As a gun owner, I am happy that the Open-Carry law was passed.
However, I do believe that more steps should be taken to ensure that this right and privilege is not misused. I would prefer that the men and women participating in open carry be forced to also openly carry their CHL, a requirement to open carry in the first place, since that allows police officers to easily verify whether or not that person is legally carrying.
As for how this will affect campus life, I believe that there will be an initial shock and awe moment when people start seeing guns being carried around campus and the town, but after a while it will fade away. I see the shock and concern of campus carry being nothing more than a fad for these first couple of months because prior to this, how many people questioned or worried about the knives and pepper spray that are carried on campus by almost every student? Everyday hundreds of students walk around with knives, pepper spray, and other tools that have the potential to take lives, but we do not fret about this because it is a norm or a means of self-defense.
Lastly, I have the privilege to see this from a student and teacher’s point of view. I know there is always cause for concern when a weapon is openly displayed in a classroom environment, but I know from personal experience that every time I walk into a room there is someone with a knife in the purse or pocket and pepper spray on a key-chain.
At the end of the day, a weapon is an inanimate object that can do no more physical harm than a piece of paper, and it only becomes lethal when someone makes that decision. Therefore as long as people use common sense and are responsible, there is no reason why guns cannot become a part of the norm on Sam Houston’s campus.