Pack Heat While Getting Your Learn On

Officially half of the Texas House is incompetent. The lemur leading the charge off the cliff is San Antonio Republican Jeff Wentworth that introduced a bill that would “allow college students and employees to carry their concealed handguns on campus.”

Now, before you discount my claims because you think I am some loony liberal that hates guns … think otherwise. I am a current legal gun owner and plan on obtaining a concealed weapons license in the near future.

That being said … this piece of legislation is illogical, unnecessary and sad. Wentworth justifies this bill due to the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre

“I would feel personally guilty if I woke up one morning and read that something similar had occurred on a Texas campus,” he said.

Unfortunately, Senator Wentworth … you fail! The events that occurred at Virginia Tech in 2007 were not due to a small minority lacking the legal right to carry a concealed weapon on their person.  On the contrary, it was due to a loophole that did not require at the time for Virginia to disclose information to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System whenever someone was forced to undergo involuntary mental health treatment.

Guess how Governor Timothy Kaine handled this situation in the aftermath of a massacre? Let me make it easy for you … he did not advocate for allowing students and employees to carry weapons onto campus. No, surprisingly, he closed that loophole that “allowed a mentally disturbed Virginia Tech student to buy the guns used in a shooting rampage last month that left 33 dead at the university,” according to Ian Urbina of The New York Times.

That’s the pragmatic, common sense approach to solving the problem.

Janet Elliott of the Houston Chronicle reports, “The bill would allow college students who are at least 21 years old and licensed to carry concealed handguns to bring those weapons into state campus buildings.”

Let me break it down for you … that means that only 25% of the school would be allowed to carry a concealed weapon. Most students begin college at the ripe age of 18 and most are graduating by 21. Thus, it would be the outgoing seniors that would only be eligible to protect the rest of the campus as Wentworth envisions.

The problem? What the hell do you do about the freshman and sophomore classes … typically the largest at the University level. The bill becomes useless when the goal to protect students becomes futile in such situation.

Katie Kasprzak, a recent graduate of Texas State University, testified in support of the bill after obtaining a concealed weapons license … but was not able to carry her gun at nighttime when she walked alone on campus.

If Ms. Kasprzak’s welfare were of her utmost concern, she should and would have known that Texas State University Police offer a Safety Escort program. All she had to do was dial 512-245-SAFE and she would not have to fear for her safety.

During my collegiate years at the University of Texas … never once did I fear for my safety. From the call boxes strategically placed within walking distance to multiple officers making the rounds 24 hours a day … safety was not a trivial issue. Except for the hiccup in 1966, life on the 40 acres has been relatively safe since it was established in 1883.

I do not take violent crimes lightly but the purpose of this bill is ridiculous. Crime in the Houston area may be a topic necessary for discussion but violent crimes such as the massacre at VT should not be the catalyst for such shenanigans set forth by John Wentworth.