By PATRICK MAROUN

Colleges and universities are like countries – their top priority is the safety of their citizens, or in this case, students.  Fordham is no exception.

In light of recent controversy, it seems appropriate to ask “What about guns?” Would students be safer if the guards who protect us had guns? Should students be allowed to have their own guns on campus? Can tragedies like Columbine, Virginia Tech and, most recently, Sandy Hook be prevented?

The issues surrounding guns are contentious, and debate over gun control has recently grown quite popular. I would like to emphasize, however, that the focus of this article is the relationship between guns and safety specifically on college campuses.  In no way is this meant to be a commentary on the state of gun regulation laws in the United States as a whole.

“All guards should carry guns and be trained to use them,” David Emami, GSB ’15, said.

Last year, Emami was the victim of an armed robbery.  “I was held at gun point on campus,” he said. “A guard walked in on us, but I did not say anything because I knew he was unarmed.”

Emami’s story highlights just how difficult it can be for institutions of higher learning to keep students safe.  This is a reality that we must acknowledge.

Emami and I disagree, however, because I do not believe that the security guard would have been able to help the situation even if he had been armed with a gun.

Imagine that the guard had been armed and that Emami had discreetly informed the guard of his situation. The guard would have most likely drawn his weapon, creating a situation where Emami was no longer being robbed, but held hostage by a man looking to escape apprehension.

“I do not think more guns is the answer. I would rather have mace,” James, who asked for his last name to be withheld, a security guard who works in O’Hare Hall, said.    “What if he [a guard] had a bad day – like at home?  We do not know what people have been through or what goes on in their lives.  What if he has a confrontation with a student for whatever reason?  When things get tense, the last thing that we need in the equation is a gun.”

I tend to agree with James’s assessment of the situation.  I think he is certainly right; anytime you deal with a gun, you deal with deadly force.  This fact should not be taken lightly.

James and I then discussed the idea of students having guns of their own.  He was quite consistent in his response: “We have people equipped to deal with tragedies. We have police. We have SWAT teams.  That is why we have them.”  Students do not need guns.

Emami agrees, “[There are] too many students.  It only takes one mentally ill, angry or drunk student to cause a tragedy.”

The problem with guns is the fact that their presence immediately escalates a conflict into a life or death situation because they can be used with such deadly force.  Guns endanger students when they are present on campus, even when handled by well-trained people.

No one is perfect, and people make mistakes. A weapon that can kill people as easily as a gun can leaves no room for error in any circumstance.  We should not endanger students by surrounding them with such deadly forces.

It is the responsibility of the university to keep its students safe, and even though equipping guards with firearms may be undertaken in an effort to protect students, it can only endanger them further.

Patrick Maroun, FCRH ’15, is a political science and theology major from Norwood, Mass.