Students Resist Colleges, Strap on Empty Holsters
College students across America will once again strap on empty holsters in an act of silent protest against laws and policies banning licensed concealed carry on campus.
The protest, sponsored by Students for Concealed Carry on Campus (SCCC), will take place April 5-9, 2010 and comes on the heels of college administrators discriminating against concealed carry permit holders, and censoring students who disagree.
According to the group, colleges have repeatedly ignored or attempted to keep students from discussing the issue. In Pennsylvania, one college banned SCCC member Christine Brashier from handing out fliers about the group, stating, "You may want to discuss this topic but the college does not, and you cannot make us." Another college in Texas tried to block students from wearing the symbolic empty holsters on campus until a federal judge ruled that their ban violated the First Amendment. And a recent decision at Colorado State University overturned a long-standing policy that allowed concealed carry, despite the fact that crime on campus decreased rapidly since allowing concealed carry on campus, and no problems were reported among permit holders. The ban was opposed by students, Student Government, and local law enforcement.
"Colleges aren't content to ban the right to self-defense anymore," said David Burnett, a spokesman for SCCC. "Now they're trying to suspend the right to freedom of speech. They want to silence us and hope we'll go away. It's outrageous and our membership cares too much about self defense to remain silent."
The group was formed shortly after the Virginia Tech shooting, and advocates that persons with state-issued permits be allowed to carry concealed handguns on college grounds.
"Compulsory defenselessness doesn't make students safer, it makes them less safe," said Burnett. "A piece of paper taped to the door saying guns are against the rules has yet to stop a criminal, whether a mass shooter or an armed rapist. It merely assures the criminal that victims are incapable of effective resistance. There are no security checkpoints or metal detectors to pass through in order to enter a college campus and absolutely no way for colleges to control what a criminal brings on campus. Until they can take responsibility for our safety and guarantee our protection, colleges can't be allowed to deny us the right to self-defense."
Contact:
David Burnett
Director of Public Relations
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You may regard gun possession as a right in America, but it ain't in Canada and that's the way I like it. Guns have absolutely no place in schools , colleges and other institutions of learning (except maybe, military academies). I won't be attending an American university anytime soon, I don't want to get shot!
I challenge you to explain this sentence to me.
"Guns have absolutely no place in schools "
Anywhere where a bad guy can come to me and harm me, my friends or my family is a place where I deserve to have a means of protection.
"I won't be attending an American university anytime soon, I don't want to get shot!"
So far, it seems your slightly safer in a school 's that allow concealed carry , than one that doesn't. Why not go look at their website and read their arguments before you wet yourself in fear next time. You might be quite impressed with how the SCCC operates.
And at all the campuses that allow concealed carrying (I believe its up to a total of 120 semesters) there have been no shootings or accidental discharges.
I was asked by SolarSanitizer to answer you so I will. My position is the same. Guns do not belong in schools for the simple reason it would lead to extreme violence , and our kids wouldn't be safe , and no, I wouldn't attend an American university because I am afraid of getting shot. In fact, by the sounds of things down there, I'll stay safe at home here in Canada. We don't have your crime rate up here, thank God.
As for the Newfoundland bank crash in the 30's, that was caused by you Americans with your banks having a stranglehold on the economy , not to mention that the British (another greedy capitalist nation) drained our blood for 450 years.
"Guns do not belong in schools for the simple reason it would lead to extreme violence , and our kids wouldn't be safe ,..."
What planet do you live on? Statistics prove the opposite. In fact, Nivarion embedded some in his post that you obviously did not read.
Sorry, I vote "Fail!" for your inability to properly argue the issue with facts instead of preconceived notions and emotions.
Cliche, but true: When seconds count, the police are only minutes away.
hoplophobia (n.) an irrational fear of weapons.
"Gun Control: The theory that a woman found dead in an alley, raped and strangled with her own pantyhose, is somehow morally superior to a woman explaining to police how her attacker got that fatal bullet wound."
I won't waste my time arguing with you either, I got better things to do, but let me say that you American conservatives are wrong , wrong, wrong. I can't say it any clearer than I have. Guns don't belong in school . Guns lead to more guns leads to more people getting shot. You guys are wacko when it comes to your second amendment . If you spent as much time defending civil rights as you do the second amendment, we wouldn't have the social and race problems in America you have today. We don't have a second amendment in Canada, and we're better off. I know. I've been to your country and there's no money in the Fed that would make me go back there! Don't get me wrong, America is a nice place, just as long as you don't get your head blown off.
