Guns on campus: policy and safety considerations

Guns

The recent school shooting in Oakland, California draws attention to the importance of the issue of guns on college campuses. A ban on carrying concealed weapons on college campuses is problematic for several reasons. One, it violates state laws regarding the right to carry concealed weapons. Two, it leaves students defenseless against terrorists like the Oakland shooter. Three, it sends the message that greater gun awareness and gun safety training are not important. The State of Texas must rule that college campuses are not exempt from concealed weapons laws; eligible students must have the right to carry concealed weapons.

Texas is not the only state contending with the issue of how to address campus rules related to concealed weapons. School shootings have happened in many different states, making the issue of self-defense critical to address immediately. Colorado's state Supreme Court recently ruled: "the University of Colorado overstepped its authority when the school's board of regents imposed a ban on the carrying of concealed weapons at its four campuses," (Coffman, 2012). Texas's Senate passed a law permitting the carry of concealed weapons (with the requisite permits) on state college and university campuses. However, political motives caused members of the House to shoot down the bill, which is currently in limbo.

Problem: The laws pertaining to concealed weapons are being selectively applied which presents serious legal problems for Texas colleges and universities. If a law permitting concealed weapon carry on state campuses is not passed, state colleges and universities could face costly lawsuits that would drain their already paltry budgets. Concealed carry laws wrongly do not apply to college campuses. This is a situation that could be deemed unconstitutional, even at the federal level. Public college campuses are public domains, on which the general rules that apply to the entire state hold say. Gun laws should therefore apply equally as well on campus as off. Moreover, college campuses are comprised mostly of persons of majority age. In other words, college students are adults who could choose to purchase and carry a concealed weapon if they are eligible to do so under state law.

Problem: School shootings have left students feeling "defenseless" against mass murderers, terrorists, rapists, and anyone else that would disturb the peace (Soderstrom, 2012). Students are not just feeling defenseless; they are defenseless. Campus security officers are often ill equipped to address problems like a lone gunman. Response by local law enforcement will be delayed and likely only remedial. Responses to terror attacks need to be swift, if they are to save lives. Students who have valid licenses to carry concealed weapons can use those weapons to protect their fellow students without breaking the law.

Problem: Private colleges and universities will not be covered under the proposed legislation change. The State of Texas only has the authority to ban -- or allow -- weapons on state school property. Therefore, the sanctity of private property will be maintained in accordance with the Texas Concealed Handgun License rules ("Texas CHL," n.d.).

Solution

Texas's state legislature should take note of the Colorado ruling and act accordingly. The facts of the law are clear; Texas state colleges and universities are to be considered public property, as they were considered in the State of Colorado Supreme Court. The primary solution is to develop a robust political lobbying campaign that will alert legislators in the State of Texas to the devastating effects a lawsuit would have on state schools and their students. If the State of Texas wants to avoid the issue being decided in the courts, lawmakers would be wise to lift the ban on carrying concealed weapons on any campus in the State of Texas prior to lawsuits being filed. The lobbying campaign starts now, with well-developed presentations revealing the problems mentioned in this White Paper. Ultimately, the presentation should encourage lawmakers to act swiftly on this issue to avoid placing undue pressure on Texas universities. However, the issue must also be framed as a matter of public safety, which it is. The proposed solution therefore involves two distinct but related marketing and lobbying campaigns. One will be aimed at encouraging voters to reconsider their stance on the issue because of the clear need to protect students from terrorist attacks. The campaign will emphasize the fact that allowing handguns on campus would encourage student gun awareness and safety. All the concealed weapons allowed on campuses would be properly registered; the student body would therefore become a more reliable campus security force than the state has ever seen.