Professor afraid of new Texas campus carry law shows up for class in full battle rattle

An instructor at Texas’ San Antonio College responded to the school’s decision to allow lawful concealed carry on campus by showing up to work in a Kevlar helmet and an Interceptor IOTV armored vest.

Standing in front of his students in an IOTV and early GWOT-era “K-Pot,” Geography teacher Charles K. Smith drew quite a bit of attention.

“I was just saying I don’t feel safe, Smith said on Tuesday. “It definitely makes me feel uneasy that there are more firearms on campus than there really should be,” Smith said. “(Dressing this way) was just a statement on how I felt.”

A teacher at the campus for ten years, Smith has encountered the occasional heated student- something that worries him when firearms are added to the mix, no matter if the person carrying is qualified to do so or not.

“I realize students were carrying guns on campus illegally, but now it’s legal to do so. It increases the chances of something happening,” Smith said. “Used to, when they got mad at me, they had to go home to get the gun and had time to cool off, now they will have it with them.”

For Smith, the move to legalize campus carry goes against his pacifist outlook on life.

“My assumption is that you will have more people carrying guns, that well lead to problems. It always has,” Smith said. “There is nothing on this planet worth a human life.”

The photo, which was taken by James “Hot Mustard” Velten, has created a flurry of controversy since it hit the internet.

“I’m not one bit surprised on the horrible things people have said. You have guns. The Second Amendment. It has to do with a community college. There’s so many messages that haven’t made it on the thread,” Velten said.

According to LMT Online, Campus Carry was signed into state law in 2015 and was officially implemented into Texas community colleges on August 1 of this year. The law only extends to qualified and licensed individuals who wish to carry a concealed handgun while on college premises. Prior to community colleges, 4-year institutions were cleared to carry in 2016.

Smith said he informedcampus police and the school administration before showing up to work in full battle rattle.

“Some of them were okay and some of them weren’t, but it’s freedom of speech,” Smith said.

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