Listener on TTU campus carry: “We have morons here.”

Your eloquent discussion of the morons at UT and their opinions about Campus Carry there reminded me about the meeting at Texas Tech last week on Nov. 3.  We have morons here.

It was put on by the Campus Carry Task Force, at the Matador Room of The Student Union Building.  The Task Force consisted of about ten people, and is headed by Senior VP Lawrence Schovanec.

The Task Force sat at the front of the room, facing the audience, which consisted of about 50-60 people.

After presenting the results of a survey, which is just to get opinions, and that showed basically 2-to-1 opposition to Campus Carry, Schovanec, (who seems like a fair guy), emphasized that Campus Carry IS coming to Tech next August, and that the discussion is really over WHERE carry will be not be allowed, and where it will be.  He read a statement from the General Counsel that said the law reads that the restrictions on where you can carry are expected to be minimal, and justifiable (gotta have a good reason why you can’t in specific places.)

The original survey had about 10 questions about your opinion on campus carry, whether you have a CHL or intended to get one (several hundred respondents have one, and several hundred intend to get one), and then your opinion about WHERE carry should be allowed.  However, the original survey left off the locations of Offices and Classrooms, so they sent out a supplemental survey about those two places.  Not surprisingly, a lot of respondents said that you SHOULDN’T be allowed to carry in Offices and Classrooms.  Then he opened the meeting to comments from the attendees.
The first three comments were fairly amazing:

1. a guy said he teaches a class that includes instructions on what to do if there is an Active Shooter – you’re supposed to “drop-and-roll” to avoid getting shot. I guess you’re supposed to roll over behind a desk or something.  Anyway, he was worried about what would happen if someone in the class was carrying, and when they were rolling around the gun came out of their pocket, or even went off.  The Task Force admitted that they had not thought of this, and would consider it.

   …he was worried about what would happen if someone in the class was carrying, and when they were rolling around the gun came out of their pocket, or even went off.

2. a lady said she teaches in Theater Arts, and they put on plays, and sometimes there are scenes where someone on stage “shoots” someone with a gun with blanks in it as part of the play.  She is worried that a CHL holder might be in the audience and, not understanding what was happening on stage, freak out and start shooting people in the theater, including actors on the stage. Someone pointed out that there are already plays going on around the country where CHL is allowed, with fake guns being shot on stages, and no one has ever “freaked out” and started shooting up the place.
3. a guy who works at the International Cultural Center said that several International students are very concerned over the fact that they could be sitting in a classroom next to someone with a gun, and how dangerous that would be. He said that International students from places like France where they don’t have guns are really worried.  Some student asked him about where they were supposed to get a gun when the law goes into effect.  He said that International students are crying and losing sleep over this issue. Someone asked if the International students are aware (and concerned) about the fact that if they are eating at an off-campus restaurant or in a grocery store, etc., they are already sitting or standing near someone who has a gun.

Like you said today, this is amazing stuff coming from people who seem otherwise intelligent and have advanced degrees and stuff.

A friend of mine said that this is “much ado about nothing” and that CHL holders are among the most law-abiding people in the world.

Another guy stood up and said that he wanted to talk about Reality instead of a bunch of Hypotheticals, and that the Reality is that Tech, as a gun-free zone, is the MOST DANGEROUS place in Lubbock.  He said that the most important places to have carry allowed are in Offices and Classrooms.  He said that if something happens in a class of 200 people, and just one student freaks out,  his gun is going to be in his car 5 minutes away, when seconds count. This is because he, like most CHL holders, is a law-abiding citizen (who has been background-checked, trained, and practices regularly).  And what a tragedy that would be!  When he sat down, a lady asked if he was concerned about leaving his gun in his car where someone could break into it and steal the gun.  He said that is precisely the problem – the gun should be in his pocket so he could use it if, heaven forbid, anything ever happened.

Amazing stupidity.

Robert, these people just don’t get it.  I don’t know what the answer is, or how to reason with them.

Keep up the good work.

[Name withheld by request, source verified by Pratt on Texas.]