Armed Students? Texas May Allow Concealed Guns On College Campuses

Last year's shooting at the University of Texas at Austin, where a 19-year-old opened fire on students before killing himself, has gotten students riled up. Scott Lewis, part of a group called Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, says he and his classmates aren't safe.

"We're basically fish in a barrel," said Lewis. "This is about changing the odds."

Fish in a barrel? Sitting in class? University of Texas at Austin grad student Aron Weinberg says concealed weapons won't make students any safer, but rather, will only bring more danger onto college campuses. Weinberg started a petition at Change.org against the new law which has been passed out of committee in the Texas House, allowing concealed carry on campus.

"If I was in a class, and saw a gun in someone's bag, that would make me nervous," says Weinberg. "I think it would compromise the quality of classes because it would put a damper on the level of intellecutal discourse that occurs in the classroom."

Weinberg admits he's been shocked by shootings on campus like the one on his campus just last year or the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre. But he says more weapons on campus aren't the answer.

"The more guns you have on a campus, the more times you're going to have volatile situations that become violent and possibly fatal," says Weinberg.

Weinberg has looked to chief of the campus police Robert E. Dahlstrom and the city police Art Acevedo for guidance on the matter. Both have come out against the concealed carry law, saying it would, "definitely complicate law enforcement on campus."

And while Weinberg acknowledges that there's a potential that a concealed weapon could be used to help in situations where a shooter opens fire on campus, he's concerned about the everyday situations college students encounter - drinking, parties, sexual assault and adolescent conflict - that could be made way more dangerous with concealed weapons.

The organization Students for a Gun Free Schools has spoken out about concealed carry, saying the move is an overreaction to high-profile shootings, when in reality, students are much safer on college campuses than off.

They cite a Department of Justice study that found that 93% of violent crimes that victimize college students occur off campus.

"Students on the campuses of postsecondary institutions are significantly safer than both their off-campus counterparts and the nation as a whole," writes Students for Gun Free Schools.

The organization says there's lots college campuses can do if they want to keep their students safer, but none involve bringing more weapons into the picture: identifying warning signs in student behavior, treatment for those with mental illness, improve the screening of gun purchasers, and  limiting the firepower available to shooters.

What's your take? If you're a college student, tell us if you feel safe on campus. Would concealed weapons make you more frightened or less? And if you're with Aron Weinberg, who wants to let his legislators know that concealed weapons on campus won't make him safer, sign his petition - Stand With Students, Faculty & Staff to Keep Guns Away From Schools!

Photo credit: krossbow