By COLLEEN CRAWFORD
Journalism I
Lawmakers in roughly a dozen states are currently debating legislation that would give college students and professors the right to carry guns in the classroom and around campus.
According to The Associated Press, more than half the members of the Texas House have signed on as co-authors of a measure directing universities to allow concealed handguns.
Much similar to the bill that arose in 2009, the final decision will be left up to the University and the discretion of the staff.
Concealed-weapons opponent, Neta Trahar stated, “Arming everyone is not the solution—not even in Texas.”
Texas is not the only state considering this legislation. The Los Angeles Times reports that officials in Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Florida are considering similar legislations of their own.
The bills seem to be in response to the Virginia Tech, Northern Illinois University and the University of Texas shootings that occurred during the last five years.
A survey of roughly 1,700 students at Sam Houston State University and a university in Washington revealed almost a quarter of students were “not comfortable at all” with the idea of guns on their campuses.
Ten percent of Texas students were comfortable with the idea, while only 8 percent of the Washington students felt the same.
At the University of Tampa, 50 students were asked whether or not they would be comfortable attending a school that allowed students to bear arms. Of the group, only five of the students, all male, were for firearms on campus. Out of a group of 10 professors, only one proclaimed to be “absolutely for” the legislation.
Apart from the opinions of those who spend a lot of time on campus (students, faculty and staff) the opinion of the public was taken into account as well. When 10 people were approached randomly on a street in downtown Tampa, only two felt that the right of weaponry was a good idea.
Safety and security are major parts of our everyday lives. We also see security guards who are armed on a daily basis.
UT sophomore Jessica Bullock explained that she would feel, “in great danger” if her peers and professors had guns on campus. She said she would expect something “fatal to occur” as a result of any related legislation allowing weapons.
By contrast, Jasmin Jackson, a freshman at the University of North Alabama, said, “I would feel safer if I could carry a weapon around.”
UT sophomore Erin Shields has been living on campus for the past two years. She said that during her time in school she has seen some unpredictable and erratic behavior on campus.
Standing against the right to bear arms, she said she “would have major concerns [over] the combination of drugs, alcohol and weapons.”
Shields said she feels as though certain students would be “unwilling to have roommates who were planning on using and storing firearms in the dorm building.”
Nationally-known author John Lott rhetorically asked if people would put up a sign in front of their houses reading, “This Is a Gun-Free Zone.” He said that it would make no sense to post such a sign because it would be informing criminals of the lack of protection inside the house.
“Yet we put signs like that up at our schools and universities,” he said. “There’s a tremendous advantage to having concealed-carry laws, because the shooter doesn’t know who has a weapon.”
Corresponding to the thoughts of Lott, UT freshman Jon Wilkinson stated, “Students are being mugged because unlike everyone else in Tampa, we don’t carry protection. So, to everyone packing heat, we are left as targets.”
UT Opinions:
“I definitely think that gun control on this campus should be like everywhere else: you have to have your license, you have to carry your permit whenever you carry your gun. You should definitely have clearance from the R.A.’s, saying, ‘Hey, I have a gun in my room, just in case anyone comes through my window.’ But I just don’t know why people need guns on campus after Virginia Tech.” – Daniel Munoz, junior, 21, film and media arts
“There’s already enough people getting drunk and going crazy. Imagine that drunk, crazy person controlling a gun!” – Sami Al Qatari, freshman, 19, psychology
“It’s a terrible, terrible idea. I agree with having a weapon in your home for protection, but as far as on campus, with kids drunk beyond belief—can’t event tell you their name—I wouldn’t give them a pencil.” – Alex Montaya, freshman, 19, undecided
“Campus is safe enough, and they wouldn’t advertise that guns were allowed on campus. You just have to be street smart.” – Breanna Nelson, junior, 21, accounting
“I wouldn’t want a gun, but I would get one if they were allowed on campus.” – Mike Sapraicone, junior, 20, business
“We definitely need them for protection.” – Marco Varrino, junior, 20, undecided
