Guns on campus
SB1164, a bill relating to the carrying of concealed handguns on the campuses of institutions of higher education, has passed the Texas Senate. The final vote was 19-12 for this bill.
Update: PSH:
Today the Texas state senate passed dangerous legislation that would force the carrying of hidden and concealed guns at public universities and colleges.
I’m pretty sure the bill doesn’t force anyone to carry a gun. But if it did, Peter “petey” Hamm of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership would tell you to drop out of school.
May 21st, 2009 at 10:34 am
IF the Texas bill allowing campus carry gets out of the Calendar committee, it faces some stiff opposition in the House. My local rep, Diana Maldonado, a Democrat, gave me a weaseling form letter in response to my query on her position on this bill.
I wrote her explaining that when I travel miles to visit my son at his college I routinely carry my handgun in case of emergency, and that I think keeping it secured, (legally, licensed by the state of Texas and with no malicious intent), on my person is safer than leaving it locked in a car from which it can be stolen. I don’t want to break the law, I don’t want to have my gun stolen. When the laws don’t make any sense, they need fixed.
May 21st, 2009 at 10:57 am
I’m already seeing the predictable pants-wetting at my particular TX campus over this.
May 21st, 2009 at 2:01 pm
“Today the Texas state senate passed dangerous legislation that would force the carrying of hidden and concealed guns at public universities and colleges.”
Ummm… I always thought “hidden” and “concealed” were one and the same.
As for “dangerous” it is, to criminals.
Students have been carrying concealed on college campus’ since 2006 and there’s been no problems whatsoever.
“Only people who’re up to no good fear armed citizens.”
May 21st, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Students have been carrying concealed on UTAH campuses since 2006 and there’s been no problems whatsoever.
I hate when I leave out a word! 🙂
More coffee please!
May 21st, 2009 at 2:31 pm
The legislation would force state universities to allow the carrying of concealed firearms by licensed individuals because universities here will never do the right thing on their own. Harrold ISD in Texas has been allowing its school teachers to carry concealed for awhile now. No blood in the streets yet that I know of.
My State senator is one of the co-sponsors of the senate version. My rep is a Republican, though she is less enthusiastic (though not necessarily against it). Sounds like I need to write another letter.
May 21st, 2009 at 4:17 pm
This is the way the left actually sees the world. If your rights are upheld, it’s somehow being “forced” on them.
People who think like that are sick and dangerous, and the only option we have is to defeat them. When they’re powerless, they’re just funny and/or pathetic.
Remember when certain institutions were “forced” to accept black people as regular citizens? Remember when the National Guard had to be sent in? Yeah, rights are “enforced” in a free society. Learn it, live it, and love it.
May 21st, 2009 at 5:28 pm
There it is Lyle! How is it aweful for people who deny others their rights to be “forced” to uphold them? It’s not a bad thing. Infringing of Constitutonaly guarenteed rights IS a bad thing.
May 22nd, 2009 at 2:30 am
I can’t wait for this to become law. Average police response time in Harris county is six minutes after 911 call is placed for a code1 emergency. What can happen to someone in six minutes? When seconds count, the cops are momments away! My CHL is an insuarance policy…I hope I never have to use it, but if it comes to life or death, I’ll sure be glad I had it!
Criminals will bring weapons where they will, let’s not give them the upper hand!
May 22nd, 2009 at 11:31 am
This law is in many ways exactly analogous to the National Parks concealed carry law.
That one can become a criminal without any intent is not the way laws should be written. This law helps fix that problem regarding CHLs in Texas.
When I drive highways in Texas or western NC or WY or CO and go in and out of national parks, I should not be in legal jeopardy because of a boundary line across a public road.
When I drive in downtown Austin, and park on a street and walk to meet someone two blocks away for lunch, I should not become illegal on one side of the street and illegal on the other, because the illegal side is University of Texas property.
May 23rd, 2009 at 2:11 am
Lyle nailed it.
May 24th, 2009 at 9:05 am
Yes, Lyle nailed it when he said “If your rights are upheld, it’s somehow being “forced” on them … People who think like that are sick and dangerous.”
But the idea that this is how “the Left sees the world” is a bit of hyperbole, considering that it’s just as often that the Left is trying to uphold people’s rights and the right is whining and squealing about having things “forced” on them (A good example is the PSH over gay rights and/or gay marriage).
This sort of ridiculous overreaction is not the domain of one political persuasion, but simply how some people react to not getting their way.