Now, "Campus Carry Law" is being considered in 10 states. Lawmakers who are promoting it are expecting that this legislation will protect female students from the risk of being raped.
The Times of India: Guns for girls: US plan to fight campus rapes
To be honest, I am quite doubtful that they seriously believe guns can protect the women from sexual assaults. Even, generally speaking, it is quite questionable if possessing a gun will make you safe. Limited to a campus, I am convinced that this relaxation is an absurd idea.
Firstly, as written in this article, most of the perpetrators of rape in schools are a colleague of the victim. Many accidents occur in dormitories, not on a road. In such cases, it is unlikely that the woman has an opportunity to take a shot at the attacker.
Secondly, shooting a man can be an extremely serious burden for the shooter. Even if the girl could save her virginity with shooting, she will have to live with the fact that she took someone's life. Different from a case of an attempted murder, it is possible that the shooter would be also blamed. A gun is much too powerful to deal with this situation. A paralyzing stick would be enough, at least excepting for extraordinarily dangerous criminals. And, of course, such predators may snatch the gun.
Thirdly, firearms can increase the risk of fatal incidents. We are all so weak that we can lose temper easily. Especially, youths are sometimes reckless. It is possible that a silly quarrel suddenly becomes a murder case because of there is a gun in front of them.
Finally, exhibiting a firearm is prohibited even in a permitted area. But it is useless to hide the gun in your clothes. A gun is effective to prevent victimization only when it threatens the attacker. A man who can imagine the possibility that the victim conceals a gun under her clothes would never attempt to rape her. If possessing a gun is permitted to prevent crimes, the owner should be also allowed to show it to the public.
For these reasons, I never understand the idea to introduce firearms into the campus. There are few reasons to deem the campus a sanctuary. However, since it is now regulated, remaining the regulation forever is the best way not to increase the risk of shooting, as I wrote before. Fortunately, the majority of the professors and students seem rational, according to the media.
My past entry: Gun control and Nash equilibrium
State Representative Dennis K. Baxley said, "If you've got a person that's raped because you wouldn't let them carry a firearm to defend themselves, I think you're responsible." I dislike this type of sophism. If his thought would apply to himself, he were responsible to all of the crimes occurred even before since he became a lawmaker. Furthermore, it is possible a policy to save one person will cause more tragedies, ironically. There are some politicians who say things similar to him in Japan. I think that biased views are common to them.
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