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Concealed guns on campus fails to make vote deadline

Written by Johnathan Silver, The Shorthorn staff

Tuesday, 02 June 2009 08:10 PM

Now that the smoke has cleared in the Texas Legislature, students still stand on opposite sides of a debate that will have to continue for another two years — if guns should be allowed on campus.

Senate Bill 1164 would have allowed people with concealed handgun licenses to carry on campus. Even with Gov. Rick Perry’s support and a senate version that passed 21-10, the bill didn’t go to a vote before the end of the session. Unless Perry calls for a special session to discuss the bill, the issue cannot legally be readdressed until January 2011, the next time the Texas Legislature convenes.

Carrying concealed weapons is a constitutional and safety issue, said Justin Moore, Facebook group Students for Concealed Carry on Campus UTA Chapter member.

“I was excited, but now I’m not,” he said. “A bunch of us were looking forward to having the right awarded the legal way to us on campus.”

Next session, Moore hopes to pick up where he and other supporters left off. “We need to try harder next time to get our local and state representatives in support of the bill,” he said.

Interdisciplinary studies senior Kynet Watkins doesn’t own a gun but supports concealed carry because it compensates for what she called unreliable campus security.

“It’s not safe for women to walk alone and unarmed at night,” she said. “You can’t depend on campus police to protect you.”

It’s not a good idea to have guns on campus, according to Anusha Sulladmath, psychology and business management senior.

“When people get angry they do stupid things,” Sulladmath said. “People who want guns on campus should know that not even all of our security on campus have guns. Students usually aren’t formally trained to carry guns.”

Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, the bill’s author, said it was meant to counter tragedies like Virginia Tech.

Shunderka Lanier, biology and sociology senior, challenged that reason.

“It’s almost hypocritical,” she said. “What if you aim at the shooter and hit someone else?”

Metal detectors should come before allowing guns, Lanier added.

Business management senior Gabrielle Aguilar said she doesn’t want an angry person to have a gun nearby.

“There’s enough stress here,” she said. “A lot of us get stressed. Having a gun could be someone’s outlet.”

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Last Updated ( Thursday, 20 August 2009 10:29 AM )

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