TU votes against guns
Trinitonian | March 5th, 2011 - 11:17 amAllowing students to have guns on campus would threaten student safety, according to Tuttle
by Sneha Janardhanan
The Faculty Senate voted unanimously on Feb. 18 against allowing students to carry concealed handguns on campus in response to the Texas legislature’s bills that proposed guns to be allowed on higher education campuses.
Richard Salvucci, professor of economics, brought a resolution opposing the legislature’s proposed bills once in 2009 and again this February. The Faculty Senate voted against the passing of the bill unanimously both times.
“I am opposed to the legislature’s actions,” Salvucci said in an e-mail interview. “I think they’re reckless in the extreme. Guns are weapons, and weapons belong in the military. I have no problem with people hunting or target shooting. I have a big problem with someone carrying a gun into my classroom.”
In the previous session of the Texas Legislature in 2009, the bill didn’t get too far, so it was brought up again during this year’s legislative session. Now, there seems to be support for the bill, and people are forecasting that the bills to allow firearms on campus will be passed.
“This seems to have enough momentum and support in the legislature, and the governor seems likely to sign the bill,” said Gary Neal, director of Counseling and Health Services, who is also against passing this bill.
According to David Tuttle, dean of students, the current policy regarding owning firearms or concealed weapons on Trinity’s campus will prevail, because the dangers associated with allowing firearms on campus outweighs the possible benefits.
“Based on the previous review we have done, we would not allow handguns on campus, particularly given our residential nature,” Tuttle said. “I certainly understand the impulse that people would have to say students and others should have the means to protect themselves if there’s an active shooter, but I think the risks just don’t justify for allowing concealed handguns on campus for several reasons.”
One reason is the increased probability that a weapon would be misused. Another is that as a residential campus, students engage in risky behavior such as alcohol and drugs.
“The opportunities for misuse or irresponsible use for weapons that are freely in hand—there’s a tremendous risk with that,” Tuttle said.
A third reason why Tuttle is against students bringing firearms on campus is that if there were an active shooter on campus, the situation would become more complicated if multiple people had guns.
The final reason for Tuttle’s opposition to allowing students carry guns is that if someone were to leave a weapon in their vehicle or their room unattended, there might be a risk of theft by someone not authorized or licensed to use a firearm.
Diane Graves, chair of the Faculty Senate and university librarian, agreed with these reasons.
“Members of Trinity’s campus police department have told me more than once that, in the case of an active shooter event, police responders will arrive on the scene prepared to immobilize the shooter,” Graves said. “If they enter a building and see a person (student, faculty or staff) with a gun in his hand, the police will have to assume that person is the target.”
According to Neal, having guns on campus could also increase suicide rates.
“The research seems to suggest that guns are more likely to be used in suicide, and as one of the most lethal, suicide methods, I would argue against the increased presence of bringing lethal means on campus,” Neal said.
A librarian from the University of Texas at Austin, who wishes to remain anonymous, was present on campus during the Sept. 28 shooting last year. She thinks that allowing guns on campus would put more people in danger.
“Although (the shooter) appeared to shoot randomly, no one else was injured. He carefully shot away from other people, many of whom he could have easily killed,” said the librarian. “I think if other students had been armed that day, we would have had many more casualties due to armed students taking matters into their own hands.”
Currently, concealed weapons on college and university campuses are banned in 26 states and the district of Columbia. Twenty three states allow individual campuses to decide, and Utah is the only state that permits guns on campuses of public institutions while private institutions are allowed to set their own policy.
Other states that are considering making firearms legal on university campuses include Florida, Michigan and Arizona, according to the Feb. 16 article, “Legislative Proposals in 9 states would allow guns on campuses,” published in the The Chronicle of Higher Education.
According to Graves, allowing firearms on campus can affect the university in various aspects such as admissions and recruitment.
“It has huge implications for admission,” Graves said. “It could make it hard to recruit faculty and administrators who move in from outside of the state. It could even make people say, ‘You know what, I feel so strong about this, I am going to move away. I can’t stay here.’”
13 Responses to “TU votes against guns”
Leave a Reply
Please use your real name instead of you company name or a screen name.
