On February 23, Georgia’s House of Representatives passed the Campus Security Act, HB 859. If this bill is also passed by the Georgia Senate then people ages 21 and older who are licensed gun holders are permitted to carry concealed weapons on college campuses throughout the state of Georgia. One of the two republican State Representatives, Mandi Ballinger, who sponsored this bill stated “We have heard entirely too many stories recently of Georgia’s students being robbed and held at gunpoint with no way of defending themselves because of the existing laws on our college campuses.” She also stated, “By creating gun-free zones, we are only making it easier for criminals to commit crimes and making our students more vulnerable to violent attacks. This legislation is common sense, and necessary for the protection and safety of our students.” Thus, she justifies allowing concealed weapons as a means for students to defend and/or protect themselves on college campuses. My question is, how do concealed weapons make college campuses safer? Who is actually protected by the possible passing of this law?
My answer is no one. First, Georgia is a racist state and its politicians base their decision-making on notions of race. For example, Georgia is one of 20 states that refused Medicaid expansion, which limits the number of people able to procure Medicaid. If you are poor and don’t have children then you are ineligible for Medicaid. African Americans compose 31.5% of Georgia’s population and 27.9% of African American Georgians live in poverty (Center for American Progress, 2016; U.S. Census Bureau, 2015). This suggests that many African Americans living in Georgia lack access to affordable healthcare. Georgia ranks as the 48th worst state for medical insurance coverage, meaning only two states in the whole country have less residents that are insured medically (Center for American Progress, 2016). Due to the racist nature of Georgia, I am concerned that African American students will become targets of gun shooting, which will then be permitted by law. We have all seen through national news, that young and weaponless black men are often victims of gun shootings, while their offenders are set free based on the notion of “self-defense”. Self-defense in and of itself is a blurred argument and could lead to unnecessary deaths on college campuses if this law is to pass. Thus, African American students, could be murdered under the pretense of “self-defense”. Again who is this law really protecting? Under this argument, the Campus Safety Act will protect white political elitists by granting a means to murder black students seeking higher education. Who is protected by the passing of such a law? Not students, regardless of race. I shiver when I think of the possibility that one of my own students might be accidentally and or intentionally murdered because concealed guns are allowed on college campuses. Let’s just imagine that a female student is being stalked by a male classmate due to unrequited interest. What if that male classmate decides to shoot her and say, “I was defending myself because I thought that she had a concealed gun and was going to shoot”? What if a student becomes angry because another student challenged him/her in class and decides to shoot? What if accidentally, one of the concealed weapons goes off during class and a bullet ricochets into the heart of another student? How are we protecting students by allowing concealed guns on campus? What type of message are we sending to our youth by promoting guns and/or violence as a means to “defend” themselves? I was always taught two wrongs don’t make a right and that violence breeds more violence. How about educators? Thankfully, I will no longer be an instructor in Georgia by the time this law goes through Georgia’s Senate. What if I was still an instructor? What about all those professors, teaching assistants, and adjunct professors that will teach after the law is passed? Professors are already stating that they will not fail students if this law is passed for fear of being shot. This law then negatively impacts the quality of education because professors will be too afraid to give students the grades they earn for fear of death. Who does this law benefit? Not educators, and certainly not students seeking a quality secondary education. I really believe the passing of this law through Georgia’s House of Representatives was caused by a desire to maintain the white status quo in Georgia. I work with at-risk African American youth in Athens, Ga. Many of them have told me that they have been pulled over by police just for walking the streets. One client recently said to me, “I’m sick of dealing with white people” then clarified she didn't view me as white, "You're not a white girl.", she said, so that I wouldn’t get offended by her statement. African American youth already face a variety of challenges in the state of GA that create barriers to higher education, such as high poverty rates and segregated public schools that are failing them. A law like this could deter young African Americans from enrolling in institutes of higher education since they already view themselves as targets of white aggression/oppression. Let me emphasize that African Americans in Georgia fear violent retaliation from whites. A former African American classmate of mine shared that she will not allow her son to wear a black hoodie because she believes that will mark him for police brutality. This classmate is getting her PhD and her son is by no means a hoodlum. If this law passes, I believe it will deter African Americans in Georgia from pursuing higher education out of fear for their own safety. Who is this law protecting? This law protects white politicians continuing to base legislative decision-making on old racist notions that have existed in Georgia since its onset as a state. This law is another means to maintain the white hegemony that exists in the state of Georgia. Social workers in Georgia, students, professors, and the community at large must act in order to prevent this law from being passed in the Senate. Is maintaining the white status quo really more important than life? I think not. I think we must fight this law to protect our children, especially our youth of color living in Georgia. We must not allow the implementation of a law that can deter students of color from attending college. We must not allow the implementation of a law that endangers the lives of students, professors, and common people walking on college campuses. Who does this law protect? No one. In closing, residents of Georgia must band together to ensure that Campus Safety is truly maintained rather than dismantled by the passing of a racist law. References: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/13000.html http://talkpoverty.org/state-year-report/georgia-2014-report/
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