Campus Carry Legislation as it Stands in Texas

MatthewR, Staff Reporter

As of right now Texas penal code § 46.03(a) and Texas penal code § 46.03(f) prohibit the carry of a concealed firearm inside of educational buildings of institutions in the state. Effective late 2016 early 2017 will permit individuals with a concealed handgun license to carry concealed firearms on any grounds of a 4 year institution in Texas unless prohibited on the institutions website and posted around the buildings or areas where the institution prohibits the carry of concealed firearms. At the University of Texas Austin during a protest of this new campus carry legislation other students who support this legislation were arrested for counter protesting without prior approval from the Dean of Students. UT is a public university which means arresting those students for protesting is an infringement of the first amendment. A counter protest is a challenge for both parties to be able to express opposing views of the same topic and for police to intervene is horrific. Apparently, in this country we are no longer allowed to peacefully express our opinions or  stand up for what we believe in which is disgusting. If in this country we continue to allow the infringement of the freedom of expression we will found ourselves lead like herds of sheep led to slaughter under a regime of tyrannical sheep. We must become wolves in the face of adversity and lead our fellow man to the freedoms i’d like to believe we enjoy in the USA. This is not as much of a protest for the support of the second amendment (right to bear arms) but a realization that as we fight for or against certain privileges we must acknowledge that denying our fellow man to do the same may come back to bite us. If pro second amendment demonstrations are being illegally shut down today tomorrow it could be anti-second amendment ones as well. Our freedom of speech and expression is being attacked in more ways than we know in the terrorist attacks on Charlie Hebdo, on the campus of UT and all across the globe. As free people I encourage all reading this to keep fighting for our freedoms and to do so by giving me your opinions in the comments and demonstrate any way you can.