“I don’t think anyone on this campus should have a gun. An unnecessary death would result from it.” – Kyle Tucke, sophomore, 20, business
“No guns. No guns period. The only reason you should have a gun is for self-protection and the university is obligated to keep its students safe. If not, they are not doing their job.” – David Stokes Piercy, media production coordinator
“Hell no! People are crazy these days. I wouldn’t trust people in my residence hall with guns.” – Brittney Williams, sophomore, 19, international and cultural studies
“I’d be on the edge all the time and if they try to pull a gun on me, I would tell them they can have the whole DQ. This overpriced food could make students angry.” – Aquisha Smith, 21, DQ staff member
“You wouldn’t know if a kid had a gun now, unless he was flashing it around. I have a concealed-carry permit. I could bring my gun to campus right now. It’s an open campus. They don’t have [gun] checks.” – Tom Sawicki, junior, 24, criminology major
“There’s already enough people getting drunk and going crazy. Imagine that drunk, crazy person controlling a gun!” – Sami Al Qatari, freshman, 19, psychology
“It’s a terrible, terrible idea. I agree with having a weapon in your home for protection, but as far as on campus, with kids drunk beyond belief—can’t event tell you their name—I wouldn’t give them a pencil.” – Alex Montaya, freshman, 19, undecided
“Campus is safe enough, and they wouldn’t advertise that guns were allowed on campus. You just have to be street smart.” – Breanna Nelson, junior, 21, accounting
“I wouldn’t want a gun, but I would get one if they were allowed on campus.” – Mike Sapraicone, junior, 20, business
“We definitely need them for protection.” – Marco Varrino, junior, 20, undecided
“I don’t think anyone on this campus should have a gun. An unnecessary death would result from it.” – Kyle Tucke, sophomore, 20, business
“No guns. No guns period. The only reason you should have a gun is for self-protection and the university is obligated to keep its students safe. If not, they are not doing their job.” – David Stokes Piercy , professor of communications
“Hell no! People are crazy these days. I wouldn’t trust people in my residence hall with guns.” – Brittney Williams, sophomore, 19, international and cultural studies
“I’d be on the edge all the time and if they try to pull a gun on me, I would tell them they can have the whole DQ. This overpriced food could make students angry.” – Aquisha Smith, 21, DQ staff member
“You wouldn’t know if a kid had a gun now, unless he was flashing it around. I have a concealed-carry permit. I could bring my gun to campus right now. It’s an open campus. They don’t have [gun] checks.” – Tom Sawicki, junior, 24, criminology major
I think a lot of people haven’t thought that even if we could carry a gun on campus (I would), that you still have to be a Florida resident and have a concealed carry license and be at least 21. I think some 80% of students are from out of state on this campus anyway (I am). But does anyone remember that several students were robbed AT GUNPOINT last year? On campus??? People are dumb. I would feel safer if myself and others that are mature and actually know how to handle a weapon can carry them. I don’t trust my safety to out-of-shape security “guards” riding around on golf carts.
The right to own and a purchase a gun has nothing to do with WHERE you can take your gun. Clearly laws have always existed dictating where a person has the right to carry a gun based on the safety of other individuals, private property rights, etc.
The fact of the matter is a person is more likely to use a weapon when its closer to them in heated situations, especially with the mix of alcohol. If you want to own a gun and carry it, then you need to have your own property off-campus in your own private domain. More power to you!
UT is a private college campus and would be smart to keep guns out of the hands of students on its campus for the safety of students and faculty alike.
First, the fundamental right to self-defense, and the right to the most efficient means to affect it, are not subject to negotiation or to opinion. The 2nd Amendment exists to shield the right from democratic meddling.
Second, witness the following illogic: “But I just don’t know why people need guns on campus after Virginia Tech.” – Daniel Munoz
Daniel, you need to read your own statement, perhaps several times, and recognize the stark inanity of it. Virginia Tech is THE poster child for lawful carry on campus. The reason Cho killed so many people, unobstructed, was that there was no way to stop him. In other words, NO GUNS. The fact that bringing a gun on campus was illegal didn’t seem to matter too much to HIM, and it won’t matter to the nut case who illegally brings one on YOUR campus to shoot the place up.
