Texas, the land of the free and the home of the 72 ounce steak dinner. As the saying goes, everything is bigger there, from the personalities to the hats. 
Lawmakers in the Texas legislature are also considering a big issue at the moment — whether to allow those with concealed carry permits to bring handguns into buildings at public universities. The so-called “campus carry” bill has 19 co-sponsors and was given “preliminary approval” by the Texas Senate yesterday. But the relatively unpopular bill still needs a final vote before it heads to the House of Representatives.
I wish we had this kind of push for concealed carry over here. Louisiana bans the presence of firearms on college campuses, high schools and other educational institutions. In 2008, The Daily Reveille reported on a bill which would’ve allowed concealed carry on college campuses among other places.
Unfortunately, that bill failed, and the University is still vulnerable to mass shootings from deranged maniacs. This is exactly the type of shooting police cannot effectively handle. 
If somebody stood up from a computer in Middleton and started shooting, they’d kill five people before LSU Police Department knew what was happening, let alone be able to respond. If somebody there happened to have a pistol in their backpack, the tragedy might’ve ended before any blood was shed.
Yes, this is extremely unlikely, but dismissing the hypothetical ignores the point. I’ll make the comparison to life insurance. 
My mother has a policy in case she dies so my sister and I can pay for her funeral and mourn comfortably. She doesn’t have the policy because she thinks she’ll die anytime soon; it’s just in case a freak accident occurs.
In the same way, no sane person carries a gun because they think somebody will threaten their life tomorrow. They do it because there’s an oh-so-slim chance somebody might, and they’d rather be prepared than be at the mercy of a mad man.
Speaking of sane people, did you know concealed carriers in Louisiana have to submit to a background check, mental health screening from a doctor, receive training and be at least 21 years old? 
Most University students wouldn’t bother going through this. Only the truly dedicated, those who take guns seriously, would bother.
In addition, there’s evidence to suggest that more concealed carriers means less crime. In Texas, where the bill is being considered, concealed carriers made up less than a fifth of a percent of total convictions in 2011, according to numbers from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Texas Democrats and scaredy-cats alike are pitching a fit over the bill because they can’t stand the idea of responsible gun owners. Houston police are raising similar concerns, citing safety concerns for officers.
Forgive me if I don’t take cops seriously when they’re worried about people besides themselves having guns. Maybe it’s the bulletproof vests, high-speed cars or the legion of other armed men and women to back them up.
One of the arguments frequently advanced by advocates for the campus carry bill is that it would help prevent sexual assault by putting power into the hands of women.
Although I’m not against this line of reasoning, it glosses over some important facts. The majority of sexual assault, including unreported assaults, is committed by  people the victim already knows, not some large stranger who snatches them into a back alley. In these cases, it’s unlikely a gun could do much.
It comes down to this. Gun-free zones haven’t saved a single life and may contribute to the body counts of mass murderers. Why not give people a chance to prove they can help public safety while expanding personal liberty at the same time? 
James Richards is a 20-year-old mass communication sophomore from New Orleans. You can reach him on Twitter @JayEllRichy.