“Hey hey, ho ho, guns in school have got to go!” chanted about 200 UT students as they ascended the state Capitol’s south steps Thursday afternoon.
With cardboard signs reading “More Guns = More Blood,” “No Need” and “Books not Berettas,” the crowd encircled a wooden podium where Virginia Tech alumnus John Woods, a UT graduate student, spoke of his terrifying experience with guns on college campuses.
On the second anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre — America’s deadliest school shooting — state representatives, activists and the county constable urged protesters to speak out to their legislators against a bill that would allow concealed-carry license holders to bring handguns onto public university campuses. Student Government and University Democrats organized the protest.
The concealed-carry bill, authored by state Rep. Joe Driver, R-Garland, has 77 co-sponsors. It passed though committee April 8 with a 5-to-3 vote and may soon be scheduled for debate on the House floor. The Senate’s version of the bill is pending in committee.
“There is a weapons race in this country,” said state Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, who voted against the bill in the House Committee of Public Safety. “Tell them to stop, to get off your campus. This is your Capitol. Take it back.”
At 11:30 a.m., students across campus rose from their lecture halls, walked out of class and marched to the Capitol to rally against the proposed legislation.
Communication studies sophomore Carinne Deeds and about five of her classmates walked out of their American history class, where lecturer Megan Seaholm was discussing the Vietnam War.
Deeds said she participated in the walkout because she feels handguns are a threat to the safety of students on campus.
“More guns would lead to more violence,” she said.
Seaholm said she was aware of the walkout and was not disrupted by it.
“I support the peaceful demonstration of free speech among our students,” Seaholm said. “It always cheers me when students are paying attention to larger political events and making decisions on their own.”
Government sophomore Philip Kleiman observed the rally and said he supports the legislation to allow license holders to carry handguns on campus. To acquire a license, individuals must be 21 years old, or 18 for military personnel, pass a background check, be of sound mind and take a safety training course.
Kleiman said he was annoyed that protesters compared the Virginia Tech shooting to a scenario that could occur at UT if students were allowed to carry concealed weapons.
“If you want to talk about the Virginia Tech thing, it’s more who can own a gun and who can buy a gun, not where they can take that gun,” Kleiman said.
Travis County Constable Bruce Elfant said most law enforcement personnel do not support the right of students to carry weapons on campus. He said the state should focus on funding mental-health facilities and decreasing violence outside of college campuses instead.
Government senior Andy Jones, an SG liberal arts representative, said he attended the rally to show legislators that SG is adamantly opposed to the bill. Jones said UT would be drastically different if guns were allowed.
“The fear would be palpable,” Jones said. “This is not about me; it’s not about John Woods. It’s about [students] not being afraid to go to class.”
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