The Concealed Carry Law in Texas Schools

In the past year concealed carry has become a less crazy idea to many people in the state of Texas. In Texas 172 school districts allow teachers and staff to carry guns in schools. Not only is this putting children in possible danger, but it is also opening them up to the idea that fighting fire with fire works. People want so badly for gun violence to end yet they condone fighting guns with guns. Texans should outlaw all guns on any school campus because guns are dangerous and unpredictable. Some people may think it is absolutely absurd to even think about allowing a firearm on school grounds, and they are absolutely correct.

According to state and federal laws school premises are supposed to be “gun-free zones”, yet somehow they are still allowing faculty and staff to have access to, and conceal guns. If schools are supposed to be gun free then why are guns being allowed on the premises? If there are federal laws saying that school campus’ cannot have firearms wouldn’t you think that meant for everybody, not just students?There are plenty of other ways to protect a school than fighting violence with violence. Instead of teachers taking matters into their own hands the school board should invest in a better security system. They need to stop wasting so much energy going through the process of what it takes to conceal a gun on a school campus, and use that energy towards preventing gun violence from happening in the first place. Come up with better escape tactics in case of a school shooting. Be trained to watch for signs of any possible school shooter, and report the slightest thing you see.

Obviously it is impossible to know for sure when something like this may occur, but knowing how to prevent these things to the best of your ability is a big deal and can make a huge difference. Another reason that concealed carry is a bad idea is that it could increase the crime. If students know that their teachers could possibly have a gun that they could pull out at any given time it puts the idea in their head to act out. Plenty of studies have shown that bringing discipline to areas that don’t need it can cause people to act out, and cause crime to increase. A lot of times having a gun when not needed can turn confrontations into lethal incidents. In 2014 at a movie theatre, a retired police officer shot and killed another man because of an argument over text messaging. Members of the public who have guns are putting themselves and other people at risk of escalating everyday arguments into public shootouts. Imagine this being on a school campus where a teacher and a student got into a dispute. Who is to say that the teacher with the concealed gun won’t pull out that gun and threaten, or worse, use it, if the argument gets too heated. That should not be something anyone should ever have to worry about, especially a student. Teachers having access to guns during school could possibly give dangerous people easy access to firearms.

The Concealed Carry Law is only good if responsible and law-abiding citizens receive the permits, but there are no guarantees that these people will abide by the law in any circumstance. Not to say that it’s certain that all teachers cannot be trusted, but why even put people at the possible risk when you don’t have to? If there were to be a teacher with an ill intent of using a gun, that they were given permission to have, how would anyone know whether they were trying to do the right or wrong thing? There is no way of knowing for sure which is why guns shouldn’t be allowed on school grounds at all, under any circumstance. While there are good people trying to do the right thing and get good outcome from concealed carry; there are still always going to be bad people trying to do the opposite. Knowing that your teacher carries a gun could influence a child to want one too. Having guns on school campus makes children vulnerable. Going to measures of doing exactly what the criminal does is not the way to go about things. Guns are dangerous and unpredictable just as much as the person holding the gun.

In Texas, the 172 school districts that allow concealed carry, only by teachers and staff, are putting their children at risk of harm and danger. Guns should be outlawed completely on any school campus with no exceptions whatsoever on who gets to have them. People should care more about the well-being of their children rather than the take down of a possible school shooter.