Students at the University of Arkansas making a statement Tuesday night against conceal carry on campus.
"The entire culture with america and violence is something they need to confront," says Sidney Burris, a professor at the University of Arkansas.
It's a debate that happens largely in the halls of Congress, but a proposed bill is bringing the battle right here to the University of Arkansas.
"We should take a holistic approach that includes concealed carry to stop crazy people from hurting our citizens," says Joseph Youngblood, a student who wrote both campus legislation.
"Really, I think the heart of the situation is safety and so we can talk about different routes to have that safety," says Ezra Smith, with Arkansans Against Guns on Campus.
Two bills discussed Tuesday night at the Associated Student Government meeting, garnering a lot of attention and a full house.
"The first bill is just a resolution of support saying the students at the University of Arkansas want HB 1243 to pass," says Youngblood, who isn't just in support of the faculty concealed carry bill
but he wants to take it one step further.
He's drafted a second piece of campus legislation asking University Administration to change the policy on student conceal carry.
"The whole point of these bills is to make everything safer to make campuses safer," says Youngblood.
But Ezra Smith co-founded Arkansans Against Guns on Campus to combat the conceal carry legislation.
"More people who've just sat through a 12 hour class for the weekend don't have the right to chose between life and death," says Smith.
The ASG decision is just a symbolic vote, showing lawmakers and university officials where exactly the student body as a whole feel about guns on campus.
"The entire culture with america and violence is something they need to confront," says Sidney Burris, a professor at the University of Arkansas.
It's a debate that happens largely in the halls of Congress, but a proposed bill is bringing the battle right here to the University of Arkansas.
"We should take a holistic approach that includes concealed carry to stop crazy people from hurting our citizens," says Joseph Youngblood, a student who wrote both campus legislation.
"Really, I think the heart of the situation is safety and so we can talk about different routes to have that safety," says Ezra Smith, with Arkansans Against Guns on Campus.
Two bills discussed Tuesday night at the Associated Student Government meeting, garnering a lot of attention and a full house.
"The first bill is just a resolution of support saying the students at the University of Arkansas want HB 1243 to pass," says Youngblood, who isn't just in support of the faculty concealed carry bill
but he wants to take it one step further.
He's drafted a second piece of campus legislation asking University Administration to change the policy on student conceal carry.
"The whole point of these bills is to make everything safer to make campuses safer," says Youngblood.
But Ezra Smith co-founded Arkansans Against Guns on Campus to combat the conceal carry legislation.
"More people who've just sat through a 12 hour class for the weekend don't have the right to chose between life and death," says Smith.
The ASG decision is just a symbolic vote, showing lawmakers and university officials where exactly the student body as a whole feel about guns on campus.
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