Guns On Campus

Most recently the debate on whether or not handguns should be allowed on campus has stricken some SMU students with fear. The passing of this bill would allow "those able to legally obtain a concealed weapon permit to carry their weapons on college campuses, which is currently unlawful." Since the Virginia Tech massacre some students have questioned whether or not having a student on campus with a permit to carry a concealed weapon might have prevented the event from ocurring. But wouldn't the easier access to handguns just add fuel to the fire?

I believe the passing of this bill would increase the chances of history once again repeating itself. As you may have heard the debate over the amount of nuclear weapons between the United States and Russia 23 years ago has yet to be resolved. As a result a "fateful missed opportunity to end the threat of nuclear Armageddon and to prevent the subsequent birth of new nuclear weapon states in India, Pakistan, North Korea and now possibly Iran" is just now up for review in 2010 (N.Y. Times). The United States' and Russia's failure to come to terms on whether or not these weapons should be mass produced paved the way for other countries to abuse the use of nuclear technology.

This bill must be resolved and quickly for the safety's sake and the security of all Texas college campuses. The bill is easily debatable, but as a student I would find no comfort in the fact that my peers could potentially hold the power to initiate violence.