A little while ago I was cleaning out my university email when I saw one from our dean with a title having something to do with concealed carry. We get email updates about crimes that happen on campus, and I assumed that’s what it was about when I clicked to open it. Much to my shock and horror, it was about the rule starting next school year about allowing concealed carry on universities in Texas (I know, I know; if I would just be a little more responsible and aware, I would have known about this new law before this. But I don’t even want to live in Texas, so I’m not about to keep up with the laws here). So I guess it technically was an email about a crime, but this was a crime against the safety of an entire state’s worth of students, not just a handful walking home for Northgate.
I put this horrible knowledge out of my head until last week when my political blogging professor pulled up a story about another university in Texas (technically ~the~ University of Texas) protesting this law next school year. To protest this absurd new rule, students at UT are organizing to carry around barely concealed sex toys instead of weaponry when they get back to classes next fall. If there’s a school rule about the obscenity of seeing a plastic penis, I feel like there should definitely be a rule against being able to bring weapons historically used in this country, and even UT in particular, to kill.
I don’t know when our country is going to look around and say “Hey, countries with gun control have really small amounts of gun violence, and we seem to be having a new tragedy about mass shootings and toddlers blasting grandma in the back every other day. Maybe we should try this thing?” but good God I hope it happens soon. We can’t keep using the ideology that guns will prevent gun violence. Guns kind of cause gun violence; it’s sort of in the name. The only logical prevention of gun violence is to get rid of the weapon that creates it. We need rules. We need licenses. We need mental illness exams. Most of all we need to stop handing guns to children not yet graduated from elementary school. But you can’t cure American.
Y’all, I know the American tradition is to stick hard and fast to the “way it’s always been done” until long after it’s hurt our country beyond repair and all the other Western countries are ashamed to be associated with us (see: slavery, women’s rights, civil rights, etc), but could we maybe learn from our mistakes and catch up to the other guys while we aren’t too far behind?
I’m so very proud of our fellow Texas college kids protesting this ridiculous law. CocksNotGlocks4ever
.the caffeiene addicted feminist. 
Pingback: My Choice (by Jezabel Jonson) | From guestwriters
Thank you for the post, and I am in such agreement with you. Gun control never used to be an issue for me until I saw some of the family members of the James Holmes’/Colorado shooting victims at the university hospital there (my mother’s last days on earth happened to be there at that hospital at the very same time). It was the most wrenching scene that will forever stick with me.
I’ll be following Texas news closely now to see if their concealed-carry-on-campus law has any sort of effects, as Florida, my state, often follows suit.
LikeLike