Editorial

Georgia Rep. Sean Jerguson (R-Holly Springs) will be formally introducing legislation to amend the Georgia Constitutional Act of 2012 aimed at allowing guns on college campuses.

The legislation would permit students 21 or over with a valid permit to carry guns on campus. While Rep. Jerguson says the recent increase in crime around Georgia Tech and Georgia State University did not prompt the legislation, he said it highlights the need for it.

However, it is doubtful that the legislation would do much for either campus - especially Georgia State.

The fact of the matter is that we located in the middle of downtown Atlanta. We do not have a traditional campus like that of Kennesaw State University or even that of Georgia Tech. To get to Aderhold, students have to walk on public sidewalks and through a public, city-owned park. The definition of what constitutes as our campus at Georgia State is convoluted and murky.

The murkiness and intermingling of non-Georgia State individuals that students do on a daily basis would make this law pointless and next to impossible to enforce. The only difference would be that you could physically have a gun in the university buildings.

Also, there is a possibility that the legislation could encourage more spontaneous violence. When college campus shootings occur like that of Virginia Tech, the violence is often premeditated. However, the ready availability of a gun may cause more rash, unpremeditated violence.

Therefore, before Rep. Jerguson continues forward with his legislation any more, he should devise a better plan that might help our university and be more feasible. Of course, he might want to reconsider trying to pass gun legislation when owns a gun store and shooting range himself.