A Professor Came to a Lecture in a Helmet and Body Armor Because Students Are Allowed to Carry Guns (4 photos)

A Texas college professor has launched a unique protest against a new law that allows individuals to carry handguns on campus.







San Antonio College professor Charles K. Smith teaches geography. He wore a camouflage bulletproof vest and helmet to class because, he says, he feels unsafe. "It certainly makes me uncomfortable because there will be more firearms on campus than there should be," Smith says. "My costume is just an attempt to express my feelings."





On August 1, 2017, the Texas Campus Carry law, which allows licensed students to carry firearms on campus, went into effect at local colleges.

A photo of Smith, dressed head-to-toe in combat gear, was posted on Facebook. Opinions were divided on the professor's actions. "I understand that students have carried guns on campus illegally before, but now it's legal, and that increases the chances of something happening," Smith said. "Before, when they were mad at me, they'd have to go home and get a gun, and they'd have time to cool off." Now they'll have weapons with them."



According to the professor, his biggest concern is that in potential conflicts, one of the participants might end up with a weapon. "In my opinion, the more people carry weapons, the more problems there will be," he said. "Nothing on this planet is worth more than human life."