Texas and Guns on College Campuses

             Spring is not the only thing that Texans are preparing themselves for, but also the idea that students soon may be allowed to carry concealed handguns on college campuses. The bill seemed like it was due to pass with more than half of the Texas House having signed on the measure, which directs universities to allow concealed handguns. If the bill had been passed it would have made Texas the second state, behind Utah, to have such a broad-based law.       In my opinion, I would have to agree with allowing students to carry concealed handguns while on campus. I believe college students are very capable of responsibly carrying a firearm by the age of twenty one, and I do not see an issue with alcohol at bars because the bars can still place a ban on guns while on their property. Also, the students would follow the proper protocol to obtain a concealed handgun license which requires them to attend a ten to fifteen hour gun safety class. A portion of the gun safety class would be spent at the firing range, and sometimes the instructors require the attendees to bring their own gun so that the instructor can make sure they are familiar with it.

            In the article I took notice of what Colin Goddard, a victim of the Virginia Tech shooting, had to say relating to the issue of concealed handguns on Texas campuses. "People tell me that if they would have been there, they would have shot that guy. That offends me," Goddard said. "People want to be the hero, I understand that. They play video games and they think they understand the reality. It's nothing like that." Goddard makes a valid argument by basically saying that talking about the situation is a lot easier than actually being in it. Yet, on the contrary if a student is always unarmed in these situations then he or she is always doomed as being the person on the wrong side of the gun.

            This statement coincides with the part of the article in which another student argues that a person carrying a handgun could have changed things. The article states that Derek Titus, a senior at Texas A&M who has a state license to carry a concealed handgun, said someone with a gun that day could have improved the chances of survival. "Gun-free zones are shooting galleries for the mass murderers," Titus said. "We do not feel that we must rely on the police or security forces to defend our lives.” I can also agree with Titus’ statement by saying that I believe students sitting in a classroom can be compared with sitting ducks in a pond.

            In the end it all boils down to trust. How much trust can we place in our fellow students that they will carry and operate their handgun in a responsible way? Can we trust them enough that I can remain classified as a student while at school and not target practice? I believe we can, so I do trust them.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/20/texas-guns-campus-colleges_n_825718.html