Dear Dallas Morning News,
Texas Bill SB11 has gone into action; permitting individuals to carry concealed weapons on campus to those that have obtained a concealed handgun license. In the article, “Pro-con: Should college campuses restrict concealed weapons?” in response to, “John M. Crisp: Arms in class too risky for one prof”, regarding SB11. You mention that you the researched the recent analysis published in the National Journal Mr. Crisps invited his audience to research, yet you didn’t state what it actually said or why it wasn’t relevant. As well as provide evidence that mass murders have decreased over the years, but according to a CNN report some of the deadliest mass shootings have occurred in the last 10 years. You argue that with allowing more students to carry concealed weapons mass shootings can be avoided, when in truth it takes years of practice and certain circumstances for one to have a perfect shot at a perpetrator or any subject. In order for students to feel safe on campus they shouldn’t be simply allowed to have a gun.
Bill SB11 will take effect on August 1, 2016. Many are concerned with what great responsibility will students now have considering they’re allowed concealed weapons on campus. Mr. Crisp is just one of many concerned teachers on those campuses. Mr. Crisp invites us to read an analysis published in the National Journal. You claim that, “He invites readers to look up the evidence. Well I did; however, no less than the Washington Post looked into the evidence president Obama’s statements repeating this mantra after the Oregon shooting, and their fact-checking gave it two Pinocchios out of three for being misleading.” Yet you don’t provide your readers with any evidence on what the analysis stated. The Washington Post is still a credible source, or is it not? Readers should research this on their own and find out if your allegations are true or not, not enough evidence is provided to rule out its a lie.
According to Every town research, over a period of the last 7 years there has been 133 mass shootings averaging out at 2 per month. Yet you mention that, “Minnesota Department of Corrections researcher Grant Duwe says that mass murders as a percentage of the population have actually decreased over the last 20 years. His data shows that only two of the 11 highest rates have occurred within the last eight years, while six of the 11 highest rates were observed between 1988 and 1995”. The Orlando shooting in 2016 left 50 people dead and 53 injured. Sure students who decide to carry concealed weapons must have a CHL license to carry their loaded, concealed weapon in college and university buildings, but that doesn’t assure that a mass shooting won’t take place. People might think that them having a gun can rise their chances of taking out a perpetrator, but what if you don’t have good aim? Or you get distracted and accidentally shoot another person?
Allowing students to carry concealed weapons is not the answer to stop shootings, “What would help prevent help most in preventing large scale shootings in public?” Their No. 1 answer: “More permissive concealed carry policies for civilians.” Yet Edwin Dorm, a highly experienced hunter and Army veteran stated in the same Dallas DAily News article that, “Those experiences lead me to speculate that I might be able to neutralize a shooter if I could get to my own gun quickly, if the shooter were standing motion less than 30 feet from me, and if there were no distractions-no students running for cover and screaming in panic,” regarding his experiences as a hunter and soldier. Hearing this come from an U.S Army veteran, why would you allow a college student a gun having no experience? Having a CHI license doesn’t make you an expert, yet some people are willing to take their chances in hopes that if something ever happened they could be able to help. When in turn they themselves could get shot in the process. Ana Lopez, vice president of Students Against Campus Carry. On August 27, 2016 helped distribute more than 4,500 sex toys, to students at the UT campus.Students carried the toys on their backpacks. The idea being that sex toys are actually illegal to carry around campus, but guns are not. According to Texas Penal Code 43.22, these things are a class-C misdemeanor. These are considered obscene. You cannot hold them around in public. However, we allow students to carry concealed weapons on school grounds.
Children go to school everyday, leaving their parents to think they are safe, if our students themselves don’t feel safe then we have a problem. Now students run the risk of someone pulling out a gun on campus and taking their life or of another. Maybe instead of giving everyone guns because we think it’ll protect them, we try to reform our society and prevent these shootings from the start.
Sincerely,
Annabel Martinez
Works Cited
“Bill SB 11.” Texas Legislature Online, http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=84R&Bill=SB11. Accessed 27 Mar. 2017.
“Laws Concerning Carrying Concealed Firearms on Campus in Texas.” Armed Campuses, http://www.armedcampuses.org/texas/. Accessed 27 Mar. 2017.
“Texas Students Return To Class With New Open Carry Law In Effect.” NPR, http://www.npr.org/2016/08/27/491647606/texas-students-return-to-class-with-new-open-carry-law-in-effect. Accessed 27 Mar. 2017.
“Analysis of Mass Shootings.” Everytown, 20 Aug. 2015, everytownresearch.org/reports/mass-shootings-analysis/. Accessed 28 Mar. 2017.
annabelmv 