Mental Health, Not Mass Shooters, Is the Bigger Problem at Universities

Some lawmakers now believe that allowing students to carry their own weapons is a feasible solution to preventing mass shootings on college campuses. Simply put, students do not want guns on their college campuses. Along with 13 student body presidents in Texas, representing a total of more than 300,000 students, I signed a letter asking state legislators to reject a bill that would allow guns in college cafeterias, dorms and classrooms.

According to the F.B.I., mass shootings account for less than 2 percent of gun-related deaths, while suicide accounts for roughly 61 percent of gun-related deaths. College students are more likely to use a gun on themselves than to protect themselves during a mass shooting.

After a year of serving as student body president, I have seen more public safety issues arise from improper mental health care than criminal violence. I’ve seen students committed to the psychiatric ward and balconies at dormitories locked because of suicide attempts; I've had a student come to my room in tears confessing that he wanted to kill himself.

Never once in my tenure did I experience a moment where guns would have contributed to student wellbeing.

In Texas, there is no assault weapons ban, no magazine capacity restriction and no mandated background check for private sales. These weak state laws would exacerbate the risk of tragedy on campus should guns be introduced.

As someone who grew up with firearms at home, I’ve seen that responsible gun ownership can create a sense of security. But it requires that a gun owner has extensive training, can ensure their weapons are secured at all times, and is capable of exercising sound judgement at a moment's notice. Unfortunately, this describes a campus police officer and not your average college student.

If allowing students to own guns is truly about empowerment, we should listen to students when they say they don’t want guns on campus. Misguided initiatives from lawmakers should not trump the concerns of students.

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