Restoring Safety and Freedom to America’s Colleges

Anti-gun politicians claim that banning firearms on college campuses makes students safer.

But the truth is exactly the opposite.

So-called “gun-free zones” don’t stop criminals — they attract them.

Time and again, mass killers have targeted locations where they know victims are disarmed. From Virginia Tech to Umpqua Community College, attackers have chosen campuses precisely because they expect no armed resistance.

Campus Carry is about restoring the right of self-defense where it has been denied — and ensuring that students, faculty, and staff are no longer left defenseless.

What Is Campus Carry?

“Campus Carry” refers to laws that allow law-abiding individuals to carry a concealed handgun on college campuses, typically with a valid License to Carry (LTC).

In Texas, Campus Carry was established under Senate Bill 11, allowing licensed individuals to carry concealed handguns at public colleges and universities, subject to limited restrictions.

Important facts:

• Only licensed individuals may carry

• Firearms must be concealed (not openly carried)

• Universities may designate limited exclusion zones, but cannot broadly ban carry

Campus Carry does not mean “anyone can carry anything anywhere.”

It means responsible, law-abiding adults retain their right to self-defense — even on campus.

Why Campus Carry Is Necessary

1. Gun-Free Zones Invite Violence

Criminals do not follow the law.

But they do choose their targets carefully.

When campuses ban firearms, they create environments where attackers know they will face no immediate resistance.

Research and historical data consistently show that mass attackers overwhelmingly target areas where civilians are disarmed.

Campus Carry changes that equation.

It introduces uncertainty for attackers — and that alone can act as a powerful deterrent.

2. Police Cannot Be Everywhere

In active shooter situations, minutes matter.

But police response times are often measured in minutes — not seconds.

The U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that law enforcement has no legal duty to protect individuals (Castle Rock v. Gonzales).

That means your safety ultimately depends on you.

Campus Carry ensures that responsible individuals are not forced to wait helplessly for help to arrive.

3. The Right to Self-Defense Doesn’t End at the Campus Gate

The Second Amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms.

That right does not disappear simply because someone steps onto a college campus.

Students, faculty, and staff face the same threats as anyone else — sometimes even more.

Campus Carry recognizes a simple truth:

A fundamental right does not depend on your location.

4. Law-Abiding Gun Owners Are Not the Problem

Opponents of Campus Carry often suggest that allowing firearms on campus will increase crime or accidents.

But the evidence shows the opposite.

Licensed gun owners are among the most law-abiding citizens in the country — often convicted at rates lower than the general population and even lower than police in some studies.

And in states that allow Campus Carry, there has been no significant increase in campus violence.

The reality is simple:

Criminals commit crimes.
Law-abiding citizens follow the law.

Campus Carry empowers the latter — without benefiting the former.

Debunking the Myths

MYTH: “Campus carry will lead to more shootings and accidents.”
FACT: States like Utah (since 2004), Colorado (since 2012), and Texas (since 2016) have allowed campus carry with no increase in firearm incidents.

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MYTH: “Students are too irresponsible to carry guns.”
FACT: Concealed carry permit holders are more law-abiding than police officers. In Texas, license holders are convicted at one-sixth the rate of police.

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MYTH: “Gun-free zones make campuses safer.”
FACT: 94% of mass public shootings since 1950 happened in gun-free zones — because killers prefer unarmed victims.

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MYTH: “Background checks and permits don’t weed out dangerous people.”
FACT: Every campus carry holder passes rigorous background checks, fingerprinting, and in many states, training. Criminals don’t follow the law — but law-abiding students do.

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MYTH: “Campus carry isn’t needed because police will protect us.”
FACT: The Supreme Court has ruled repeatedly that police have no legal duty to protect you (Castle Rock v. Gonzales, 2005). In active shooter situations, police usually arrive after the carnage has already begun.

The Bigger Picture

Across the country, anti-gun activists are working to expand gun-free zones and restrict lawful carry.

As of today:

• Many states still ban campus carry entirely

• Others allow universities to impose broad restrictions

• Only a minority fully respect the right to carry on campus

This patchwork approach leaves millions of students and faculty vulnerable.

Campus Carry is about restoring consistency with the Constitution — and ensuring that the right to self-defense is not treated as a privilege.

The Bottom Line

Campus Carry is not about forcing anyone to carry a firearm.

It’s about ensuring that those who choose to exercise their constitutional rights are not disarmed by government policy.

It:

• Empowers responsible individuals

• Deters violent crime

• Upholds the Second Amendment

• Restores freedom where it has been denied

Gun-free zones don’t protect students.

They leave them defenseless.

Campus Carry restores the balance — and puts safety back where it belongs: in the hands of responsible Americans.