Starting August 1st, 2016, any student who goes to school in Texas can carry a gun, if they’re over 21 years of age.
This new law, entitled the “College Carry Law”, exemplifies an individuals right to carry a weapon, no matter the setting. Students are allowed to bring these weapons into class, but they have to be registered and always carry a concealed carry license.
The law was imposed on the 50th anniversary of the 1966 bell tower shooting on the University of Texas campus, killing 16 people.
Government officials claim that this law will help put an end to mass shootings on college campuses and schools nationwide, and that other states should follow in pursuit of this law as well. Officials claim that the law would ‘enable gun owners to deal with an armed assailant during a shooting before police can arrive’. However, liberal opponents are waiving their flags of concern.
University of Texas Austin campus at sunset-dusk – aerial view
Opponents believe that the law will increase the likelihood of shootings on college campuses, by allowing students to carry concealed weapons at their disposal. Opponents also argued that heavy drinking and depression is also at its highest on college campuses, and that we should not be adding weapons to the mix.
Though the University of Texas administration lobbied against this law, the state of Texas is now the eighth state in the United States that has this particular law in effect on college campuses.
