Students protest for concealed guns on campus

Empty holster demonstration protests state laws and school policies prohibiting concealed handgun permit-holders from carrying on college campuses

Photo: Oleg Volk, www.olegvolk.netThe organization “Students for Concealed Carry on Campus” (SCCC) is holding its third Empty Holster Protest this week on college campuses across the country. Says an e-mail sent by SCCC late last week:

Students for Concealed Carry on Campus will hold its third national collegiate Empty Holster Protest during the week of April 20-24, 2009. Thousands of college students throughout the United States, organized under the banner of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus (SCCC), will attend classes wearing empty holsters, in protest of state laws and school policies that stack the odds in favor of dangerous criminals and armed killers by disarming law abiding citizens licensed to carry concealed handguns virtually everywhere else.

The protest will focus on sharing the facts of concealed carry with students and faculty who may not be aware that concealed carry laws exist or that those laws differ on college campuses from most other locations.

Students for Concealed Carry on Campus is a national, non-partisan, grassroots organization comprised of over 38,000 college students, college faculty members, parents of college students, and concerned citizens who believe that holders of concealed handgun permits should enjoy the same rights on college campuses that current laws afford them virtually everywhere else. SCCC is dedicated to persuading state governments and school administrators to approve laws and campus policies that will grant all citizens with concealed handgun licenses the right to carry their concealed handguns on college campuses. SCCC is not affiliated with the NRA, a political party, or any other organization.

Nationally, SCCC board member and Midwest Regional Director David Burnett describes the group’s objectives as educating and informing the public, and promoting policy changes to impact both state laws and campus policies in states where concealed handguns are not uniformly banned from campuses. Burnett notes that last year, 15 states consider some form of legislation permitting concealed carry on campuses, with 12 following suit this year, noting that legislation is currently active in Missouri and Texas.

North Carolina State Director Daryl Johnson intends to “get concealed carry laws changed to allow concealed carry on campus by those legal to do so.” Johnson notes that open holster protests will take place at 18 campuses across the state.

The group has created a national Facebook page which lists approximately 4,600 supporters. To ensure a uniform and positive message, the organizers have listed demonstration rules on the page.

For North Carolina State University information, click here. On Friday, April 24, the group plans an informational display in the Brickyard from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Later, they plan a “range day” at Personal Defense & Handgun Safety Center at 6:00 PM Friday and a cookout on Saturday afternoon.

Seeing things like this make me realize how blessed I was to have attended college during the mid to late 1970s.

I got my very first ccw permit at the University of Alabama in 1978. All I had to do was go down and meet with the chief of police. He met me in the parking lot where I was waiting in my Army ROTC uniform with "heels locked."

He proceeded to walk 'round and 'round me until he grumped: "You'll do. The cost is $5 and don't kill nobody that don't need killin'" and that was THAT. IIRC it was a three year permit.

School rules at the time ONLY prohibited firearms in the dorms. Otherwise I carried. 'Course I was a Criminal Justice major so all the campus cops and quite a few city and county LEOs were in my classes too. Hence I got an update on local crime almost before the papers did.

I had immediate feedback on the time I had to actually draw in defense of myself and another. I was thankful I didn't need to fire and fully aware that I would have done so the instant I felt it was necessary. All the cops in my classes chimed in that I would have done the city a favor had I "smoked" the Goblin, but I'm still glad I didn't feel the need. But after all these years and all the shootings on campus I wonder where the common sense went that was present at the moment and place in history when I was a university student?

I wasn't the only person who carried on campus back then. A good sized chunk of the school of Criminal Justice and an even bigger chunk of the seniors in the Army & USAF ROTC programs had carry permits. Anybody pulling a "Virginia Tech" or a "Columbine" would have been shredded by students lawfully armed even before any call to the police could have been answered by actual units on the scene. They'd have been just in time to clean up. All of us seniors had already been extensively trained in the tactical use of a whole range of weapons. We were just waiting to get our commissions and go on active duty. I'm sure ROTC is the same way today and I'm equally certain that those individuals should be permitted and indeed encouraged, to carry on campus. ROTC Cadets know that in today's world they're more likely to go to combat from college than in almost any other period of history. They're ready, for sure.

I really don't like the fact that public-funded schools can set up small kingdoms with entirely different laws and rules than other citizens must follow.

It's not just concealed carry. Schools are treated differently from any other organization as far as crime reporting and law enforcement too. Many campuses simply don't report assault, rapes, etc. to outside authorities. They're encouraged to "take care of it internally".

I think it's completely wrong and the CCW issue is just one manifestation of it.

There are many, many rules to concealed carry. Here are two rules towards the top of the list:

1) KEEP YOUR BLEEPIN MOUTH SHUT. DO NOT SAY A WORD. TO ANYONE. EVER. JUST KEEP YOUR BLEEPIN MOUTH SHUT.

2) If you do not have a metal detector, I do not have a gun.

Are there metal detectors before walking in to English 101 at your school? No? Then keep your bleeping pie hole shut and get to class already.

People. Carry your weapon if you are capable and competent. You do NOT need some panzy wuss Dean with a social studies degree or some granola eating “history” teacher or ANYONE to ‘allow’ you to do this:

Stay Sober.

Be safe.

Keep your mouth shut.

Watch for metal detectors.

Carry.

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