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Tasers on campus better than guns

A trainer at U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Advanced Training Center holds a model X26 Taser currently in use by Border Patrol agents and customs officers on Oct. 14, 2015 in Harpers Ferry, W.V. (Brian Bennett/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

Written by Miles Brown, Staff Writer

According to a new bill proposed by Republican Buzz Brockway, students would be allowed to carry Tasers and other stun guns on college campuses. This bill is essentially a response to the rejection of a previous bill that, if passed, would have allowed students to carry guns on college campuses.

The main purpose of the bill is to ensure students’ safety. Georgia’s biggest schools, University of Georgia and Georgia Tech have banned stun guns under their policies but if the bill passes, the bans will be lifted. It seems as if the main concern is the training required for students to carry Tasers and if the stun guns will end up being a danger to campus communities.

If this bill passes, there definitely needs to be required training for all student wanting to carry Tasers. For instance, many on campus jobs at Valdosta State University require CPR certification for their employees. That same principle and idea can be applied to students with Tasers and stun guns; they need to be certified to prove that they have done their training.

Students should be able to fend for themselves in cases like attempted rape, harassment and armed robbery. Stun guns and Tasers would be a great choice as an alternative to guns in order to lessen those crimes.

Even though there are many positives to the bill, it still leaves questions. How are police and personnel going to respond to these changes on campus? Who is most likely to carry Tasers? How long must someone be trained until it’s safe for the subject to carry? Who will carry out the training?

College students are definitely not the most responsible demographic, so what is to stop a student from harming their teacher or other classmates during a disagreement? It is likely that those incidents will be unavoidable if and when the bill passes.

The only thing that can keep the campus safe if this new bill is enacted is if those who possess stun guns have proper training. However, allowing students to carry Tasers is much better than permitting guns on college campus.

 

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