Kennesaw State’s Turning Point USA chapter hosted Parkland shooting survivor Kyle Kashuv and ex-police officer Brandon Tatum Wednesday, April 10, in the Prillaman auditorium to discuss their belief that citizen gun ownership can save lives.
Tatum served as a police officer in Tucson, Arizona, for six years and Kashuv is a student of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and a survivor of the shooting that occurred on Feb. 14, 2018, in which 17 students and staff members lost their lives and another 17 were injured.
The event, “Guns Save Lives,” attracted KSU students and those from outside of the Kennesaw community to hear different perspectives of the debates over the second amendment. Both speakers are representatives of TPUSA, with Tatum serving as director of urban engagement and Kashuv as the director of high school outreach.
The event’s central focus was on the importance of all citizens owning a firearm for the sake of self-defense. Kashuv referenced the shooting at his school and how, without a means of defense, he and his peers were fully dependent on officers who had not yet arrived for defense.
“[The shooting] could have been stopped had someone been armed and willing to act,” Kashuv said.
Kashuv shared a small part of his experience the day of the shooting and how he and his peers felt fearful hiding with no means of protecting themselves against the gunman.
“The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” Kashuv said.
Kashuv said that the average school shooting lasts five minutes with the average police response time being 15 minutes. For this reason, Kashuv said that he believes that schools should be armed in order to act immediately when tragedy strikes instead of waiting for police to arrive before anything can be done.
Tatum said one’s obligation as a gun owner is to understand the laws in their state and constantly practice with their firearm.
If pulled over by a police officer while carrying, Tatum said that individuals should place both hands on their steering wheel and inform the officer of their concealed carry permit and of where the gun is located in their car.
“Remove every possibility for the wrong situation to occur,” Tatum said.
Event organizers encouraged students to take part in an open discussion on the subject, and one question asked by a student prompted a disagreement between Tatum and Kashuv on the topic of the ban on bump stocks.
“I don’t understand why there needs to be a ban,” Tatum said. “I don’t believe that a shooting necessitates a ban.”
Kashuv said that he does not think that the executive branch has the authority to ban bump stocks and added that he is indifferent of a ban.
Regarding the prevention of mass shootings, Tatum said that better treatment for those with mental illness, as well as the elimination of evading the evaluative process, is needed.
The issue of concealed carry age limitations came up in this session as well. Kashuv believes that when a citizen turns 18, they should have all of the rights granted to them.
“If you can serve in the military and carry a gun to protect this country, then there is no reason not to return home and carry [a gun] to defend yourself,” Tatum said.
“Every time I do one of these events, I am really inspired by these kids,” Kashuv said. “They go out every day and they stand up for their beliefs in an environment that is really hostile to conservative beliefs. The best thing is when I respectfully disagree with them and we can have a conversation. Everyone should be able to have their viewpoint and respectfully disagree.”
“Guns Save Lives” was KSU’s first large TPUSA event since the creation of the club at the beginning of the spring 2019 semester.
TPUSA is a non-profit organization founded on June 5, 2012, by Charlie Kirk. The organization’s mission is to “identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government,” according to its website.
