The end of gun free UT

On 1^st August 2016, the Campus Carry law came into effect at UT, which now means students are able to bring a concealed handgun onto most places on campus. These students must be licence holders (therefore, they must be twenty-one and older), the gun must be concealed, and the licence holder cannot carry the concealed handgun when intoxicated (University of Texas at Austin, 2016). It is estimated that less than one percent of UT students have a licence to carry a handgun (University of Texas at Austin, 2016).

Unsurprisingly, this change has been greeted by fierce reservations and intense debate. Three professors have attempted to sue UT and Texas state attorney to block the campus carry law (Dart, 2016a), whilst an American singer-songwriter, Ray LaMontagne, cancelled a show at the university after stating that he did not agree with campus carry (Blanchard, 2016). However, student protesters have received the most international attention with the campaign Cocks Not Glocks (Dart, 2016b). The campaigners aimed to fight the law by highlighting the absurdity of being able to carry a gun on campus yet being unable to brandish a sex toy on campus. The protest aimed to challenge the perception that carrying a weapon is normal.

One of the posters around campus protesting against campus carry

Opponents of campus carry argue that guns in the classroom may frighten students, which discourages free expression and arguably upsets the foundations of academia. Professors may avoid critical thinking and controversial debate in order to prevent potential confrontation. On the other hand, proponents of campus carry argue that they are able to exercise their second amendment rights and enhance self-protection if a shooting does occur. Others assert more guns on campus will lead to more danger; those with an armed weapon may not be trained to handle it at critical moments, and there may be multiple confusion and false alarms. This all leads to an increased likelihood of danger.

Perhaps most painfully and tragically ironic is that 1^st August 2016 also marks fifty years since UT’s mass shooting; in 1966, Charles Whitman climbed to the top of the university tower and shot forty-three people, killing thirteen (Texas Monthly, 2016). In an interview with The Guardian, one of the survivors spoke openly condemning the law, stating that she hopes open carry becomes banned (Dart, 2016c).

I come from a country where police officers are not permitted to carry guns in public, never mind university students; guns are a thing I only see in films. Therefore, I find it slightly unnerving to be present at a university where the campus carry debate is happening and to be living in a country where a gun is regarded to be such a casual possession. On my third day in Austin, I met a nineteen-year-old who had six guns. I didn’t quite know how to process that information. In this regard, I have entered a complete new world.

Texas has now become the ninth state that has affirmative policies enabling students to carry guns on campus (NCSL, 2016). I sense that campus carry is a bleak reminder that regardless of how liberal Austin is perceived to be, it is governed and consequently controlled by a Republican state. And maybe most significantly, this is something that Austin cannot escape. It will be interesting to see whether UT accepts this harsh reality over time.

References

Blanchard, B. (2016) Ray LaMontagne Cancels Show at UT-Austin Over Campus Carry Law [Online]. Austin: The Texas Tribune. Available at http://www.texastribune.org [Accessed: 3 October 2016]

Dart, T. (2016a) Professors sue University of Texas and state attorney over campus carry laws [Online]. London: The Guardian. Available at http://www.theguardian.com [Accessed: 3 October 2016]

Dart, T. (2016b) Cocks Not Glocks: Texas students carry dildos on campus to protest gun law [Online]. London: The Guardian. Available at http://www.theguardian.com [Accessed: 3 October 2016].

Dart, T. (2016c) UT Tower shooting survivor speaks out against new campus carry law in Texas [Online]. London: The Guardian. Available at http://www.theguardian.com [Accessed: 3 October, 2016].

NCSL (2016) Guns on Campus: Overview [Online]. Denver: National Conference of State Legislature. Available at http://www.ncsl.org/research/education/guns-on-campus-overview.aspx [Accessed: 3 October 2016].

Texas Monthly (2016) The UT Tower Shooting [Online]. Austin: Texas Monthly. Available at http://www.texasmonthly.com/category/topics/ut-tower-shooting/ [Accessed: 3 October 2016].

University of Austin at Texas (2016) Campus Carry [Online]. Austin: The University of Texas at Austin. Available at https://campuscarry.utexas.edu/ [Accessed: 3 October 2016].