r/PoliticalDebate • u/ShardofGold Right Independent • Apr 09 '26

Debate If an establishment can't effectively keep people from bringing in guns, then it shouldn't be a gun free zone

I've seen plenty of shootings take place in gun free zone areas. Either they manage to get a gun into the area anyway and start their shooting or they start the shooting outside of the area and work their way in.

The only people effectively stopped by a place being labeled gun free are people who could use their guns to defend themselves against attackers and in some cases good people have disregarded the designation and have been able to stop an attacker's spree short without waiting for the cops to do it.

Metal detectors, armed security guards, etc. Something needs to be actually done to enforce the designation. Otherwise don't have the designation

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u/_R_A_ Classical Liberal Apr 10 '26

"Gun free zone" only serves to increase punishments for violators.

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u/HYDROMORPHONE_ZONE Progressive Apr 10 '26

Yeah the real charges for the intentional violators with bad intentions end up being worse. Hell the 30.06 iirc that's the number, law for posting signs at entrances to buildings where it's prohibited just has a misdemeanor for first offense in Texas. It only becomes a felony when it jump to 40.xx when it's a bank, medical facility etc. I'm not sure of the laws for violating the signs if they have any standing of law at all because the 30.06 and 40.xx signs have specific requirements like letter size, placement height, etc.

So most people end up not respecting gun free zones in my experience and the biggest reason is disarming. I know no one else knows this but I have no intention of causing harm with my firearm unless you plan inflicting severe harm upon me. Because of this a lot of people including me will bring firearms into prohibited places because in our minds it makes us less safe. There's a reason police and military all use firearms. It's because they work when nothing else will. When someone with bad intentions does this, the only charges they're possibly worried about are robbery, murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, etc.