After many mass shooting on the universities and school campuses, allowing students to legally carry a concealed weapon has become a big argument. People are not feeling safe while they are on campus and they want changes because firearms are not allowed on campus. In this article "Should students carry guns on campus?," Rajini Vaidyanathan effectively uses pathos by telling the story of a college girl who is being stalked to change who the reader thinks about when they think about gun owners and sympathizes the audience to acknowledge the law might not protect us the way we think it should.

One of the ways the author uses pathos is by stating a real life example of Taylor Woolrich who was being stalked on a daily basis. Taylor waitressed at a cafe in California and that's when this whole epidemic started. Ever since he saw her there he has been tracking her down, contacting her, and even had a restraining order put on him! Taylor has been running from this man for a number of years and it will not stop. She even tried moving across the country to get away from this man but it still wasn't enough. In this instance Taylor is defenseless, she tried to get the police involved but it wasn't enough. She feels like the only way she will feel safe is if she has a gun. The author uses this story to get you to feel bad for Taylor and hear out what she has to say on the issue. It makes the reader almost want to agree with she is saying just because she was put in this predicament. The story allows you to empathize the girl and her feelings towards the issue and even though you might not agree with what she says it makes you want to at least hear her out.

In the article, Rajini Vaidyanathan was clever enough to put a picture of Taylor Woolrich so that everyone can know who she is. By doing this it puts a name to a face because without the picture the reader would have to guess what she looked like. Also when you see her picture in the article you kind of make a connection with them or bond because you know what they look like and you know their story. Putting a picture up also keeps the reader thinking of someone similar or a similar situation. When you see her picture it does not make you think she seems like stereotypical gun owner or looks like she would kill anyone. When you think of a gun owner immediately you think of a big buff guy that isn't afraid to kill anyone, but when you look at Taylor she looks innocent, sweet, and an upper middle class beauty queen who would not hurt a fly. Seeing a picture of the girl implants a permanent mark on your brain and makes a constant reminder of who she is and what she went through. 

Another example of the author using pathos throughout this argumentative article is the fact that the police and law aren't protecting her as they should. Because of this Taylor has to find a way to protect herself. In the article she says "I carry mace, I've considered a Taser, I've considered many options," this shows that she's trying her best to protect herself and she is scared and in danger and the laws are not working. Taylor thinks that the only way to really protect herself is to have a gun, but because of the current laws that prohibit guns on college campuses she cannot do so. Many of the different colleges believed that having guns on campus would make the situation worse than it already is, but could it get worse seeing how bad it is now? We won't know until we get a chance to try it out. In this story Taylor states that she doesn't feel protected and betrayed because the police and the law didn't protect her from her stalker. Taylor felt like she had to take matters into her own hands because she wasn't getting the help that she needed. The fact that people like Taylor are changing the face of what a gun owner should look like means that society should not expect the older white man to always be the one to buy or use a gun. Instead, society is starting to see people of all legal ages and multiple races going in to get a gun for their protection.  The author portrays pathos in this matter by explaining to the reader throughout the story of Taylor's pain and suffering that she goes through on a daily basis to convince the readers of what a gun owner looks like. 

Now that the face is starting to change of what a gun owner looks like this seems to mean that a lot of citizens are beginning to purchase concealed weapons. The national group SCC (Students for Concealed Carry) has seen more women interested in their organization. Women are starting to get guns because they are more prone to being victimized, especially on college campuses. According to Vanest in the article "Should students carry guns on campus" she says "We want to protect ourselves on campus which is an area where women are more frequently victimized" because she wants to the law passed for concealed carry for the safety of women on campus (Vaidyanathan). This shows that all kinds of people are starting to purchase concealed weapons for their safety.

In conclusion, Rajini Vaidyanathan effectively uses pathos by telling the story of a college girl who is being stalked to sympathize the audience to acknowledge the law might not protect us the way we think it should and to change the look of what a stereotypical gun owner looks like. Students need to feel safe on campus, just because you are on a college campus that should not mean that you have your rights taken away from you. Women are starting to become gun owners which could mean that the faces of a gun owner is changing. Society seems to know what a typical gun owner looks like, but more and more people are wanting to exercise their rights like Taylor to protect themselves from the dangers around them when no one else can.
