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

Yes: A person that has completed the required training and earned their Texas CHL has proven that he/she is a trusted and law-abiding citizen that has made a conscious decision not to be a victim and to potentially defend the defenseless.
Yes: Those who want to do harm will do harm regardless of a concealed handgun license. This would allow staff and students to protect themselves against this type of violence.

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.

“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.”

This famous quote from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” actually belongs to minor character Marcellus, but this small line from a small character has come to resonate with all people seeking change in their governance.

Things aren’t as bad here as they were in Hamlet’s Denmark— but the issue of the new student regent doesn’t pass the smell test.

Fortunately, we live in a country that affords us the rights to have debate and to elect leaders to create laws for us as a nation. The 2nd amendment right is a contentious issue for many and continues to be divisive at a national level. Concealed Carry on college campuses has gained traction in many states. In Texas we currently see Bill 182 that will allow licensed concealed carry permit holders to carry their personal weapons on college campuses.

Local media outlets, including the Baylor Lariat, have reported that Baylor faculty members Dr. Blake Burleson and Dr. Robin Wallace recently drafted a letter condemning Texas Senate Bill 182 and circulated it among the faculty. The letter strongly asserts that the freedom of licensed citizens to carry concealed weapons is disruptive to a learning environment. The authors and signatures of the letter contend that the possible presence of a firearm on campus would “introduce an element into this environment that causes anxiety, tension, concern, and fear” and “impede the free flow of ideas and exchanges which are essential in the academic enterprise.”

In response to the article in The Baylor Lariat, “Professors unite against concealed carry,” I would like to voice my concerns as a faceless Baylor student.

First off, everyone should have a say in policies that would, in fact, affect their personal/professional lives, yet to make technical claims that are outside the scope of one’s expertise, claims that these professors make, should be first thoroughly researched before attempting to sway public policy. Dr. Burleson, a religion senior lecturer, and Dr. Wallace, a professor of musicology, while wise and learned are certainly not the first individuals whom I would take credible statements from regarding a topic primarily associated with criminological and sociological studies. Having said that, I found some errors supporting this claim.

After reading the Feb. 19 article “Professors unite against concealed carry,” about how opposed the faculty at Baylor is to concealed carry, I felt a rebuttal was called for, and some misconceptions need to be corrected.

After all, isn’t proper academic rigor focused on objectively evaluating facts, not making decisions based on mere emotion?

First, a simple correction: The bill introduced by Sen. Birdwell was Sen. Bill 182, not 128. That’s an understandable typo, but it did make it more difficult to get the facts of what is being proposed.