Empty holsters halt hold-ups
Students protest concealed weapon laws at universities
Antonia Donato
Issue date: 11/6/07 Section: News
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Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, a national organization with approximately 7,000 members, which was created in the aftermath of the tragedy at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, initiated and organized the protest.
Nathaniel Sheetz, the campus leader for the Pennsylvania State University protest, said students should not have to wait for police to respond to a crime.
"The main thing that's motivating me is personal responsibility," Sheetz said. "I can't expect the police to protect me from assault, robbery, et cetera. The police will show up 10 minutes later if I'm lucky and take a report. The moment where I actually needed help is gone by the time they get there. The only person that can protect me is me."
He said last week's protest did not illicit a response from Penn State's administration.
"The protest itself was low-key - all it involved were students, staff and faculty all on their way to class as a normal daily routine," Sheetz said. "It wasn't like we screamed and yelled for an hour. The administration in general does not pay that much attention to protests. There have been a number, so it's not surprising to me that the university hasn't issued an official response."
W. Scott Lewis, media coordinator for Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, said he feels the facts are on his side and the legalization of guns on campus would not promote aggression and violence on campus, but would rather give students a way to protect themselves.
"We're not about instilling fear in people," Lewis said. "If I ever found myself in a situation, the concealed handgun evens the odds. Students and faculty would have a way to defend themselves. Universities don't realize that they're prohibiting guns from people who want to follow the rules, not the ones who want to start trouble. If you look at Virginia Tech, the one who had the advantage over anyone else, Cho [Seung Hui], was not concerned about following the rules."
He said the opposition believes violence will increase as a result of the legalization of concealed weapons on college campuses and that there is a dramatized misconception of possible outcomes.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Stephen Feltoon
posted 11/06/07 @ 9:30 AM EST
In response to Makone's comment, licensed individuals show that by getting the license they want to abide by the law. I don't know about Delaware law, but in Ohio, it's illegal to be intoxicated even holding a gun, even if don't have a CCW license; it's also illegal in Ohio to carry in a liquor-serving establishment. (Continued…)
Astronut
posted 4/08/08 @ 11:31 AM EST
"Even if you know how to use a gun, there might still be the chance that you get really mad and you use it without meaning to."
What nonsense. If that statement holds any water at all, then where are all the statistics showing that CCW holders are prone to shooting innocent people? If that's true, then why don't I pull out my pocket knife and stab you instead since you won't let me carry my gun? Guns do not turn people into killers, and it takes a lot more deliberate effort to pull out a gun, chamber a round, turn off the safety, and shoot someone than it does to whip out a knife and stab them. (Continued…)
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