Concealed Carry Handguns On College Campuses

One of the major heated issues with gun control has been the legislation of concealed carry on college campuses. According to Weeden’s (2017) article, “Guns on Campus,” Arkansas and Georgia have already passed bills to allow students and faculty to carry guns on campus. I can understand why states are doing this due to the amount of school shootings that have been occurring

One of the most important aspects of the debate on concealed carry on college campuses is one rarely spoken of — college students own opinions on the debate and how it will affect their safety. Most points support or disagree with the debate of concealed carry on college campuses are facts, laws, and opinions of mostly older

It seems that tragedy and violence across America are becoming all too common in our daily news. Even more tragic is when it is at a school. With the increase in violence across America, it is opening the door to the question of should college campuses allow concealed guns on campus? Allowing concealed guns on campuses is something that may come true at public colleges across Georgia. Recently, the Georgia senate passed a bill by 37-17 that would allow gun owners 21 and over to carry concealed weapons on public college campuses. If Governor Nathan Deal approves the bill it will go into effect (The Associated Press). While some feel this could potentially open the door to more violence, others believe this will give them the ability to protect themselves should the need arise.

Allowing concealed weapons on campus has been around for several years now. Sides such as, Students for Concealed Carry, who advocate for the right to carry on campuses and the other opposing such thing. Former, Students for Concealed Carry Director, David Burnett wrote an article about the reasons as to why students should be able to carry on campuses. Burnett was the director for the group in 2011, he wanted to get the word out about this cause during his time. Burnett wrote several articles about the reasons to why students should be allowed to carry on campus. Also the websites states, “state-issued concealed handgun licenses should be allowed the same measure of personal protection on college campuses that current laws afford them virtually everywhere else.”(1) Burnett states this into his article because under the new law, only those who have a concealed handgun license would be able to carry. Those with licenses can freely carry in movie theaters, grocery stores, banks, shopping malls and even churches so why should a

The first arguement for concealed guns on campus comes from insiderhighered.com written by Kaitlin Mulhere. She states that so far eleven states are discussing on being able to carry a concealed gun on campus. There has been at least one bill that has been suggested in about half of the fifty states within past few years for guns on campus. So far, seven states have made laws allowing guns on campus. Kaitlin says that there are two views on the issue. One being that it is a constitutional right for one to be able to carry a gun. The second being that it will make campuses safer from shooters and other criminals. It was brought up in the beginning that armed people on campus could commit a mass shooting which worried many people. Kaitlin

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.

We are seeing a growing number of states bringing forth campus carry to their legislation. Some states leave it up to the individual college or university to decide to allow concealed carry, while others outright ban it. However, Texas passed Senate Bill 11 which allowed for licensed gun holders to carry a concealed handgun on university grounds. Texas was the eighth state to allow concealed campus carry. Now Georgia and Tennessee are beginning to make efforts. House Bill 280 has recently passed through Georgia’s legislature and is now awaiting the Governor's approval or denial. In Tennessee, full-time employees have been able to carry concealed weapons as of July of 2016, now they are pushing to expand the law to part-time employees as well.

In the past years, there have been many cases of school shootings injuring and killing many students. With these cases came the argument of having concealed weapons in schools in order for the teachers or students in college to protect and defend themselves and others when the time came. While some argue that it is the best way to keep everyone safe and how it is our right to bear arms, others will agree that it may just cause more shootings and more deaths. Concealed weapons should not be allowed in colleges, because it will make them available for students who should not have a weapon, having weapons does not mean people are willing and able to use it, and lastly because accidents can occur when least expected.

In the past, there have been several shootings in schools across the nation. However, the students and staffs are questioning should the concealed weapon permit carriers have firearms in their possession on college campuses. Even though concealed weapon permit carriers are protecting themselves from harm by having their firearms; still other people are raising their eyebrows. On the other hand, there are other people who think carrying concealed weapons on campuses will cause more harm and the death toll will rise. As Time. Com writer Josh Sanburn points out that “the shooting at Umpqua Community College on Oct. 1, which claimed 10 lives including the gunman, is by far the worst incident on a college campus this year” (qtd. in Sanburn). Therefore,

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.

It seems that tragedy and violence across America is becoming all too common in our daily news. Even more tragic is when it is at a school. With the increase in violence across America, it is opening the door to the question of should college campuses allow concealed guns on campus? Allowing concealed guns on campuses is something that may come true at public colleges across Georgia. Recently, the Georgia senate passed a bill by 37-17 that would allow gun owners 21 and over to carry concealed weapons on public college campuses. If Governor Nathan Deal approves the bill it will go into effect (The Associated Press). While some feel this could potentially open the door to more violence, others believe this will give them the ability to protect themselves should the need arise.

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?

The campus carry bill is a controversial bill that has been passed in many states and in August 2016 it will be enforced in Texas. States like Colorado, Idaho, Kansas and Mississippi have all approved the bill allowing private colleges to follow the law or not, however public colleges are only allowed to choose areas on campus that will be gun-free. The campus carry bill states, individuals 21 years of age, which obtain a handgun license, will be able to carry a gun on campus. The idea of the campus carry bill is to increase the people’s safety and decrease the number of mass shootings and other cases in the United States. There have been many questions brought up by both sides of the issue; there are many pros and cons on the issue that will go into effect with the campus carry bill. Twenty States in the Unites States have prohibited the law for carrying concealed guns on campus, but many others will be passing the bill to give students the right to carry a gun on campus.

Because the United States Constitution states that all citizens have the right to bear arms, and the government has control over all public space, a college student has the right to carry a concealed weapon with a license in Texas. However, the threat of shooters to become anyone with a gun and the risk of students going berserk make the Campus Carry law seem useless and meaningless. Therefore, the Texas state Government should rethink and abolish a law that has too many risks and not so much of a reward.

The law that still exist until the new law takes effect in 2016/2017 said “Individuals are prohibited from possessing or having a firearm on the physical premises of a school and any event hosted or sponsored by the school, and cannot have it in a passenger transportation vehicle Concealed weapons permit holders are subject to this prohibition with the following exceptions.”( Laws concerning concealed firearms on Texas ' campuses) The armed campus website has a link so you can read the whole bill passed that becomes in effect August 1, 2016 for all state 4-year colleges and universities and August 1, 2017 for all state