"let me say that you American conservatives are wrong , wrong, wrong. I can't say it any clearer than I have."
Yes, we hear you say it. Loud and clear.
Problem is, your statements have no basis in reality...ya know, FACTUAL support .
"Guns lead to more guns leads to more people getting shot. "
Absolutely NOT TRUE! While it may seem "obvious" to a shallow thinker, that is not the case. For some REAL research on the topic, read John Lott's "More Guns, Less Crime".
So, we give you sources and citations...you give us emotions.
and No, guns do not have a place in school . Schools are places of learning, debate and creativity. I can't see how guns can contribute to any of these things. Everytime I ever heard of guns in schools , it was usually on the news after somebody got shot.
Your argument did not pass any test of being an argument.
You stated your position, and then stated what a school is. Then you said, for all intents and purposes “In conclusion, guns don't belong in schools .”
So allow me to show you the proper way to argue, so that you can respond to my challenge in proper form.
I believe that guns do have a place on college campus. (My position.) A gun when of proper make, worn by a user who is safely practicing his rights is not only not detrimental to a school's environment , but possibly beneficial. (Alright, look at what I've done here. I've stated my POV and then summarized my argument.)
Criminals do not wish to be shot by a victim. If being shot by a victim does not kill them, they will either be crippled, or injured and imprisoned. None are desirable to the criminal so the criminal tends to look for places where he will not meet an armed victim. The safest places for said criminals are law enforced “Gun Free Zones” Since a law abiding citizen does not carry his arms there, and the criminal does, the criminal can operate without fear of being shot.
Therefore, by allowing citizens to carry their arms in schools, we remove a safe place haven to criminal tyranny. (this is an argument of Logos, or to the logic to the audience.)
Since criminals tend to avoid places where a lot of good people will shoot them if they try anything, or hold them at gun point and give them to the law , the students on a college campus do not have the same likelihood of a disruptive crime , either personal or public from distracting from their lessons. Since the guns are hidden, and a gun owner looks like any other person in the room, they do not provide a new source of distraction while causing another to leave.
Which means that not only are the Adults on a college campus safer, they are learning better as well. (an appeal to your emotion. Admittedly my weakest form of argument)
Further, there is raw statistical evidence that not only do guns cause crime rates to drop significantly, they also do not provide new crime for law enforcement to contend with. Even if you can not attribute the sudden and shocking drop in crime of colleges that have allowed their students to carry guns, to the firearms themselves, it can not be denied that the carry has not produced new crimes.
In 2003 Colorado State University made the decision to allow its students to carry their weapons on campus so long as they had a CCW license and the weapon remained concealed until needed.
In 2002 CSU police report that there were appx. 800 crimes committed on its campus. In 2003 it reported appx. 650. In 2004 appx. 550 crimes. In 2005 300 crimes, the lowest number the school has had in many years. In 2006 the number was approximately 250 crimes, a new lowest record. In 2007, the crime rate was at its all time low of 200.
In conclusion, allowing the honest, adult's at a college the right to defend themselves from any violent crime that may be committed against them, you not only decrease the amount of crime, but also increase the peace of mind of the students, benefiting lessons.
There, that took me about 10 minutes to write. But if you're not passionate enough to spend 10 minutes debating me you've picked the wrong opponent.
"Everytime I ever heard of guns in schools , it was usually on the news after somebody got shot."
Hey, you know what else you only ever hear of on the news? Fatal care crashes. By that reasoning all crashes are lethal.
The news only reports what's rare enough to be news. If they reported what every person scored that the gun range today and every fender bender in your city it'd tick you off.
K, you're up...
The plural of 'anecdote' is not 'data'.
It's quite obvious from your comments that I will never convince you of the dangers of guns in school , and I won't waste my time argueing that with you. You are as rocksolid in your opinion as I am in mine and we'll just lock ourselves into a stalemate fighting over this issue. Having said that, I'm still of the view that guns have no place in school . School is for learning, debating and creating in a safe , nurturing environment . Students carrying guns would only make schools more violent than they've already become. If you came up here and tried to give schoolkids guns the cops would escort you straight back to the border and rightly so (pardon the pun). We are a kinder, gentler nation than you and as long as you believe in your 2nd Amendment, your nation will remain the more violent and intolerant one that it is.