Gun control is one of the most controversial and polarizing societal issues facing the American public. Baylor University may soon become a miniature forum for that debate to take place.

Baylor’s Student Senate recently approved a bill that would allow for concealed carry handguns on campus.

Safety measures, such as campus police departments, are taken on every campus to respond to criminal activity. We should trust these measures to work effectively.

In most situations, the presence of more guns, even when aimed at someone who is a threat, typically only causes further confusion and more panic.

For example, say police are responding to an on-campus gun threat. They arrive at the scene and instead of seeing only one person with a gun and being able to immediately identify the threat, they see two armed individuals. They can’t determine the threat from the civilian.

As the law stands in Iowa, currently only professionals may carry a firearm on the grounds of the three public universities.

Even visitors with a license are not permitted to carry these weapons on campus, per Iowa’s concealed carry laws.

Should a similar bill ever be proposed at Iowa State, state law should be upheld and concealed carry should remain prohibited.