Politics

Coincidence of campus carry controversy, Gallup CCW poll results

CCW KAHRBy no small coincidence, a controversy over campus concealed carry in Florida and Wisconsin has erupted at the same time that the Gallup poll has shown a majority of Americans think more concealed firearms “would make the country safer.”

According to an Op-Ed in The Hill by Colorado State University professor Raymond Hogler, several states are looking at legalizing campus carry by licensed students and staff. He noted that one Texas professor quit his job rather than be in the proximity of anyone legally carrying a defensive firearm.

Up north, the University of Wisconsin’s Daily Cardinal carried an opinion piece Thursday headlined “Concealed carry on campus is dangerous.” This article alluded to data on campus shootings that had been used as a source by the Kansas City Star. That data came from anti-gun billionaire Michael Bloomberg’s Everytown for Gun Safety lobbying organization, and it includes incidents classified as “school shootings” that were, among other things, a gang turf brawl outside of a high school basketball game in January, an apparent drug deal gone bad between two teens who met in the parking lot of an elementary school during summer break, and a negligent discharge by a non-student who was leaving a concert on Oklahoma’s Langdon University campus during Homecoming week.

Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?

While there is some typical angst from the left over campus carry, a Gallup poll released this week shows that 56 percent of Americans believe concealed carry makes the country safer. Not surprisingly, the breakdown shows 82 percent support for concealed carry among Republicans, 59 percent among Independents but only 31 percent among Democrats.

Incidentally, that same survey revealed that Americans are split over whether so-called “universal background checks” would reduce the number of mass shootings. Less than half the people think such checks would make a difference, while slightly more than half think it wouldn’t, according to Gallup.

Perhaps also not so surprising, a bill in Wisconsin to allow concealed carry inside campus buildings at University of Wisconsin campuses seems to worry State Rep. Andy Jorgensen, a Democrat, who was quoted by a campus newspaper stating, “The campus carry act, as it’s being called, is ill-conceived and a knee-jerk reaction to the Oregon campus tragedy that I believe will take us in the wrong direction. Studies have shown us that more guns mean more gun-related deaths.”

For more, read the Seattle Gun Rights Examiner.

Related:

If you haven’t checked out and liked our Facebook page, please go here and do so.

Related Articles

Our Privacy Policy has been updated to support the latest regulations.Click to learn more.×