Oct. 2, 2013

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Oct. 2, 2013 | Midwestern State University | thewichitan.com | Your Campus. Your News. TO GET A LICENSE: must be at least 21 years old | must have a clean criminal record, including military background, nor be under a protective order | must not be chemically dependent | not be of unsound mind | must not be delinquent in paying fines or fees | must be eligible to purchase a handgun by completing the National Instant Criminal Background Check System | must complete the required training on handling and shooting.

Guns still not allowed on campus Texas legislation fails for third consecutive time AUSTIN QUINTERO REPORTER

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n the parking lot behind Prothro-Yeager, an old grey Ford F-150 almost seems to speak its mind by displaying a small National Rifle Association sticker on the back windshield and a gun rack inside the cab. The NRA and other Americans have always taken pride in their gun laws, which makes the United States one of the only countries allowing its citizens to carry guns. In the legislative session ending this past May, Texas legislators failed to pass a bill that will allow students to carry concealed handguns in their vehicles on college campuses after Jan. 1, 2014 — although it was the third time they had tried. This spring, it received approval of the House, by 61 votes, but failed to receive Senate approval prior to the end of the session. “As a retired Houston Police officer, I know that officers cannot be everywhere at all times. Campus police cannot be in every classroom or academic building. That is why I strongly support the right of properly licensed citizens to

carry on college campuses,” Allen Fletcher (R-Tomball) said in a Feb. 5 press release. “The fact is that these are adults who are trained and licensed to carry a concealed weapon for protection. As we have learned in the past, ‘gun-free zones’ have not been absent of crime and have only been successful in disarming law-abiding citizens. We must afford citizens the right to protect themselves.” Further, in a letter to Gov. Rick Perry, Texas Land Commissioner and author of Texas’ “Right to Carry” law Jerry Patterson (R) said, “The bill isn’t talking about classrooms full of angry kids, but about a fundamental, God-given right that shouldn’t be taken away based on someone’s location.” Orig-

inally, the bill stated that students would be able to carry concealed handguns into campus buildings and classrooms. However, the bill was modified nine times, and the amended bill will allow students who have a concealed handgun license to carry their handguns only in their locked vehicles on campus grounds. “I have two major concerns,” Dan Williams, campus police chief, said. “One, is that if there is an active shooter on campus and multiple concealed handgun holders pull their weapons and shoot, then the police would have no clue who’s the bad guy. Second, I can envision a student living in the dorms who has a concealed handle license who has maybe been drinking a little. When someone asks to see the handgun, all of a sudden you have an accidental shooting where someone may or may not get hurt.” In a press release, Madison Welch, Texas Students for Concealed Carry legislative director, said, “This is the fifth special session, eighth session overall, since Gov. Rick Perry first voiced support for concealed carry on Texas college campuses. He has had the opportunity to add Campus Carry to any of the four previous special sessions, where it very likely would have passed, and has had supporters avidly calling out for him to do so. The only thing keeping it from passing in a special session is that Rick Perry hasn’t added it to one.” Even though the bill is intended to offer students a way to protect themselves in a situation like the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, some students feel like it could do just the opposite. “I don’t agree with it at all,” Janet Vargas, junior in business, said. “Instead of preventing violence it will do just the opposite. Even

Photo by Alexander Phillips

Devil’s Fingers

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English professor pens 21st book of personal essays about his travels

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Bookstore Backup

pg. 5

Manager says students will find new advantages under Follett

Federal government shut down Oct. 1 KEANDRA DAVIS REPORTER

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he government officially shut down Oct.1 after House Republicans and Senate Democrats could not reach an agreement on funding for the Affordable Care Act and other government funds, sending 800,000 workers home until lawmakers can come to a decision. “The House of Representatives are solely to blame,” Joseph Gomba, graduate assistant in the political science department, said. Last weekend, the House of Representatives passed a bill to delay the Affordable Care Act for one year, rescinding a tax on medical devices. The bill failed in the Senate. “The Republicans [in the House of Representatives] knew when they added the amendment to defund the Affordable Care Act, the democrats would say no, and as a result they [Republicans] purposely orchestrated a government shut down,” Gomba said. Because legislators could not agree, approximately 800,000 “non-essential” federal workers are on unpaid leave until the House and Senate can come to an agreement. These jobs include NASA, the CIA, and several others. “When a private company can’t deliver snacks or soda to places like Sheppard Air Force Base then it affects everyone,” Gomba said. “Those benefits go to the city of Wichita Falls which helps build schools and roads.” It is approximated that for each day the government remains shut down, the U.S. economy will lose $100 million. Congress expects the shutdown to cost the US economy $10 billion if it lasts for one week. “It is contradictory for Republicans to talk about fiscal responsibility, but then try to crash the American economy when it’s been growing steady,” Gomba said. “We don’t send members of Congress to D.C. to shut down the government, we send them to represent our interest.” Adam Lei, associate professor of finance, said the economy will continue to

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Rising Up

pg. 8

Football players eager to show improvement in first home game on Family Night


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