Texas legislature may allow concealed weapons on college campuses

HOUSTON – Across the rest of America, packing for college usually means gathering up books, clothes and maybe an iPod.

In Texas, it could soon mean packing heat.

That’s because a bill heading for likely approval in the state Legislature would allow gun owners who are licensed to carry concealed weapons to bring their firearms onto the state’s college and university campuses – zones where the carrying of any weapons is now strictly prohibited.

Sponsors of the bill insist allowing responsible students and professors to secretly carry their weapons might deter a potential gunman from attacking a campus.

“The only people not carrying guns on college campuses now are the people that abide by the law,” said state Rep. Joe Driver, a Republican from Garland, Texas, who introduced the bill.

But critics of the proposal disagree. They fear introducing firearms into delicate college environments, which are already saturated with impulsiveness, social anxieties and alcohol, is a recipe for trouble.

“Every professional involved with university settings says it is a bad idea to mix young adults on campuses and guns,” said Rep. Lon Burnam, a Democrat from Ft. Worth who is leading opposition to the bill.

HOWARD WITT
Chicago Tribune

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