"Bridgewater College To Host Firearms Debate"

A discussion of the debate is provided here:

BRIDGEWATER - As Virginia nears the first anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre on April 16, Bridgewater College is tackling the issue of gun control.

Today, the college will host a debate featuring two professors and authors to discuss whether guns incite violence or promote self-protection.

The debate falls in line with the college's tradition of discussing topics like gay marriage, religion and other issues important in today's society, said Randall Young, the school's director of convocation programs and an associate professor of psychology.

"With the recent school shootings, it seems like this is a topic on a school campus that's very important," Young said. "[It's also pertinent] given the state of Virginia is a strong Republican state with lots of gun supporters."

An intellectual debate, he said, would elevate the "level of discourse" by focusing on the facts as opposed to an emotional response.

The event is free and open to the public.

The Debate

The debate at 7:30 p.m. in Cole Hall will feature two professors who have authored books on gun control.

Franklin E Zimring, the William G. Simon Professor of Law and Wolfen Distinguished Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, will speak in favor of more control on guns.

Zimring has co-authored 20 books, most recently "American Youth Violence" and "Crime is Not the Problem: Lethal Violence in America." According to Zimring, guns are a small part of total crime, but add up to 70 percent of lethal violence.

Zimring also will discuss the decrease in violence in New York City resulting from a policy focusing on handgun scarcity, according to Bridgewater College.

John R. Lott Jr., a senior research scientist at the University of Maryland, will be arguing against increased gun control. Lott is the author of the books "More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws" and "The Bias Against Guns," and has held positions at the University of Chicago, Yale University, Stanford, UCLA, Wharton and Rice.

Lott also was the chief economist for the U.S. Sentencing Commission during 1988 and 1989.

At the event, Lott will discuss whether crimes decrease when people are granted the right to carry concealed weapons, according to the college.