The Right to Bear Arms ... on Campus

I'm not aware of any statistics or studies which show that many (most?) college students (drunk, stupid, stressed, clannish, immature, or otherwise) are gun owners. The proposed legislation doesn't require students, or anyone else, to carry firearms; it simply allows for law-abiding citizens that already have carry permits to keep their weapons with them while on a college campus. Neither does the bill alter in any way who can or can't own a firearm, nor reduce or minimize the standards which must be met to obtain a carry permit (unlike the recent Wyoming legislation).

This next bit is pure speculation on my part, but I have trouble imagining that simply having an additional place where one can carry a gun is going to be sufficient motivation for someone to run out and buy one: "Gee, you mean I can carry a gun on campus now, rather than just to the supermarket, the mall, the park, and while walking down dark, deserted streets? Guess I'd better get me one!"

Also, the Idaho bill allows for campus administrators to ban guns from undergraduate dorms, which, to my mind, virtually eliminates the likelihood of most students choosing to own a firearm -- where would they keep it? I suspect (again, pure speculation) that most gun owners would want to have their weapon within easy reach of where they sleep; I certainly wouldn't want to leave an expensive piece of property anyplace where I couldn't keep a close eye on it.