Outside the Morgan University Center, Staley Gasser and Rysen Hazlewood hold signs reading “Campus Carry” and “Don’t Trust the Government.” Around campus, they’ve become known sometimes casually, sometimes critically, as “the gun boys.”
Gasser and Hazlewood are members of Young Americans for Liberty, a student rights organization that Gasser describes as dedicated to educating students about their rights and protecting those rights on campus.
“Right here today, we’re advocating across Tennessee for campus carry because we think it is in the best interest of the students,” Gasser said. “Every American citizen should have the right to self-defense on college campuses.”
For Gasser and Hazlewood, the issue boils down to safety. They argue that college campuses are “easy targets” because students, staff and faculty are unarmed, and that allowing lawful citizens to carry concealed weapons would act as a deterrent.
Other students, like undergraduate Duncan Gavitt, echoed those concerns, citing a personal experience where they felt unprotected.
“Personally, I don’t think the police do enough around campus,” Gavitt said. “In my first two days here, I was almost mugged twice. I feel extremely unsafe, not necessarily on campus, but around campus.”
He added that relying on the police alone is insufficient since officers are often busy and may take too long to respond.
Gavitt believes that campus carry is key to making campuses in Tennessee safer, but not everyone agrees that firearms are the answer. Undergraduate Coco Thomas believes that more guns on campus would only create more risks.
“I don’t think students should be able to carry it,” said Thomas. “If we all carry a gun, who knows what can happen? I feel like that’s too dangerous, especially with students.” She added that arming students could actually increase the likelihood of school shootings.
Graduate student and music educator Israel Jimenez took those concerns even further, saying guns don’t belong on campuses at all.
“I am strongly against it because we already have enough school shooting incidents in the U.S. as it already is,” said Jimenez. “Why should anyone need a weapon unless they are law enforcement? If your argument is protection from school shooters, why not push for stricter gun regulations?”
Still, some students aren’t firmly for or against the idea. Undergraduate Eriyana McGhee falls somewhere in between. She said she might support limited forms of campus carry, but with tighter regulations.
“People are very immature,” McGhee said. “When they argue, the first thing they reach for is weapons. I think only teachers or people in authority should have one. Then I wouldn’t be too opposed, but every day students? That would scare me.”
Young Americans for Liberty continues to advocate for campus carry across Tennessee, with outreach extending to campuses in North Carolina and Kentucky. States like Utah and Texas already allow campus carry with policies implemented years ago.
Whether Tennessee will follow remains an open question. For now, Gasser and Hazlewood remain outside the Morgan University Center, holding their “Campus Carry” signs and making their case to anyone willing to stop and listen.
