ANNOUNCER: "INDEPENDENT LENS" CONTINUES WITH SOME PERSPECTIVES ON THE NEW CAMPUS CARRY LAW WHICH ALLOWS CONCEALED HANDGUNS ON ALL PUBLIC UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES IN TEXAS.
MAN, VOICE-OVER: MY NAME IS NICK ROLAND.
I'M A Ph.D. STUDENT HERE AT U.T., UM, SHOULD BE GRADUATING THIS YEAR, UH, WITH A DEGREE IN U. S. HISTORY, WENT TO VIRGINIA TECH FOR UNDERGRAD, AND I WAS ACTIVE-DUTY ARMY FOR 4 YEARS.
MY ROUTINE IS JUST LIKE ANYONE ELSE.
YOU KNOW, I GET UP, EAT BREAKFAST.
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THAT I PUT A HANDGUN IN MY BAG BEFORE I GET ON MY BIKE AND RIDE TO CAMPUS.
SO THIS IS IT.
UM, I KNOW THAT IT'S LOADED.
IT'S GOT THE LOADED-CHAMBER INDICATOR, SO THEN I'M JUST GONNA... PLACE IT HERE.
ROLAND, VOICE-OVER: ONCE I GET TO CAMPUS, I'M TYPICALLY GONNA GO SOMEWHERE WHERE I CAN DISCREETLY, UH, PUT MY WEAPON ON MY HIP, AND I'M JUST GONNA HOLSTER IT AND THEN PLACE IT RIGHT HERE ON MY HIP.
MAN, VOICE-OVER: CAMPUS CARRY WENT INTO EFFECT AUGUST THE FIRST OF 2016, WHICH MEANS THAT A PERSON WITH A HANDGUN LICENSE CAN NOW CARRY A HANDGUN CONCEALED INSIDE OF A BUILDING OF A COLLEGE CAMPUS.
[APPLAUSE] MY NAME IS MICHAEL CARGILL.
I'M THE OWNER OF CENTRAL TEXAS GUN WORKS, WHICH IS A GUN STORE HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
I CARRY A .45, A .38 SPECIAL, AND A 9-MILLIMETER, LOVE IT.
I LIKE WALKING TO THE GROCERY STORE.
I LIKE GOING TO THE MOVIE THEATERS.
I LIKE GOING TO ALL THOSE PLACES, AND NOW FINALLY, WE CAN CARRY THOSE SAME FACILITIES ON A COLLEGE CAMPUS.
WHOO HOO!
HA HA HA!
[APPLAUSE] [BELL TOLLS] HEY, HOW DO YOU ALL FEEL ABOUT GUNS ON CAMPUS?
COME SUPPORT STUDENTS AGAINST CAMPUS CARRY.
WOMAN, VOICE-OVER: MY NAME IS ANA LOPEZ.
I'M A SOPHOMORE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, AND I'M VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENTS AGAINST CAMPUS CARRY AT U.T.
INVITE YOUR FRIENDS TO STOP BY AND SIGN UP.
LOPEZ, VOICE-OVER: A COLLEGE CAMPUS IS SOMEWHERE WHERE YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO ARGUE WITH SOMEONE AND HAVE DIFFERING BELIEFS, AND IN THE PRESENCE OF GUNS, MY FREEDOM OF SPEECH, PERSONALLY, IS TOTALLY STIFLED.
THE FINAL VERSION IS DUE TUESDAY IN CLASS?
WOMAN, VOICE-OVER: I'M LISA MOORE, AND I'M A PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH AND WOMEN'S AND GENDER STUDIES HERE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IN AUSTIN.
THE CAMPUS CARRY LAW MAKES IT REALLY HARD FOR US TO DO OUR JOBS AS INSTRUCTORS.
STUDENTS ARE ALLOWED TO BRING GUNS TO MY CLASSROOM.
