Fact: Guns are dangerous.
Fact: Texas Legislature is trying to pass a bill that would allow licensed individuals to carry guns on university campuses.
The people who are in favor say that they want this bill passed so people can feel safe, especially with the shootings that happened at Virginia Tech in 2007 and even here at UT last year. While I can understand that some people would feel safer carrying a gun, I wouldn't, whether I was or wasn't carrying a weapon. I can't imagine that I'm the only one who feels this way.
In the Yahoo article Texas poised to pass bill allowing guns on campus several people gave their opinions on guns being allowed on college campuses. Collin Goddard is the assistant director of federal legislation for the Brady Campaign Against Gun Violence, he was also a student at Virginia Tech during the mass shooting. He was shot four times and believes that having someone else with a gun in the classroom that day wouldn't have changed the outcome of the situation.
The article goes on to say, "Opponents of campus gun rights say students and faculty would live in fear of their classmates and colleagues, not knowing who might pull a gun over a poor grade, a broken romance or a drunken fraternity argument." And it is reasons like this that I think that guns shouldn't be allowed. If guns are allowed on campuses I think that there will be a much greater risk of people getting upset and acting irrationally, and if that irrational person has a gun on them, there is no telling what could happen
I don't think this piece of legislation should be passed, I think more people would fear the person sitting next to them, not feel protected by them, I know I would.
My comment is for “Deep in the Heart of Texas” said that conceal handguns should not be allowed on university campuses because it might cause a greater problem. I agree with you that students should not allow to bring a conceal handgun into universities. Indeed, it is very danger to carry any weapon in the classes. For example, if you know somebody in your class carrying a gun or knife, do you think that it could affect your education? You don’t know what will happen if he pulls out a gun and starts shooting at students or teachers because of a bad grade or depression. You may end up in a situation where people are pointing their guns at each other without knowing who the shooter was. However, what if somebody illegally carry a gun and enter your class and start shooting at you, what is your response? Do you wish to have a gun in your hands to protect yourself or wait until the police come and save you? That’s why I have a little disagree about not carrying guns on campuses. Nonetheless, without a weapon is still better then to have a weapon. So it won’t distract your learning when you know that you are safe and nobody around you carries a weapon.
ReplyDeleteSamantha's blog titled Guns=Bad News Bears, she talks about a current bill that is attempting to get passed in the Texas Legislature that would allow anyone with a license to carry guns on university campuses. I agree with Samantha that this bill is ridiculous and should not be passed as it will cause more harm than protection. I think that college students are not responsible enough to carry guns, and have too much stress which could lead to violent outbreaks that would be much worse with a gun in their possession.
ReplyDeleteI think that Samantha did a really good job in her blog. She stated her opinion and gave plenty of evidence to back up her opinion, and also got the opinion from a source who was involved with the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting to show that shootings have in fact occurred on college campuses in the past. The only thing i would suggest is to have put in an opinion that was for the bill and then state an argument against that opinion.
Samantha Johnson is the author of the Blog “Deep in the Heart of Texas.” Her recent post, legalizing guns on university campuses, is a very interesting criticism of the "guns on campus" bill. She provided the facts that she wanted to criticize in her work right at the beginning which made it a lot easier to follow her writing .
ReplyDeleteShe took a clear position on the subject and backed her opinion with plenty of evidence. The author herself is a college student. I believe this makes her opinion valuable. She expressed her concern that the stress of student life plus a licensed concealed handgun is a recipe for more violence. I agree with her, I don’t like the idea of sitting by a classmate who is carrying a gun. Allowing gun on campuses not only would not provide greater safety, it would cause greater security issues.
This current Bill did not get passed, but at a great cost. It is unfortunate that Senator Wentworth desperate attempt to pass this bill in the Texas Legislature killed a potentially prosperous bill . This clearly is not what neither students nor instructors want.