Opinion

Concealed carry: the readers’ take

February 27, 2013

Online Survey Results
The survey closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Ninety-two people responded from across the community. Below are the results and some answers from our readers.

To see more answers submitted by readers, check www.baylorlariat.com under the Opinions tab. Tweet @bulariat to submit your own opinion. Tweets will be chosen at the editor’s discretion.

Question 1
Do you think those who have concealed carry licenses should be allowed to bring a concealed weapon on Baylor’s campus?

Yes:
It should be allowed and no school should be able to “opt out.” Concealed carry should be allowed everywhere, period.

No:
In a place where drinking, hazing and relative immaturity are rampant, adding hundreds, if not thousands, of guns would only result in negative consequences. If we stop a school shooting or a campus robbery every ten years, is it worth the inevitable three gun accidents that Baylor will have every year?

Question 2
If concealed carry was allowed on Baylor’s campus and you had a concealed carry license, would you carry a concealed handgun on campus?

Yes:
I have a license to carry a concealed weapon, and I carry it (where legally allowed) for personal protection. I am no less concerned for my safety when I am on or off campus, so I don’t see why I should be disallowed from protecting myself while on campus.

No:
It disrupts the learning environment and makes campus police obsolete.

Question 3
Would you feel safer or less safe on campus if concealed carry was allowed?

Safe:
I think it would signal to criminals that our campus is not a
defenseless campus.

Less safe:
There isn’t a snowball’s chance… that I trust the average Baylor student, or even the above average Baylor student, with a firearm.

Question 4
Sen. Bill 182 would allow for anyone with a concealed carry license to carry on campus. This could include faculty, staff or students who meet the criteria. Do you think concealed carry should be limited in some way to exclude any of these groups?

Limited:
Faculty are hired for their exceptional intelligence and level-headedness, among other qualities, and are more likely to recognize each other; students may not always meet both criteria.

Unlimited:
It should be open to ANYONE that qualifies for a CHL.