A bill to permit licensed carriers of concealed weapons on college and university campuses barely failed in 2009. Its demise was not due to any lack of support in the Texas Legislature, but because of procedural difficulties involving other legislation. In the wake of the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech and the University of Texas at Austin (where the shooter killed himself only), lawmakers are gearing up again to allow guns on campus, presumably as a means of stopping violence quickly if it starts.
An article in the Dallas Morning News explores the issue. According to the piece, "Only two states—Utah and Colorado—currently allow guns on college campuses. In Colorado, the issue is tied up in court. That means only 77 schools in the country allow guns on campus." All in Utah.
Based on a variety of reports, the debate centers on the plausibility of competing scenarios.
Advocates for allowing licensed carriers on campus argue that an alert student, faculty, or staff member, who has been trained in the use of firearms, could shoot a perpetrator before the offending individual harms others. Training and screening are part of the Texas statutory requirement for obtaining a license (though some say the course is rudimentary). Concealed carriers now inhabit restaurants, libraries, and a host of public places. Why not college campuses?
Opponents worry about the likely provocation created by guns on campus—a place that should be devoted to learning and free of martial threat. Faculty members, after all, share information with students privately that can be highly emotional and potentially volatile. It is unlikely that a licensed carrier nearby would come to the rescue in such situations. But most importantly, more guns equate with more potential violence, according to this view.
Hypothetically, all kinds of scenarios are possible, and it's difficult to speculate intelligently. It's a matter of calculating probabilities, based on historical anecdote and raw speculation. The mere presence of new firearms on campus should be factored in, according to opponents. On the other hand, very few people actually go through the steps necessary to obtain a license, and such individuals almost invariably behave themselves under the law.
Side notes: According to media reports, most licenses are issued to people in the suburbs, where the rate of violent crime is negligible. It is interesting also that both sides quoted in the DMN piece believe the other side has been watching too many movies. (Maybe it's a matter of the old Clint Eastwood versus the new.)
Observers of the debate point out that a college campus is among the safest places one can be, statistically speaking. Fears of campus violence are often compared to our trepidation over flying in airplanes, when they are far safer than automobiles. But community colleges are not immune from the pathologies that sometimes erupt into violence, and will likely be included in any legislation addressing the subject in the forthcoming Session.
Comments