All you young skulls full of mush need to get a grip on reality, and use your brains to think things through logically. No guns = No protection.
people worry about students carrying firearms but forget that the only people who would be allowed to carry are those who are over 21 yrs of age, and have meet all the requirements to obtain a Concealed Handgun License. so this would eliminate many of the undergraduate students who are the ones who drink and experiment the most. also people worry about their safety around CHL holders, but we encounter these people every day as we go to the movies, grocery stores, mall, ect. there are over 400,000 CHL holders in the state of Texas alone, and these people are statistically less likely to be involved all crime across the board. all this legislation would do is allow people who already have a CHL the chance to carry where they spend the majority of their time and encounter the most danger. As a student ive had many times where ive had to walk home late at night after exams or late nights of studying and have encounter a shady character or two on my way home and wished i could have a way to defend myself legally. like stated above, would you feel comfortable putting a gun-free zone sign in front of your house, the same goes for universities as we have seen in the past it doesn’t work, and this especially hit home after the recent shooting incident at UT.
“The non-aggression principle (also called the non-aggression axiom, or the anti-coercion or zero aggression principle or non-initiation of force) is an ethical stance which asserts that ‘aggression’ is inherently illegitimate.
‘Aggression’ is defined as the ‘initiation’ of physical force against persons or property, the threat of such, or fraud upon persons or their property.”
Agression, even to take away guns is immoral.
personally, I hope this open carry law gets passed here in Florida. I will probably still carry concealed, but it is nice to have options. Hopefully cops won’t act like they are such bad-asses anymore just because they can carry a gun out in the open. Equalizers. haha
“Gun-Free Zones” are pure nonsense.
They are only gun-free as it pertains to people who actually obey the prohibition, i.e. law-abiding citizens.
VT was “Gun-Free”. Did it stop the shooter? No. Colombine HS was “Gun-Free”. did it stop the shooters? No.
Anybody with half a brain should be able to understand that if you can’t trust a citizen with a gun at a school, then you can’t trust them ANYWHERE with a gun. Since we know that that is not the state of affairs, then what is the logical explanation for this “Gun-Free Zone” crap?
There IS none.
Lift the ban and join the world of sentience.
The beauty of concealed carry is that nobody knows you have it.
Seventy-one college campuses allow students with permits to carry concealed handguns, and many more let faculty carry, some for over a decade. But none — absolutely none — of these schools have experienced the type of harm predicted by opponents. Not a single permit holder on these campuses has been involved in a firearm accident or crime.
@ Really: while the Minaret is usually pretty shady on editing (I did notice, FYI…he’s probably from “Colombia”…unless he went to Mizzou first!) that it’s more of a website error. So blame the kid who updates the weblinks and websites, not the kid who wrote it. If you notice, the actual headline on the article is correct.
@ Matt: glad to see that ROTC training is really paying off. I feel safe on campus now, but I wouldn’t if some kid on campus with a bad attitude got a little out of control and did something stupid. Guns are a huge responsibility, and people don’t take this into account that people need to be emotionally mature to handle a weapon that could quickly end someone else’s life. How many kids on campus do you know are REALLY up to that responsibility?
Just to clarify on my comment, since only a small portion of it was used obviously for effect here which is what journalists do best, but all i was saying is that i do have a concealed permit and i would carry a gun in my backpack and no one would know. Now would i ever actually bring my weapon to school? Obviously not, i am a Veteran and have the weapon for personal use when i go to the range.I also went on to say that security guards should be the only ones with weapons if we were to implement this policy. The school is located in not the best of surrounding neighborhoods and it is an open campus. So having securty guards with weapons would be an effective tactic to use escalation of force if necessary, and only to be used in life or death situations. I also find this article so ridiculous due to the fact that its adressing the fact of whether or not students should be able to carry guns on campus, do you remember Virginia Tech? Columbine? lets be serious here guys there is no need to allow anyone on campus to have a weapon unless they are law enforcement or securty(if properly trained).
we’re all goners
You all hang out around your fellow students and professors. My guess is that you wouldn’t trust most of them to borrow your cell phone now you trust all those knuckleheads with a hot lead extruder?
Concealed carry on campus through “Licensed/trained” individuals would be a good thing. It’s called gun control through gun de-control, look it up before you bash it.
Gun-gree zone? REALLY. Did you even look at the article’s title before submitting it? WHY ARE YOU IN COLLEGE
Theres too many liberal pu$$ies at UT
guess the gun was too.. “gun-gree”..sounds like”hun-gree”