixtypercent(GunFreeZoneLawsIncreaseGuncrimesat
Schools).Ifgivingupyourrighttobeararmsforthepublicssafety,thenwhyaremass
shootingsstatisticallylowerinfavorofconcealedweaponsratherthangunfreezones?Theonly
thinggunfreezoneshelparecriminalsandmassmurders.Doyoufeelschoolsaresaferbecause
therearelesslawabidingcitizensarmed?Arechildrensaferataschoolwherethelawabiding
citizenshavetheirconcealedcarrypermitandarearmedortoaschoolwhereonlyahandful,if

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anyarecarryingaweapon.Themorelawabidingcitizenswiththeirconcealedcarrypermitand
carryaweaponwillmakeourcommunitiesasaferplace.
Gunfreezonesarenottheanswertogunviolence,infactgunfreezonespromotegun
violence.In2012,amassshootingoccurredatalocalmovietheaterinColorado.Therewere
sevenmovietheaterswithinatwentyminutedrivefromtheshooter'shome.Outoftheseven
theatersonlyonehadabanonconcealedhandguns.Coincidentlytheshooterdidnotchosethe
largestmovietheaterortheclosestmovietheater,butratherhechosetheonlymovietheaterwith
thebanonconcealedhandguns(GunControl:ExploringtheIssues).Therearemanyother
incidenceswheremassshootingshaveoccurredingunfreezones.In2007,alonegunmanshot
andkilledthirtythreestudentsandfaculty.AswellaswoundingtenmoreatVirginiaTech.
VirginiaTechUniversityprohibitedlawabidingcitizens,students,staffandvisitorsfrom
carryingconcealedweaponsonthecampus(SchoolGunFreeZoneRestrictionsHavenoEffect
onCriminals).OntheContrary,theargumentarisesthatiftherewerenoguns,therewouldbe
noshootings.Intheory,ifallgunswereconfiscatedtherewouldbenogunviolencebut
realisticallycriminalswouldstillmanagetoobtainweapons.Whilethelawabidingcitizens
wouldbeleftdefenseless.Statisticsshowthatovereightypercentofthepopulationwillfall
victimofanattemptedcrimeandoverfortypercentofthepopulationswillfallvictimofa
successfulviolentcrimeatleastonce(GunControlFacts).Withsuchahighprobabilityof
becomingthevictimtoaviolentcrime,isitreallysafertowaivetherighttobeararms?Thomas
Jeffersonsaid"Lawsthatforbidthecarryingofarms...disarmonlythosewhoareneitherinclined
nordeterminedtocommitcrimes...Suchlawsmakethingsworsefortheassaultedandbetterfor

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theassailantstheyserverathertoencouragethantopreventhomicides,foranunarmedman
maybeattackedwithgreaterconfidencethananarmedman."(GunFactsandQuotes)."
Concealedcarrypermitholdersareverybeneficialtothepublic,infacttheyhave
reducedmultiplevictimshootingsbysixtypercent(GunFreeZoneLawsIncreaseGunViolence
atSchools).Permitholdersarealsonodangertosociety,infacttheyaretheincrediblylaw
abidingcitizens.Approximatelyoneinamillionpermitholdersreceiveafirearmviolation.With
suchalowrateoffirearmviolationsandthevastbenefitsofpermitholdersastheyalsoreduce
thefrequencyandseverityofmassshootings,theadvantagesoutwaythedisadvantagesbya
morethanreasonableamount(ALookattheFactsonGunFreeZones).Therearemany
incidentswherepermitholdershavepreventedmassshootings.Forexample,inMarchof2015a
gunmanopenedfireinabarbershopwhileapermitholderwaswalkingby.Thepermitholder
ranintothebarbershopandshotthegunman,preventingatragedy.Apsychiatristwhomwasa
permitholdershotandwoundedagunmanwhowasaconvictedfelonandjustkilledahospital
caseworkerandhadthirtynineroundsleft.Ifthepsychiatristwasnotapermitholder,theirlife
andmanyotherscouldhavebeenlostbeforeauthoritiescouldhavearrived(ALookattheFacts
onGunFreeZones).Thoseareafewexamplesofpermitholderspreventingmassshootings.
GeorgeWashingtonsaidTheveryatmosphereoffirearmsanywhereandeverywhererestrains
evilinterference.Theydeserveaplaceofhonorwithallthatisgood.Whenfirearmsgo,allgoes.
Weneedthemeveryhour(GunFactsandQuotes).TheIssueofFirearmrelatedaccidents
doesexist.Thenumberoffatalfirearmaccidentsisextremelytinyitisnotaconcern.Iffirearm
accidentsaresuchaconcern,thenvehiclesshouldalsobeillegalbecausetherearemuchmore
fatalvehicleaccidentsthanfatalfirearmaccidents(GunControlFacts).Ifevenaquarterofthe

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lawabidingcitizensintheUnitedStateshadaconcealedcarrypermit,anycriminalwouldthink
twicebeforecommittingacrime.
Stricterguncontrollawsdonotdetergunviolence,whileconcealedcarrylawsdohelp
preventingviolencethereismorethatcanbedone.Itisnearimpossibletopreventany
emotionallyunstablepersonorcriminalfromobtainingafirearm,evenwithmorestrictgun
controllaws.Itwillonlyincreasethesaleofillegalfirearms(GunControl:Exploringthe
Issues).Changingthefocusfromstricterguncontrollaws,tounderstandingtherootand
triggersoftheshootersdecisionswouldbemuchmorebeneficial.Whiledifferentpartiesobject
andtrytoexplainguncontrolhasreducedmassshootings,butthereisnocorrelationbetween
thetwo.Whileontheotherhandthereisacorrelationbetweenbullyingvictimsandviolent
reactions(GunControl:ExploringtheIssues).Untilthefocusisshiftedtowardshelpingthe
mentallyill,bullyingvictims,andotherpeoplewhohaveatraumaticpast,massshootingswill
onlyincrease.Amajorreasonforthisisbecauselawscannotregulatetheirresponsesto
emotionaldistress,mentalillnessesandpasttraumaticevents(GunControl:Exploringthe
Issues).
Gunfreezonesputthepublicatrisk,whiletheintentionsaregoodthegunfreezones
theydonotwork.Theyaremeanttodetercriminalsandmassshootersbutinfacttheyattract
them.Mostmultiplevictimshootingsoccuringunfreezoneswherethevictimsaredefenseless
(GunControl:ExploringtheIssues).Gunfreezonesareamagnetformassshootings,while
theydodeterlawabidingcitizenstheyloreinmassshooters.Almosteverymassshootingoccurs
ingunfreezoneswhilealmostnoneoccurinareaswherepermitholdersareallowedtocarry.
Concealedcarrylawshavereducedmultiplevictimshootingsbyoversixtypercent(GunFree

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ZoneLawsIncreaseGuncrimesatSchools).ItisnoteventhefactthatitisAmericancitizens
rightstobeararmswiththesecondamendment,butforthesafetyofthecitizensaroundthe
country.Children,teenagers,adults,theelderly,andthefamiliesofournation'scitizensare
substantiallysaferwhencitizenscanlawfullycarryconcealedweapons.Itisnotjustanotherway
totestandexpresstherightsofwhichthepopulationhasbutfortheinsuranceofournations
wellbeing.Themorelawabidingcitizenswiththeirconcealedcarrypermitandcarryaweapon
willmakeourcommunitiesasaferplace.

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