Please comment in a civilized manner, if you use profanity or make personal attacks, your comment will be removed. Please refrain from using this as an advertising medium.
Loading ...
Ray Hunt, the 2nd vice-president of the Houston Police Officers’ Union, the largest police union in the state of Texas, spoke out in favor of legalizing licensed concealed carry (of handguns) on Texas college campuses and dismissed the notion that the presence of armed citizens would somehow cause chaos or confusion during or following a campus shooting.
He also mentioned that the union had been originally fairly anti-CHL, fearing shootings of CHL-holders by police amongst other things. Upon seeing that that hadn’t occurred at all, they were happy to throw their support behind the concept of CHL in general, and they now specifically support concealed-carry on campus.
It isn’t hard to tell a person walking desk to desk executing people from a CHL hiding under a desk waiting his turn so he can shoot upwards at the shooter and any bullet passing through the shooter hits the ceiling instead of other students on the floor. I’d advise students to stay off the ceiling during a situation like that.
Police are trained for shoot-no shoot situations. Shooting a CHL with a “concealed holstered weapon” is highly unlikely and CHL know to holster and conceal when police arrive.
The current status quo of forcing responsible adults who conceal a weapon safely every day store it in a car to go into the library on campus, just provides easier access to guns for criminals. 70% of gun crimes are committed with stolen guns.
If I were a Police Officer, I’d rather respond to a car burglary and find someone holding a bunch of CDs, than a gun someone had to store there.
If the largest group of Police in Texas who encounter licensees on almost a daily basis during very stressful traffic stops etc. support it, it must be a good idea. It’s just common sense.
I bet the hostages on the plane during 9/11 that crashed would have preferred weapons to cell phones too.
Also, though the can’t “officially” lobby nor endorse it, the Professors who actually teach the Nationwide Annual Competition & Seminar for Crisis Negotiations to Police Nationwide, favor Campus carry. Smart people should listen to them.
People who haven’t even educated themselves (not taken even a CHL class, much less any other shooting/tactical classes, should not be forming opinions and trying to limit the rights of those who do based on their own lack of education.
“research seems to suggest that guns are more likely to be used in suicide”
Now you’re just being silly.
Never have I felt an urge to reach into my pants and get my gun for suicide when at the park, mall, church, Walmart. I can’t see why I’d want to anywhere else.
However, if you really are concerned, consider that making me store my gun in my car makes it easier to access for a suicidal person than allowing me to keep it concealed, secured safely in my holster retained by my reinforced belt. I can’t even recall the last time anyone in class reached into my pants to grab whatever is concealed in there.
I forgot to mention, that although no one in class reached into my pants to grab whatever is concealed in there, that my car HAS been burglarized and the contents stolen, and that’s where you want my gun stored?
“active shooter on campus”
The Virginia Tech “gun-free zone policy” failed, that’s the system you like, but that’s not the main reason these bills need to pass. That’s relatively rare. (Only 45 active shooters at schools prior to Virginia Tech 1966 to 2007, but 55 more in the 3 years since 2007) While the rarity of fire is no reason not to have a fire extinguisher, there’s better reasons to pass this.
How about situations where no shots are fired?
Example
Armed assault (Female at bathroom on campus by a non-student) and carjacking and kidnapping, all of which occurred in the last 2 weeks at U of H.
How about the monthly armed robberies (by non-students) in bathrooms at San Antonio College?
How about robberies and females walking at night NEAR campus (These don’t show up in Cleary reports)
“According to Graves, allowing firearms on campus can affect the university in various aspects such as admissions and recruitment. ”
Somewhat true, I know Virginia Tech student, originally from Texas who transferred to a school which treats him as an adult and allows him to carry his concealed gun just like he does at church instead of staying at a school which keeps a “failed system”
I also know educators at Private colleges who are looking to transfer to public ones if the private university decides to not allow them to carry and public ones do.
Remember, due to age requirements, most licensees are the age of Grad students, Staff and Professors.
I was staff at a Junior college and at University of Houston.
A President of a College in Kilgore used to speak out against campus carry, he made uneducated statements as we hear here, but then he went for CONTINUING EDUCATION, and learned. He retracted his statements previously made to the press, and he and his wife took steps to obtain a CHL.
