The survey will ask respondents to select: a) strongly agree, b) agree, c) no opinion, d) disagree, e) strongly disagree with regards to the following statements:
1. I support only faculty and staff CHL holders being allowed to carry concealed handguns on
campus.
2. I support faculty, staff and students who are CHL holders being allowed to carry concealed
handguns on campus
3. I do not support faculty, staff or students carrying weapons or guns of any kind on college
campuses regardless of whether or not the individual has a CHL.
Since I already sent out my proposal and supporting material prior to the Association meeting last week, faculty will already have read my arguments in favor of concealed carry. Here is a copy of the draft of my proposal:
A Resolution to Promote Campus Safety
We the faculty call upon the Hill College Board of Regents to adopt rules that would allow Concealed Handgun License (CHL) holders (hereafter referred to as “licensees”) to exercise their right to carry concealed handguns on Hill College Campuses per the Board’s authority under Penal Code Chapter §46.03 (a)(1). (
TAB A) We do not adopt the resolution lightly and do so to promote campus safety and protect the civil rights of the members of the Hill College community based upon the following:
1. The vast majority of mass shootings in recent years have occurred in locations that had rules prohibiting the carrying of firearms upon their premises. Such rules only deter law abiding citizens from carrying firearms and not criminal. Blanket prohibitions from carrying firearms create an environment that is inviting to violent criminals because the intended victims do not have the ability to defend themselves.
2. A study funded by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) indicates that violent criminals’ fear of armed citizens is a significantly stronger deterrent than their fear of the police. (
Wright, James and Peter Rossi, 1994) Allowing licensees the right to carry on campus would serve as a deterrent not only to potential mass shootings, but also to more common forms of violent crime.
3. The right to self-defense is a fundamental human right. Prohibiting licensees, who have undergone a thorough criminal background check, from carrying handguns on campus denies them of their right to self-defense.
4. CHL licensees are 15 times less like to commit crimes than the general public (
TAB B – compiled by Charles Cotton based on data publicly available from DPS ), so allowing licensees to carry on campus will not increase the likelihood of violence on campus, particularly since those most likely to commit violent crimes are those most likely to ignore the requirement to have a CHL and the prohibition against carrying firearms on campus.
5. Many faculty and staff currently have a CHL. Under current rules, licensees must store their handgun in their vehicles while on campus. This increases the likelihood that a criminal may obtain a firearm while burglarizing a licensee’s vehicle. In addition to the immediate threat to campus safety that such a theft would pose, because the majority of guns used in crimes are obtained illegally, the theft of a handgun from a licensee’s vehicle would contribute to the overall problem of criminals’ use of guns in violent crimes.
6. Currently, over 70 public school districts in Texas have adopted rules allowing licensees to carry on their campuses. School superintendents from two of these districts have stated that they have had no reports of incidences on any campuses involving licensees nor any reports from students, parents or faculty that these rules have created an environment on campus that stifles free expression of ideas. Similarly, Utah has long allowed licensees to carry on public school, college and university campuses with no adverse effects and Colorado has adopted laws that allow licensees to carry on college and university campuses.