I REALLY CONSIDER THAT INTERCHANGE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING THAT HAPPENS IN A COLLEGE CLASSROOM TO BE SOMETHING OF A SACRED VOCATION.
IT HAS INTRODUCED A LEVEL OF TENSION, A LEVEL OF WARINESS INTO THE CLASSROOM SETTING THAT I JUST FIND KIND OF HEARTBREAKING, FRANKLY.
FIRE!
[GUNFIRE] CARGILL, VOICE-OVER: THIS IS ABOUT THEIR PERSONAL SAFETY.
THEY'RE CIVILIANS THAT ARE CARRYING A FIREARM FOR PERSONAL PROTECTION.
MORE THAN 30 PEOPLE WERE SHOT TO DEATH TODAY AT VIRGINIA TECH UNIVERSITY IN BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA.
IT WAS THE DEADLIEST MASS SHOOTING IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
ROLAND: I WAS A SENIOR, UM, THAT YEAR WHEN IT--THAT HAPPENED.
IT WAS HARD BECAUSE I REALLY LOVED VIRGINIA TECH AND, UM, I THINK IT'S A REALLY SPECIAL CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY, SO, YEAH, IT WAS SHOCKING, TRAUMATIC, FELT LIKE SOMEBODY HAD ATTACKED MY FAMILY.
HAD SOMEONE IN ONE OF THOSE CLASSROOMS BEEN ARMED, I THINK IT WOULD'VE MADE A DIFFERENCE, CERTAINLY.
PEOPLE DO DESERVE TO HAVE A FIGHTING CHANCE, AND THE CONCEALED CARRY GIVES THEM ANOTHER OPTION FOR SELF-DEFENSE IN THAT TYPE OF SITUATION.
LOPEZ, VOICE-OVER: I DEBATED WITH NICK, LIKE, A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, AND I GET IT, AND I--I CAN'T PUT MYSELF IN HIS SITUATION, BUT CAUSING EVERYBODY ELSE TO LIVE IN FEAR LIKE YOU IS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE.
PEOPLE OFTEN FORGET THAT MY UNIVERSITY WAS THE SITE FOR THE FIRST RECORDED MASS SHOOTING IN U.S. HISTORY, AND THAT'S USUALLY BRUSHED UNDER THE RUG.
HERE'S WHERE SOME OF THE BULLETS HIT.
MAN, VOICE-OVER: MY NAME IS RAMIRO MARTINEZ.
BACK IN 1966, I WAS WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
TOGETHER WITH OTHER OFFICERS, WE TOOK DOWN THE SNIPER.
RIGHT HERE IS WHERE HE DIED, AND, UH, AT THAT TIME, I STARTED WAVING THE SHOTGUN AND HOLLERING DOWN BELOW, "STOP SHOOTING," BUT THEY KEPT SHOOTING.
I HAVE BEEN ASKED ABOUT MY OPINION ABOUT CONCEALED HANDGUN CAMPUS CARRY, AND I'M AGAINST IT, SO WE DON'T NEED YOUNG PEOPLE-- PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST A LITTLE OVER 21, PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT IMMATURE-- TO BE CARRYING GUNS ON THE CAMPUS.
ROLAND: THE REALITY IS, THERE ARE VASTLY MORE GUNS IN THIS COUNTRY THAN THERE ARE PEOPLE.
WE'RE AWASH IN GUNS.
MY SOLUTION TO THAT IS NOT TO DISARM THE PEOPLE THAT AREN'T, YOU KNOW, COMMITTING ACTS OF VIOLENCE.
IT'S TO GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO DEFEND THEMSELVES.
IF, UH, FITTERSON HAS BEEN OUT HERE WITH A GUN AND I SAW HIM AND I DIDN'T KNOW HIM FROM ADAM, I MIGHT HAVE BLASTED HIM AWAY.
LET THE POLICE DO THE POLICING.
[BELL TOLLING HALF-HOUR]
