Campus Gun Rights

When I stumbled upon an Austin-American Statesman article titled "More guns on campus will not make us safer," I couldn't help but to sigh pityingly for the liberal end of the political spectrum (which I typically agree with). Something inside of my brain cannot compute with the Left's stance on this matter: Gay/transgender/transsexual rights- good. Abortion rights- good. Gun rights- terrible!

Wait... What? So all fundamental human rights are equal, but some are more equal than others? (Yes, that was a nod to George Orwell's Animal Farm.)

Not surprisingly, the anti-gun author of this article uses mass shooting and school shooting data as an argument against allowing the concealed carry of weapons on college campuses, then proceeds to use this irrelevant quote from President Barack Obama:

"[there is]... a gun for roughly every man, woman, and child in America. So how can you with a straight face make the argument that more guns will make us safer?"

The amount of guns is not the issue. Second Amendment rights is the issue.

Appealing further, the author points out that more college students now are clinically depressed than ever before (a phenomenon Rush Limbaugh calls "the Wussification of America") making them potentially dangerous and unpredictable in the possession of a weapon. Sure, but to legally apply for a Texas Concealed Handgun License, the applicant must be at least 21, or active duty military. This alone rules out the majority of the traditional college student population.

Guns will not suddenly be flowing like free condoms on campus. Government class will not transform into a saloon in the Old West, where students with opposing viewpoints topple tables and send bullets ricocheting across the room. Texas is already rife with concealed handgun carriers- normal citizens who go unnoticed carrying on with their daily lives while carrying a weapon. These people are responsible. These people know how to use their weapons properly. These people are legitimate enough to pass through all of the bureaucratic red tape involved in obtaining a CHL. (Have we forgotten how much pain, anguish, and documentation it takes just to get a driver's license?)

Frankly, I feel safer with a CHL license holder sitting in my classroom. The presence of campus law enforcement alone is insufficient in preventing mass shootings. If we are truly concerned about the epidemic of violent crime in America, then we need to review the seriousness with which we handle the warning signs of mental illness. Disarming our law abiding citizens only harms our law abiding citizens.

Footnote: Knowledge is cool! Check out a brief history about the Second Amendment and some FAQ's about the Texas Concealed Handgun License.