St. Thomas students walking down the quad might not wonder who has a concealed weapon on campus, but students on campuses across Texas might.
The Texas House of Representatives’ Homeland Security and Public Safey committee recently passed a bill that would allow students, faculty and staff to conceal and carry handguns with a permit on campus at public universities and schools across Texas. It’s the bill’s first step in becoming law. A similar bill passed in the Senate in 2009.
The bill has gained support after campus threats, such as the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007.
“I would be kind of wary, I guess, especially going out, if people could have guns on campus,” St. Thomas freshman Matt Kempenich said.
Economics professor Dan Fairchild said he doesn’t know why guns are necessary on campuses.
“I just can’t see any good coming out of this that would outweigh the potential harm,” he said.
Minnesota ratified a conceal and carry law in 2005. Minnesotans age 21 or older are allowed to apply for and receive a permit to conceal and carry a handgun. Texas ratified the same type of law in 1995, and other states have similar laws.
Michael Barrett, Public Safety associate director, said “[The law] is more likely to pass in Texas, but it is a trend we in campus law enforcement are watching closely.”
St. Thomas students have mixed reactions to the bill. With a conceal and carry law already in effect, some students, such as sophomore Robert Cooper, see Minnesota following in Texas’ footsteps.
“I don’t think it’s a problem. I would be fine with letting people carry guns around,” Cooper said. “I would probably be one of the people [who] had a gun.”
But sophomore Kristin Wefel said it would be more of a problem than a solution.
“I am very much against it. I would feel very unsafe,” Wefel said. “They are asking for trouble if they have guns on campuses. That’s just going to cause more opportunities for violence, and I am not OK with that.”
Texas could be the second state after Utah to ratify this type of legislation. Some students and professors said allowing students and faculty to have concealed weapons could help during situations involving shooters on campus, but others disagreed.
“I am absolutely against it,” English professor Thomas Redshaw said. “It’s free play to people who are unstable to carry more guns into populated areas.”
Barrett said putting guns in the hands of students, faculty and staff may seem like an easy solution at first, but the problem is more complex.
While Minnesota hasn’t yet passed this type of legislation, five Minnesota universities have joined the campaign to “Keep Guns Off Campus,” including the University of Minnesota. St. Thomas has not joined the campaign, but as a private university St. Thomas has the right to create and enforce its own policy.
“I think the main thing is that you also have to respect that St. Thomas is a private university, and they have the right to tell you you can’t carry a gun here,” Cooper said.
Barrett said St. Thomas’ official policy is that all weapons, including firearms, are not allowed on campus grounds unless required under the scope of employment.
“Public Safety officers, for instance, are trained and required to carry defensive weapons on campus and while on duty,” Barrett said. “Bottom line, we encourage all prompt reports of criminal or suspicious activity to any campus official … anonymously or not.”
Dan Fastner can be reached at Fast2894@stthomas.edu.
I appreciate the fact that this article concerning concealed carry is not biased and one-sided as a previous article printed in the former Aquin several years ago.
Thank you for providing a fair article on the issue of firearms on campuses. One element that must be considered in this argument, is that if someone wanted to do harm with a weapon, no law, or sign on a door, will stop them. I find it ironic how many banks and other places of business post signs stating that they ban weapons on their premises. I’m sure they also ban shoplifting. How many of those signs have deterred criminals? All I can say, is that if someone is going to open fire in my workplace I sure hope that there is a law abiding citizen with a conceal carry permit close by.
Nice article. However, a law like this seems to be completely unnecessary, especially considering the arguments presented in support of it. The one reasonable argument supporting this law is for defense if someone opens fire on a campus or other area. How often does this happen? I am not trying to undermine the tragedy of Virginia Tech and other school shootings. But the truth is, in comparison to the number of schools, universities, people, etc. the percentage that experience a catastrophic event such as Virginia Tech is a tiny fraction of a percent. Allowing conceal and carry on campus to prevent this once in a million event from happening while at the same time putting the rest of the student body at risk from a loaded firearm on campus does not make sense. While the carrier may be responsible and versed in gun safety, someone else who gets his/her hands on the firearm may not be. Also, college campuses have a reputation for habitual alcohol consumption…alcohol +potential for firearms=bad idea.