Concealed carry and college campuses are two major topics currently in the media, yet these two topics are rarely used in unison, until now. The topic of whether or not concealed carry should be allowed on college campuses is a now mainstream debate with multiple views and numerous differentiating opinions. Many of the general public question if campus police is capable enough to protect a university’s enormous student body? Another commonly discussed issue is if concealed handguns actually do deter crime, and if they are capable of aiding in stopping a mass shooting spree? Or if guns on campus, carried by fellow classmates would make students as a whole feel more cautious or on the opposing hand make students feel more secure with guns carried on campus? If guns are allowed on campus, how will this affect a growing student’s ideology? These questions and many more are highly spoken of in our social media based generation, the answers to these questions help to improve our knowledge on this debate of concealed carry on college campuses, which will lead us to form our own individual opinions on this debate topic based on the facts and evidence presented.
With backpacks in tow and pencils in hand, college students crisscross campus with stress of acing the test, hardly thinking about their safety. This was the case on a clear Tuesday at the University of Texas on September 28th, 2010. Students fled from a mask gunman carrying an AK-47 and shooting randomly around campus. Nineteen-year-old Colton Tooley, wearing a black mask, eventually killed himself in the library. Remarkably, no one else was injured or killed. (MSNBC) This was not the case in 1966 when 16 people where killed with 32 injured by a gunman in the UT clock tower. The debate still wages on to allow concealed guns to be carried on college campus in Texas despite a recent bill that failed to pass. The US Constitutional Second
The difference on perspectives has been a major issue especially after President Obama’s constant effort to pass more gun control laws. In contrast, the presumably and deeply Republican state of Texas, which has very few restrictions on guns, has just passed a law that makes concealed carrying on college campuses legal. Such law has been a controversy and had divided reactions from Texans all around the state. The problem that is tried to solve with this bill is to prevent more mass shootings from happening in the facilities of higher education institutions. It is very important to
Republican Senator Brian Birdwell introduced the Texas Senate Bill 11, also known as the Campus Carry Bill, to the House and Senate on January 26, 2015. With Texas being a highly conservative state, supporters of this bill were largely consisted of Republicans and gun-rights activists. Many supporters, especially pro-gun individuals, argued the second amendment would be violated by not allowing those with a concealed handgun license (CHL) to carry a concealed gun on campus. They also believed guns can be utilized as a form of self-defense to further support the passage of this bill.
HB 910, better known as the Open-Carry Bill is a bill that was passed on May 29, 2015 and signed into law by Governor Jim Abbott after it cleared both chambers of the Legislature. The Open-Carry Bill allows licensed holders to carry concealed handguns on public college campuses. Abbott claims that the bill will not only strengthen Texans second amendment rights, it will secure them (The Associated Press, 2015). However, the bill has raised questions regarding the safety of students and faculty on college campuses. As a team, we initiated our research by questioning the results of how the bill will affect college campuses across Texas. The objective of our research is to gather qualitative and quantitative data that defines
Gun laws have been debated for years now in America, and they have been debtated for various reasons. Recently, the idea of conceal and carry has been brought over to college campuses and schools around our nation. There are two main sides to this controversial topic, people who are for conceal and carry and people who are against it. There have been multiple bills proposed in florida to allow everyday people carry guns on campus. This topic has been a hot debate after incidents like the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting and even more recently the Ohio State shooting. Although the “Right to Bear Arms” is an amendment, conceal and carry should not be allowed onto college campuses and schools due to its potential consequences.
Every student should feel safe when stepping foot on campus, but allowing concealed handguns on campus grounds brings forth fear and doubt. A new Texas state law allows license holders to have concealed handguns in college buildings and classrooms. I firmly believe in the second amendment, which provides the right to bear arms: this means that everyone has the right to protect their selves, families, and land. However, I stand completely against the new state law (which moves into effect in Aug. of 2016) that is allowing license-carrying gun holders to carry their weapons to and from classes in universities. With this ruling moving closer into effect, many faculty members and college students are now realizing the dangers that this will bring forth. This bill was passed to help protect and defend students from possible school shooters, but in reality, it only jeopardizes the safety and trust of many students and faculty members.
Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 11 the summer of 2015 and went into effect August 1, 2016. S.B.11 allows individuals with a concealed handgun license to carry their handgun on Texas’ public universities. This includes all campus buildings, classrooms, and dorms. The bill allows schools to implement some policies, such as establishing gun-free zones, but are encouraged keep restrictions at a minimum. S.B 11 will also affect community colleges and junior colleges in August 2017. Private schools have the option to adapt the bill or not. This bill has caused a lot of controversy among students, parents, and faculty. Students at UT schools have manifested their utter dislike of the new law. They have decided to “fight absurdity with absurdity” by breaking another policy. UT
The idea of Concealed Carry arms at universities is a controversial topic for both students and faculty on whether guns should be allowed or banned on campuses throughout the United States. The idea of Concealed Carry Arms is a controversial topic because it represents both protection and fear as no one knows who has a weapon, whether they have it legally or even if they know how to use it properly and safely. Also, nobody knows of someone else’s intentions with Concealed Carry Arms as they could use that gun for protection or murder. The idea of allowing Concealed Carry Arms on campus is a controversial topic that could affect universities and campuses in the United States.
August 1 marks the day which the state’s new Campus Carry law was enacted. This law which comply with Senate Bill 11, has authorized a licensed holder to carry concealed handgun at University of Texas at Austin and other public universities in Texas. The implementation of this law have risen controversy between the stakeholders which are the faculty members, students, parents, staffers and alumni. In regard to this, President Fenves has assigned a Campus Carry Working Group to guide the implementation of Senate Bill 11 which complies the law and at the same time ensuring the safety of the campus.
This issue of campus carry has been around for a long while, because some people believe that guns ensure safety and others believe they bring danger. While on one side, there are pro-gun activists who want to see the college community safe from crime, on the other side stand the peace activists who want to prevent violence on campus caused by guns. The controversy has been brought into the light of the media recently with UT Austin’s legalization of concealed handguns on campus.
Since 1966, there have been 127 events in which four or more people were killed by a lone shooter. Since 2015, 52 of those 127 events have been school shootings; twenty-one being at colleges and universities, fifteen at high schools, three at middle schools, ten at elementary schools, two at preschools, and one on a school bus. On August 1, 2016, Texas Senate Bill 11, also known as Campus Carry, became a law allowing people with a concealed handgun license to carry concealed handguns in permitted areas on college campuses. Continuing to allow college students and faculty to carry concealed handguns on campuses is likely to make colleges, like Texas State University, overall better and safer.
About 4,400 colleges and universities in the United States forbid the carrying of guns on their campuses (“Colleges”). With more and more shootings on campuses, especially with the tragedy at Virginia Tech in 2006, the states are starting to rethink their position on whether guns should be allowed on campuses; especially in Texas, where Texans are known for their guns. Even with a state like that, however, the questions still remain: Will allowing students with guns make campuses a safer environment? Will it make students feel safer? As most controversial issues goes, there are two sides to the debate.
The right to bear arms is a very important right to some Americans. This right gives Americans the right to protect themselves if they need to at any time. While some people agree that this is a right everyone deserves, it can create controversy in some circumstances. One of these places where open carry causes controversy is in the school system. With news about gun violence at various school locations throughout the country, it is only natural for people to feel uncomfortable about the situation. Especially if the open carry law goes into effect on the anniversary of a school shooting. Texas’ new campus carry law went into effect fifty years after the shooting at the University of Texas at Austin. Texas’ new campus carry law will cause more harm than good because it can make some people uncomfortable due to the fear of a domestic shooter and the fact that this law goes into effect at universities after the fiftieth anniversary of the shooting at the University of Texas at Austin.
As of this present day, concealed handguns are now allowed to be carried anywhere on all Texas public universities. This shocking dispensation, from earlier prohibiting regulations, is now enforced by the new law in the state of Texas. This law is known as S.B. 11 or Senate Bill 11. For those of you who don’t know how a bill becomes a law, it’s a long, crazy process. The fact that this bill made it through every step of it is an insane thought that questions, how?