Carrying Handguns onto a College Campus?

On March 30, the House of Public Safety Committee heard and considered a bill that would allow concealed hand gun licensees to carry guns onto campus. Currently, the law is such that a gun may be brought and left in a vehicle, but cannot be carried on a person.
It has been reiterated that the bill is only pertaining to LICENSED carriers (a.k.a. LEGAL gun owners with a CHL,) and that the number of CHL carriers on a college campus is very small because to even take the first class, one must be 21 years old. These people are highly trained individuals with wonderful statistics nationwide regarding their levels of violence, accidents, etc., and are allowed to carry their concealed weapons in most buildings including but not limited to churches, state capitols, and movie theaters.
The argument against the bill is that allowing weapons on campus of any kind will only foster violence, accidents, and theft. Surprisingly (and at the same time, not surprisingly), universities and campuses are the main ones standing in opposition to this bill.
However, the argument for the bill is that by allowing legal and licensed, concealed hand guns on campus, the students will be further protected. Those for the bill promote the example of the Virginia Tech shooting: How many students would have been saved if a CHL carrier shot down the shooter faster than the shooter could shoot down innocent, unarmed citizens? Also, the North Texas Conservative blogger presents all sorts of information in this blog regarding statistics.
We can also look at this mandatory gun owndership law in Kennesaw, GA, and the statistics regarding crime rates. To sum it up, every household was required to own a gun. Crime rates? They plummeted. 3 murders since the passing of the law 16 years ago, 2 with knives and only one with a firearm.
Basically, I think allowing legal, licensed, concealed hand guns to be carried onto campus would serve only to protect in the same manner that police officers carry weapons. Only to protect, and only to be used in extreme circumstances. CHL holders are, again, highly trained individuals. Who's a raving lunatic going to attack? A campus that allows concealed, licensed weapons or one that doesn't? You decide.

Salvia Posession May Soon Equal FELONY Jail Time

State Rep. Charles "Doc" Anderson seems to be quite intimidated by the currently legal substance called salvia divinorum.

Salvia divinorum (Salvia), if you haven't heard about it, is a mild hallucinogen with immediate effects lasting about a few minutes. Salvia may be followed by a headache, but typically is associated with improved mood, calmness, and a renewed sense of being "in tune" with nature -- You know, "That Hippie Stuff." But that's enough about the Salvia "hangover." Let's talk about Salvia's immediate effects, which can range anywhere from (you guessed it!) salivating, to the sensation of being in several places at once, to intense, uncontrollable laughter.

Doesn't that sound just god awful? Laughing. Sounds like a dangerous substance to me. I mean, being tickled is extremely unpleasant, but it makes me laugh. Salvia must be the same thing. These poor Salvia addicts must be set free!

Oh, wait. I forgot to mention, Salvia is not believed to be an addictive substance. And it is suggested to use salvia, not at a party, but as a personal journey in a controlled setting with a sober "sitter". Hmm.

I wonder if Rep. Anderson has done all of his research before pushing this bill to make posession of less than a gram of salvia a felony offense. Curious, don't you think, seeing as possession of marijuana begins as a misdemeanor?

The author of the Capitol Annex blog points out that most of Anderson's supporters are members of the same evangelical church, that the media has taken this story and run, and that Anderson's bill seems incredibly harsh considering Congress declined to regulate salvia and it is currently available over the counter in Texas. The author also lists the history of the marijuana fight and the uncanny resemblance between the beginning of that with the beginning of this salvia fight.

So, friends, you may want to start saying your goodbyes to this centuries old and legal, but highly dangerous hallucinogenic substance, because it may not be available much longer. OR, Anderson may find himself the recipient of many protesting letters. Mine will be one. Will yours?

Write to:
Charles "Doc" Anderson, State Representative
PO Box 7752
Waco, Texas 76714

Phone: (254) 772-7363
http://www.docandersonfortexas.com/