I contend that statements made contesting Campus carry by persons uneducated in the matter who formed opinions without facts, … have the value and worth of any uneducated persons opinion on any other matter.
“A librarian from the University of Texas at Austin, who wishes to remain anonymous, was present on campus during the Sept. 28 shooting last year.”
I’ll go you one better:
An ARMED CHL at the University of Texas at Austin, who wishes to remain anonymous, was present on campus during the Sept. 28 shooting last year. He didn’t draw and fire because there was no threat to others when he saw Colton running with his AK-47, which was perfectly legal to carry around outside the buildings.
Carrying concealed on campus by a CHL is perfectly legal, we just have to store guns in our cars to get burglarized when we go inside buildings, libraries and to class.
Texas Penal Code
Sec. 46.035
(f) In this section:
(3) “Premises” means a building or a portion of a building.
“According to Neal, having guns on campus could also increase suicide rates. ”
More ignorance.
Suicide rates among CHLs (licensees) are lower than the average population. You’re looking at a group who took the time and trouble and spent a LOT of money, hundreds and hundreds of dollars to be able to carry. People who never got in trouble for saying bad words, never got in trouble for playing music too loud (misdemeanors which disqualify you from being licensed)
This group isn’t likely suicidal, but ignorant persons often try to group them in with criminals and crazies.
There’s really nothing stopping an UNLICENSED person like Colton or others who were suicidal from bringing guns on campus now so you want to prohibit law abiding rational adults from being able to protect themselves from those suicidal crazies like George Hennard who killed 23 people, shot 20 more prior to committing suicide? Where did you take logic?
Gun Free Zone FAIL
Friday, March 4, 2011
“Gun seized from student was loaded
Sheriff’s officials said they have no reason to believe David Alexander Vanheeren had violent intentions Wednesday when he brought the gun, four pocket knives and a tube of an unknown white substance to school.
“As far as we can tell there wasn’t a plan,”
———–
“no reason to believe … had violent intentions” …….. ?
“loaded gun, four pocket knives and a tube of an unknown white substance” … probably for “show and tell”?
Perhaps the letters were too small on the gun free zone sign?
Read more at:
http://www.reflector.com/crimerescue/gun-seized-student-was-loaded-341591
By Jennifer Swartz
The Daily Reflector
Friday, March 4, 2011
————————
Sure signs work, uh huh.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7pGt_O1uM8
Gun Free Zone FAIL
Friday, March 4, 2011
“Gun seized from student was loaded
Sheriff’s officials said they have no reason to believe David Alexander Vanheeren had violent intentions Wednesday when he brought the gun, four pocket knives and a tube of an unknown white substance to school.
“As far as we can tell there wasn’t a plan,”
———–
“no reason to believe … had violent intentions” …….. ?
“loaded gun, four pocket knives and a tube of an unknown white substance” … probably for “show and tell”?
Perhaps the letters were too small on the gun free zone sign?
Google it to read more
By Jennifer Swartz
The Daily Reflector
Friday, March 4, 2011
————————
Sure signs work, uh huh.
So “keep the system which systematically fails?”
( facepalm )
oopss yet another system failure
Different incident:
Friday, Mar. 04, 2011
Gun, bullets, pot found in Bibb middle school student’s book bag
Campus police found an unloaded handgun and eight bullets inside an eighth-grader’s backpack Thursday at Appling Middle School.
The gun is the second one seized at the school in the past 31 days — and the third in the past year.
Four guns have been found on Bibb County school property so far this school year, Floore said.
An additional two incidents have been reported involving students, schools and guns.
A suspicious man who was spotted on the Northeast High School campus in January later was apprehended off campus along with a gun.
In a second case, the mother of a Southwest High School student called police after her son went home from school and gave her a gun he said he got from another student at a bus stop. Floore said there’s no evidence that gun was ever on campus.
I’m guessing the “gun free zone” sign is hard to read?
Wow, “someothername”, for someone with NO connection to the Trinity community you sure are shooting your mouth off a lot here. If you are so passionate about this, why not tell us who you are?
*crickets*
Just another ultra-right wing gun fanatic, it would appear.