Texas legislators are currently reviewing a series of firearm-related bills that, if passed, would mark a historic and controversial shift in U.S. gun policy. Among them are House Bill 2470 and House Bill 4201, which together would make Texas the first state in the nation to legally allow teenagers to carry handguns on school campuses.
….
“Instead of taking action against gun violence by strengthening our weak laws, our lawmakers are convinced that more guns in our communities is the answer,” said Molly Bursey, a volunteer with the Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Putting more guns into dangerous hands, and in more sensitive places, will only lead to more violence, more fear, and more loss,” as reported by Moms Demand Action.
HB 2470 proposes lowering the minimum age to possess and obtain a license to carry a handgun from 21 to 18, while HB 4201 would permit license holders to carry concealed firearms in locations currently designated as sensitive, such as schools, hospitals, airports, bars, and government buildings.
These proposals have drawn sharp criticism from gun safety advocates and student-led organizations who argue that such measures would worsen the state’s already significant gun violence problem. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, more than 4,300 people die by guns in Texas each year, and gun-related injuries total nearly 8,000 annually.
Hayden Presley, a student leader with the University of Texas at Austin’s Students Demand Action chapter, also spoke out. “It’s absolutely crazy that our lawmakers would think that putting more guns into the hands of young people—people younger than me—would make us safer. We know it won’t, and we demand better ‘solutions’ than that.”
In 2024 alone, Texas saw at least 17 incidents of gunfire on school grounds, highlighting concerns about the potential consequences of introducing more firearms into educational settings.
In addition to HB 2470 and HB 4201, lawmakers are considering several other bills that critics say would further loosen gun restrictions across the state. These include:
HB 259, which would remove the prohibition on short-barreled rifles and shotguns;
HB 1128, which would allow election judges and early voting clerks to carry concealed handguns at polling places;
HB 1794, which would allow any licensed individual to carry concealed firearms at polling locations;
HB 2771, which would narrow the list of felonies that disqualify individuals from firearm ownership;
HB 3053, which would prohibit localities from organizing gun buyback programs;
HB 3428, which would limit which restaurants and bars can prohibit firearms;
HB 3924, which would allow school marshals to openly carry handguns on campuses
Just what Texas needs: high school students carrying handguns to school. What possibly could go wrong, right?
I know several Texans. Decent, thoughtful, caring people who, I know, without asking them, oppose allowing high school students to carry handguns to school. Why don’t I need to ask them? Unlike their Republican legislators, these Texans know that mixing handguns with immature brains is a recipe for disaster. They know more guns don’t make them safer and only lead to more violence, injury, and death.
For the life of me, I don’t understand how anyone could think that allowing teens with underdeveloped brains to carry firearms while attending classes is a good idea.
What do you think, readers? Should we arm high school students?
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.
I sure had no business carrying a gun as a teenager. I had a rifle, shotgun and pistol but I had no training or guidance. It’s almost a coincidence I avoided harming myself or others. I was a 2nd amendment fan but now it’s being distorted to the point that virtually any enforcement is under attack by NRA types. Just one more reason my European relatives shake their heads in puzzlement at America and Americans.
I was 12 when I went hunting by myself (or with schoolmates). My only training was hunting with my dad. Oh the things we did with our guns. 🤣
I made our older children take a hunter safety class. Excellent training that every child should take, even if they don’t hunt.
I’m lucky to be here. I remember hunting with my church’s assistant pastor’s son. He was a real Jeremiah Johnson. One day we were hunting rabbits. I had a Mossberg .410. He was using his grandfather’s double barrel 12 gauge. He was behind me by about ten feet — a dangerous no no. He had the hammer cocked when he suddenly stumbled and fell, causing the gun to fire. The buckshot whizzed by my head, just missing me. Stupid boys. 🤣😢
Two Bryan guys my age were hunting and while climbing a fence, Gary’s gun discharged killing Joel. They had been the closest friends. It was ruled accidental. Gary lived on but was never the same. He became a quiet somber boy. more like a sad angry old man. That and a couple accidental discharges of my own sobered me up and I quit thinking guns were toys. My buddies, including your late neighbor, were gun guys, NRA types, who voted Republican solely because of Republican positions on unrestricted gun rights.
This is just mind numbingly dumb. How does anyone expect more guns, especially on students, will help?
Right now, if a student arrive with a gun, then authorities can assume ill intent and take action to detain the student and confiscate the weapon. Its a simple equation, if a student has a gun, police and school can take action. But once anyone can carry, that safety net is gone – not that its much, but it helps.
And here is the scenario I never hear mentioned by gun lovers. I suspect, that if you a a police officer going into a school or other location where there is an active shooter, there are 2 types of people you will identify. If the officer sees another person with a gun and that peson is police officer, then thats a good guy. BUT, if the police officer encounters anyone armed that is not a police office, that is a bad guy. And it active shooter situations I suspect police are trained to not take too much time assessing intent. To them nonpolice person with gun equals bad.
Now, how do police manage a situation in a school full of terrified armed kids, while looking for a kid who is shooting others? And how do you keep an innocent terrified kid holding their gun from shooting another innocent terrified kid holding their gun.
Texas.. seriously.. I just can’t.. wtf…
No Sage, it doesn’t make sense but it isn’t supposed to. It’s the politics of confusion, don’t you see? More guns make us safer from shootings just like cutting taxes brings in more revenue.
Who are you going to believe? Fox News and Dondal Trump or your lying eyes and ears?
I will never understand how, in states (and other jurisdictions) with the highest rates of gun violence, politicians seem to think that the answer is to make guns easier to get.
Some schools have metal detectors to screen for students who may be trying to bring guns or other weapons to school. Are we now proposing that students SHOULD bring weapons to school now? How will SROs or police called to an active shooter scene know whether the teen they’re shooting at is a perpetrator or a teen trying to protect themselves and others? There are about a dozen other reasons why this is a BAD IDEA.
I betcha those teachers woulda not used that red pencil so freely if I coulda had my Glock on my belt. Just sayin.