The debate over whether guns should be allowed on college campuses took center stage Tuesday night as gun rights advocates and political candidates gathered at The Swamp Restaurant for a panel discussion.
About 35 students and community members attended the discussion hosted by UF College Republicans. Panelists Logan Edge, the executive director of Florida Gun Rights, and Marshall Rawson, a candidate for Florida House District 10, sat at a table with an American flag and a UF College Republicans flag displayed nearby.
Florida law generally prohibits firearms on college campuses, with limited exceptions, but advocates at the event argued the restrictions infringe on Second Amendment rights. The issue drew renewed attention to campus gun policies.
The meeting began with an opening prayer from Rawson, followed by a remembrance of Gen. Robert E. Lee, a slave owner and commander of the Confederate States Army.
Rawson discussed the significance of the Second and First amendments, highlighting the encroachment on Second Amendment rights by banned bump stocks, red-flag laws and restricted open carry.
“Our founders, when they wrote the Second Amendment … the Second Amendment specifically stated the right to bear arms shall not be infringed,” Rawson said. “We've stepped backwards tremendously when it comes to these constitutional rights.”
An attendee asked the panelists about the risk of campus shootings. Rawson said that since Georgia passed open-carry laws, there has not been an increase in shootings at public colleges in the state.
“The issue is these folks who are these active shooters are using stolen weapons,” he said. “It wouldn’t matter if there was a policy to criminalize campus carry.”
Panelists reminded the audience that even Republican leadership in Florida could be unreliable in passing less restrictive gun legislation. They urged young attendees to elect conservative candidates they said would consistently defend gun rights and resist political pressure.
“In a majority-Republican state, the enemy isn’t necessarily the ‘crazy libs’ — it’s the people we vote for who violate our rights,” Edge said. “Many of these officials will say nice things about the Second Amendment, but actions speak louder than words.”
Speakers endorsed several prominent gun-related proposals that are currently being considered by the state legislature, such as measures to repeal red-flag laws, lower the minimum age to purchase a firearm and expand campus carry. They said the legislation could affect firearm policies at college campuses.
Francisco Sarria, a 21-year-old UF statistics junior who attended the event, shared his views about the importance of property and gun rights, emphasizing the need to protect those freedoms. Sarria supports open carry on campus.
“I think you shouldn’t take away the rights of law-abiding citizens because of criminals,” Sarria said. “You need a way to defend yourself; it’s not equal footing. Criminals will find guns either way.”
Julian Winer, a 20-year-old UF political science and economics junior, said high-profile school shootings at Florida State University and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School were major obstacles to expanding gun rights.
“I just think there’s too many sour memories in the public conscience to effectively employ any legislation,” he said.
UF College Democrats, which was not present at the panel discussion, pushed back against the idea of guns on campus.
“We believe that college campuses should be hubs for learning and building community, not places where students and faculty feel as though they need to be on guard,” said Mia Ramirez, the public relations coordinator for UF College Democrats.
The organization said its primary concern is that open-carry laws on campus could create confusion for law enforcement and students in the event of an emergency.
UF College Democrats supports increased preventive measures, such as permit and background checks, mental health resources and strengthened safe storage measures, Ramirez said.
“These policies would help ease the anxieties that students have, and they will create a safer space where people feel like they can have open communication,” she said. “Lawmakers should prioritize the safety of people on campus and work towards ensuring that the safety remains.”
Mia Giannicchi is a contributing writer for The Independent Florida Alligator.
