Professor Daniel Webster of the Bloomberg School of Public Health and University President Ronald J. Daniels published on Oct. 21 an op-ed in The Washington Post speaking out against the recently enacted Campus Carry law in Texas. The legislation allows licensed individuals to carry open and concealed firearms on the campus of any public university in the state. Texas is the eighth state to pass this type of legislation.
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), the flagship institution of the Texas university system, has a troubled history with firearms on campus, specifically a mass shooting that left 18 people dead in 1966. Students have protested the new law, fearing for their safety on campus.
The Editorial Board is strongly against Campus Carry.
We agree with Webster and Daniels that gun violence is a public health issue. It has killed thousands of Americans in the past year alone. The framework used to discuss gun control, rather than citing the protection or stripping of Second Amendment rights, should reflect the that firearms threaten innocent lives. The right to live is more important than the right to carry a gun.
Not only is gun violence a matter of public health, the gun lobby’s aggressive tactics, such as rating Members of Congress in terms of how favorable they are unrestricted gun rights, preclude lawmakers from enacting strong gun control policies. Instead of worrying about NRA sponsorship, Members of Congress should prioritize the livelihoods of Americans.
Guns on our campus would also discourage students from arguing and having informed discussion. Students should not have to wager theirs lives on an intellectual or personal disagreement. The uncertainty would immediately undermine our community’s collective mental health. As students, we would feel threatened if there were firearms carried by our classmates and professors on campus.
Considering some college students abuse alcohol and drugs and take risk and many struggle with mental health, the presence of guns on campus could only be a recipe for tragedy.
We support stricter gun laws, especially in a city like Baltimore in which legal and illegal firearms are pervasive. We need less guns, not more.
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