A new Bill in Texas has passed the senate hurdle and is heading to the floor. This bill supports licensed concealed carriers having their guns on college campuses. Hopefully after this bill goes to the floor, it stays there.
I would like to say, first of all, that I am not against guns in general. Indeed, I believe people with licenses have earned the right to own and carry their guns, have them in their own homes, and to use them in order to protect their family, their property, and themselves. I believe this despite the fact that my mother, who raised me, was hesitant to allow me to even own a pocket knife and has never supported guns, even in individuals homes, much less on an individuals person.
I believe this sets me apart from many who oppose the bill who are against guns in general and therefor oppose the bill almost blindly.
However, as a student, I would not feel safe knowing other students may have guns on their person. While some college students my be mature enough to handle this responsibility, infinitely many are not. There is also a difference in being able to learn how to use a gun and how to handle a gun and passing a test with that knowledge and then going out into the world and actually applying the knowledge. I fear some might use this as a threat.
My biggest worry though, and the one that I believe is the most obvious and most practical and should be easily seen by even the proudest gun totin' Texan: there is an undeniable liquor problem on most college campuses. While it is easy to be responsible and wise while sober, when a young person is drunk and has a gun, loaded or not, one can only imagine the chaos that might break out.
As always, this has been from a student's perspective.
Lura, I completely agree with your position on this bill. If this bill passes and allows licensed concealed carriers to have their guns on college campus, it could be very dangerous. Students have no business carrying weapons to school. I know that I most definitely would not feel safe at school knowing that people were carrying guns. Guns belong in the confines of our homes for protection, not at school. Campuses already have security teams and protection for students in the event of emergencies and that should be sufficient. You make a valid point about the drinking problem on most campuses as well. When people become intoxicated, they are more likely to be aggressive and irresponsible with weapons. This combination is a recipe for a disaster. Jim Vertuno from Yahoo’s Associated Press states that “opponents of campus gun rights say students and faculty would live in fear of their classmates and colleagues, not knowing who might pull a gun over a poor grade, a broken romance or a drunken fraternity argument.” This is another good point. College students may break easily under stress and react in this kind of way. With that being said, I honestly believe that allowing guns on college campuses will inevitably lead to more violence.
ReplyDeletehttp://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110220/ap_on_re_us/us_guns_on_campus
Lura,
ReplyDeletePrior to reading your blog, I had an indifferent opinion on whether or not students should be allowed to carry concealed handguns on college campuses. My view has always been that if an individual owns a concealed handgun and has their lisence, that they were responsible and mature enough to handle the weapon in the appropriate circumstances.
Having read your blog now, my view has shifted and I am in aggreeance with you. Regardless of whether or not a person is able to handle a weapon of this caliber appropriately, it instills a certain amount of fear among faculty, students, and guests of the school. This is a fear that is unnecessary. College campuses already have security measures in place which should be sufficient enough to handle situations in which an individual might otherwise need to handle a gun.
Another point of concern that you touched on briefly is the amount of alochol consumption takes place on college campuses. Alcohol obviously hinders judgement in people, and even if you do have the correct certifications and are otherwise capable of handling a gun, alcohol would be sure to change that.
I decided to comment on your post because this is an area in which I have struggled with since word about this bill began to spread shortly after Colton Tooley opened fire on campus before turning the gun on himself.
ReplyDeleteIt directly affected me since I was one of the few students who actually passed by him on his way into the library. Remembering him turning around, smiling, and waving at a couple of us going into class with one hand while holding on to his weapon inside his coat with the other remains so surreal to me and still sends shivers up my spine.
Since the incident, I have always consdiered the benefits and drawbacks of carrying a concealed weapon on campus. Much is to be considered. But this is the initial fear I had when debating whether I support it or not. It's no secret that while inebriated you become more reckless and make decisions that you normally wouldn't in sound mind. This can cause the obvious problem of the weapon being used for the wrong reason when the consequences are not measured.
But another option to consider is how reponsible people seeking their concealed weapon lincense would behave in a possible future gunman rampage. Let's say Tooley had actually opened fire on those he encountered along the way in to the library, if someone mentally stable and using their best judgement had been around and carrying his/her personal weapon they would have been able to stop him and possibly prevent the wounding or even killing of innocent bystanders.
I am by no means giving my full support to this proposed bill, I definitely still have mixed feelings about the entire issue, but that is something to consider. Which would be the lesser of the two evils?
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ReplyDeleteI agree with your opinion that the bill should not be passed, however, I'm one of those people that dislikes guns to begin with.
ReplyDeleteI'm not even sure where my dislike stems from, I just think they are needless, and people should not even need them to "protect" themselves. I know this is in my own little dream world where idiots who misuse weapons don't exist, and in the real world those people do exist; however, I still fail to see how more guns create a better environment.
You bring up some valid reasoning for why this should not go through, something that I didn't think of; the amount of alcohol consumed on campuses. What would happen if someone were to become intoxicated and decided to bring out their handy gun? Sure, it would be an accident, but perhaps that person would not have decided to bring their weapon if it were still against the law.
Someone brought up the fact that people apparently already bring guns on campuses, so what does it matter if they passed the bill. Just because people are already doing something, doesn't mean it's okay to go ahead and make it legal. People do illegal things all the time, and when caught, they face the consequences of their actions. Those who currently choose to carry weapons in places where it isn't permitted do so knowing that they could possibly be caught. If the legality were to change, you then have more people who previously did not want to risk the chance of breaking the law, along with those who already carried the weapon.
The thought of people carrying around lethal weapons on campuses makes me very uncomfortable. Hopefully the bill does not make it any further, but it doesn't look like that is the case.