BenGoodLuck
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Irrational Houston Faculty Come Unhinged Over Campus Carry
I looked up the senate president, Jonathan Snow, and found his email address at Jonathan Snow. This is the email I sent him:
Dear Dr. Snow,
I read with concern your comments in a recent Houston Chronicle article (UH faculty suggest steering clear of some topics if students armed - Houston Chronicle) in which you are quoted as saying: "Academics know the intrusion of gun culture into campus inevitably harms academic culture." As a scientist, do you have any statistical evidence to back up that statement?
What is objectively and empirically proven is that concealed handgun permit holders are among the most law-abiding citizens in Texas, if not THE most law-abiding citizens, with an almost non-existent record of committing crimes. Please see https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/RSD/CHL/Reports/ConvictionRatesReport2014.pdf. As you peruse this report, you may notice the overwhelming number of 0% for crimes committed by CHL holders. For 2014, the total offenses committed in Texas were 47,413, of which an astoundingly low 111 crimes were committed by CHL holders, representing just 0.2341% of the total.
Moving beyond the statistics, CHL holders are required to be fingerprinted and undergo a background check conducted by both the Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI. They must also take a handgun safety course and prove proficiency in Texas laws concerning use of a deadly weapon. The minimum age to receive a CHL is 21, which means that most students on campus would not even have a CHL.
Let's take a look at the logic behind the faculty's fears. The UH faculty senate passed a resolution stating "The diverse academic communities and free academic discourse are especially threatened by the presence of deadly weapons in teaching, research and living spaces, "How does the very presence of a gun or knife threaten anyone? Guns and knives and other deadly weapons don't shoot or stab by themselves. They require the action of a human. Hands can also be deadly weapons. So the issue isn't the presence of an object, but the presence of humans intent on causing harm. Legislation and resolutions can do nothing to prevent a human who is intent on inflicting harm from doing so. Banning guns on campus will only prevent law-abiding citizens from carrying on campus. Criminals and those intent on causing harm will not, and have not, been prevented from acting by signs, resolutions, laws, and fear.
I saw this slide as part of a presentation that was made at a recent discussion:
The above advice might be warranted for all students, or specifically for any student that the faculty senses is exhibiting errant or disturbing behavior, but there is no reason to believe that only students with a CHL should be included in this advice. Dropping 'certain topics' from a curriculum because of 'fear' regarding a sub-set of students smacks of fear-mongering and discrimination. A college campus should be a model forum for discussing all topics in a civil, calm manner, with room made for different opinions and viewpoints.
What the Senate will accomplish if guns are banned on campus will be to create a gun-free zone where homicidal maniacs can act with impunity and have no fear of people on campus defending themselves. I urge you to reconsider your proposals and allow concealed carry on campus, because otherwise, the only people who will have guns on campus will be criminals.
Sincerely,
Ben [name]
[address]
[phone]
A slide show was presented at a recent discussion regarding the Texas state law which will allow students (and faculty members) to legally conceal carry on school campuses statewide. The slideshow says, in part, that faculty may not want to “go there” to avoid creating a tense situation in their classroom, suggesting their law-abiding students may very well draw their weapon if they don’t like what they hear.
I looked up the senate president, Jonathan Snow, and found his email address at Jonathan Snow. This is the email I sent him:
Dear Dr. Snow,
I read with concern your comments in a recent Houston Chronicle article (UH faculty suggest steering clear of some topics if students armed - Houston Chronicle) in which you are quoted as saying: "Academics know the intrusion of gun culture into campus inevitably harms academic culture." As a scientist, do you have any statistical evidence to back up that statement?
What is objectively and empirically proven is that concealed handgun permit holders are among the most law-abiding citizens in Texas, if not THE most law-abiding citizens, with an almost non-existent record of committing crimes. Please see https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/RSD/CHL/Reports/ConvictionRatesReport2014.pdf. As you peruse this report, you may notice the overwhelming number of 0% for crimes committed by CHL holders. For 2014, the total offenses committed in Texas were 47,413, of which an astoundingly low 111 crimes were committed by CHL holders, representing just 0.2341% of the total.
Moving beyond the statistics, CHL holders are required to be fingerprinted and undergo a background check conducted by both the Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI. They must also take a handgun safety course and prove proficiency in Texas laws concerning use of a deadly weapon. The minimum age to receive a CHL is 21, which means that most students on campus would not even have a CHL.
Let's take a look at the logic behind the faculty's fears. The UH faculty senate passed a resolution stating "The diverse academic communities and free academic discourse are especially threatened by the presence of deadly weapons in teaching, research and living spaces, "How does the very presence of a gun or knife threaten anyone? Guns and knives and other deadly weapons don't shoot or stab by themselves. They require the action of a human. Hands can also be deadly weapons. So the issue isn't the presence of an object, but the presence of humans intent on causing harm. Legislation and resolutions can do nothing to prevent a human who is intent on inflicting harm from doing so. Banning guns on campus will only prevent law-abiding citizens from carrying on campus. Criminals and those intent on causing harm will not, and have not, been prevented from acting by signs, resolutions, laws, and fear.
I saw this slide as part of a presentation that was made at a recent discussion:
The above advice might be warranted for all students, or specifically for any student that the faculty senses is exhibiting errant or disturbing behavior, but there is no reason to believe that only students with a CHL should be included in this advice. Dropping 'certain topics' from a curriculum because of 'fear' regarding a sub-set of students smacks of fear-mongering and discrimination. A college campus should be a model forum for discussing all topics in a civil, calm manner, with room made for different opinions and viewpoints.
What the Senate will accomplish if guns are banned on campus will be to create a gun-free zone where homicidal maniacs can act with impunity and have no fear of people on campus defending themselves. I urge you to reconsider your proposals and allow concealed carry on campus, because otherwise, the only people who will have guns on campus will be criminals.
Sincerely,
Ben [name]
[address]
[phone]