-
UT Tower Shooting
Armed with multiple guns, Charles Whitman climbed to the observation deck of the clock tower on the University of Texas at Austin's campus and killed 13 people ("The UT Tower," n.d.).This shooting set an early stage for campus carry laws in future years.
The UT tower shooting. (n.d.) Texas Monthly. Retrieved from http://www.texasmonthly.com/category/topics/ut-tower-shooting/ -
Virginia Tech Shooting
The Virginia Tech University shooting in 2007 sparked state interest in legislation that would permit concealed weapons on campuses ("Guns on campus," 2016). Before 2016, this was one of the deadliest shootings in America, creating a sense of fear and uncertainty among American government and universities.
Guns on campus: Overview. (2016, May 31). National Conference of State Legislatures. Retrieved from http://www.ncsl.org/research/education/guns-on-campus-overview.aspx -
Students for Concealed Carry on Campus
A day after the mass shooting at Virginia Tech, college students from different universities formed the Students for Concealed Carry on Campus. They became the first advocates in favor of campus carry to help arm students and professors against an active shooter (Weinstein, 2015).
Weinstein, A. (2015, July 5). The secret history of the campus carry movement. The Trace. Retrieved from https://www.thetrace.org/2015/07/the-making-of-the-campus-carry-movement/ -
Concealed Carry at University of Colorado
The University of Colorado's ban on guns was overruled by the Colorado Supreme Court, which stated that the university system could not regulate the possession of concealed guns on campus ("Campus action," 2012). The Students for Concealed Carry had a helping hand in this case. This paved the way for Texas legislation.
Guns on campus: Campus action. (2012, March). National Conference of State Legislatures. Retrieved from http://www.ncsl.org/research/education/guns-on-campus-campus-action.aspx -
The Election of Greg Abbott
Conservative candidate Greg Abbott was elected to replace Rick Perry in the governor's mansion for the state of Texas (Bureau, 2014). Abbott's election plays a key role in Texas campus carry laws.
Bureau, A. (2014, November 5). Greg Abbott tops Wendy Davis in Texas governor's race. The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved from http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/state-politics/20141105-abbott-leads-way-with-big-win-over-davis-in-governors-race.ece -
SB 11
Texas Legislature passed SB 11, the Campus Carry bill. The bill gives public universities the power to chose where and how concealed handguns are allowed on campuses (Price, 2015). All the bill needed was Abbott's approval, which was expected.
Price, B. (2015, May 31). Texas Legislature passes Campus Carry bill. Breitbart. Retrieved from http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2015/05/31/texas-legislature-passes-campus-carry-bill/ -
Greg Abbott Signs Campus Carry Into Law
In Pflugerville, Texas, Gov. Abbott signs Campus Carry into law at a gun range ("Abbott signs," 2015). The law means that individuals over the age of 21 will be able to carry handguns on campus with the proper license. University officials can carve out areas that will be "gun-free." ("Abbott signs," 2015).
Abbott signs open carry, campus carry into law. KXAN.com. Retrieved from http://kxan.com/2015/06/13/abbott-to-sign-open-carry-campus-carry-into-law/ -
Campus Carry in effect
Campus Carry law went into effect at public universities in the state of Texas. The University of Texas at Austin enacted rules regarding open carry on campus and the storage of handguns in dormitories ("Campus Carry," n.d.). This change in policy comes 50 years after the UT Tower shooting.
Campus carry. (n.d.) The University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved from https://campuscarry.utexas.edu/ -
Period: to
The Future
In the future, there will be more protests against campus carry on public campuses. The policy has yet to be proven effective or not since it is just over a month old. However, it has created discussions across America as to whether or not guns should be allowed on college campuses.The original creators are still in legislature roles and will continue to be around until the next election in 2018. -
Student-lead Protests at UT
Campus (Dildo) Carry shocked the nation when students at UT Austin attached dildos to their backpacks in protest of campus carry. Their idea was to "fight absurdity with absurdity" (McGaughy, 2016). UT's Students Against Campus Carry hope that this movement spreads to other public universities.
McGaughy, L. (2016, August 23). UT sex-toy protest against campus carry could be largest anti-gun rally in Texas history. The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved from http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/ -
The Impact on Today
Campus Carry has impacted both public and private institutions' policies across the state of Texas. While public universities have to decide on the parameters of the law, private universities will also look into the need of concealed handguns on campus.