Post 2.6 - This College Will Blow You Away

On May 9th, Republicans in the Texas Senate approved a bill that included an amendment which allows college and university students to carry guns on campus. This applies only to public colleges and universities, and the measure was passed only when attached to a budget bill -- it had failed when they tried to pass it as a standalone piece of legislation.

Supporters say that allowing students to have guns will result in fewer college shootings and fewer deaths because students will be able to defend themselves, and there will be a deterrent if a prospective shooter thinks there will be returned fire.

Ok, Texas. Just how stupid is your state, exactly? Please feel free to secede at any time.

And I apologize to my liberal and progressive Texan friends, but your state is hopelessly stupid. You need to move.

Do I need to talk about education in Texas?

First, the Texas Board of Education approves changes to public school textbooks (and therefore, the curriculum, not only for their own state, but states which rely on the same textbooks, because of Texan influence on the marketplace) which practically erase Thomas Jefferson from history for being too liberal and reframe American history from a purely conservative perspective, including that we are not a secular country, American capitalism always rocks, and Republicans are better than we think they are. Then, Governor Rick Perry (R) wanted to use $830 million in federal funds to offset the state's educational budgetary needs, rather than use the money to preserve teaching jobs and enhance education. This resulted in warring over legislation at the federal level.

Now, let's give a group of people who exist in a world of melodrama and slowly waning teen angst, cliques, and hostility for no apparent reason, who are more likely to drink frequently if not heavily, who deal with the stresses of higher education personally and financially and often hold jobs just to get by, who will fight with the supporters of an opposing team if someone says the wrong thing post-game (while drunk), who often can't keep their dorm rooms neat and tidy -- let's give these people a GUN. Because you know, guns don't kill people, people kill people.

In Texas, if they're 21 (college junior or senior), they can get a concealed carry permit. And in Texas, if you carry a legally concealed weapon, you are allowed to skip the metal detectors at the state capitol building. The wisdom coming from this state is truly stupefying.

In fairness, Texas is not the only state doing this -- Arizona is considering a similar measure, as are other states. But since 2007, at least 23 states have correctly rejected such bills, and the universities do not want this going on, either.

There has to be a balance between 2nd Amendment protections and true human safety. We don't need clips that allow for more than 6 or 9 bullets unless we're going into battle, like the kind of clip that Jared Loughner unloaded in Tucson in January, killing six people and wounding 13 others. We don't need assault weapons available to the general public like the ones used in Columbine. And we do not need to allow university students to carry weapons of any kind. What kind of chaos would law enforcement encounter if there was a shooting? A full-on gun battle?

The possibilities are truly horrifying.

And my kids are never going to college in Texas.

Have a question or a suggestion for a future topic? E-mail me at facetsblog@gmail.com.