National Empty Holster Protest Updates

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This Is Big!

We got over 100 signatures today! I'm impressed.

Also, our petition (specific to Colorado University) is now online. The point being for friends and family who care about their children and friends to be able to make their concern heard as well.

So... Consider yourself my friend! I've gained alot here, and we do have a nice sense of community. Given the little that you know about me, I'd appreciate it if you guys could contribute to the petition, even though you don't have to "know" a student at a university to want to prevent them from being kept defenseless and whatever horrible things may come from that.

Do try to add something heartfelt and insightful in the comments section. It will add the human element to your contribution, which is harder to ignore for the liberal folks that run my university.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/SCCC/
 
I've been wearing a holster today and yesterday, and got some curious looks, but nothing more. Nobody said a word to me about it. I am, however, going to answer a few questions for an article that someone from my campus newspaper is going to be writing. Wish me luck.
 
[quote="Ohio Rifleman]I've been wearing a holster today and yesterday, and got some curious looks, but nothing more. Nobody said a word to me about it.[/quote]
Same here. The guy next to me in class kept looking trying to figure out what I was wearing, I think. I don't know whether to start a conversation when I notice people doing that or just let them keep wondering...
 
I've gotten some weird looks as well. However, I did get into more dialogue today. But it was with an English comp TA, a grad student. He's a rather large, pink-haired, dungeon and dragon playing, comic book reading dude who's pretty far left. But I think it went well.

He came off as a literal Fudd, though. While talking about a paper I'll be writing for the last assignment (we have to analyse a political cartoon), I brought up what I had seen on one girl's cartoon who talked to the TA, Mr V, before me. It was of a coffin with an arm sticking out, clutching a rifle. I'm sure you guys have seen it.

Well we start talking about Heston, and I mention the fact that I look up to Heston, and any celebrity, that goes past hollywood and does something with their life other than look pretty for the camera. I then brought up what Clooney and other celebs had said about Heston, after he died. He agreed that it was pretty Chicken-youknowwhat. It turned to guns after that.

He said he wasn't for people hunting with assault rifles, like "uzis for killing deer" I graciously explained the difference between true military assault rifles and commercial semi-automatic clones. I also informed him on the reasons why people would choose one of these guns over the traditional "deer gun". He mentioned his friend hunted deer, but with a single-shot rifle, which he thought was better.

At this point I'm thinking, "Zumbo? You gained weight..."

So after a little education on the NFA system, differences between rifles, and why they really only "appear" more dangerous to some people who might not know much about them. Then we got into the root of his problem.

He didn't trust himself with a gun. He felt he would probably end up shooting somebody on accident.

I explained that guns are only as safe as the user, but they are really safe to operate effectively in self defense, competition, or hunting scenarios. Then I told him that, "But even if you don't feel comfortable around them, that's fine. That's the beauty of this nation: The freedom of choice. But don't let your choice be the choice of others. It's like, say you are part of one religion. You feel comfortable with your religion, but there's another religion out there that you don't feel comfortable around at all. Other people have their faith in this religion, but you can't see the point. So you take away their right to worship that religion and force them into your own religion. You see? Choice is freedom in this country."

Then we said goodbye while a female student was walking into the office. He noticed my holster, and asked, "Why do you wear the airsoft holster?"

I replied, "It's my 9mm pistol holster I use for competition."

the student, "That's scary"

The teacher, "why are you wearing it?"

"It's part of the Empty Holster Protest, put on by the Students for Concealed Carry on Campus. Look it up, it's on Facebook."

Him, "Oh yeah, ok. Well, see you wensday."

Maybe I got some logic into him? I don't know. But it was worth a shot.
 
Maybe I got some logic into him? I don't know. But it was worth a shot.
Click to expand...

I'd go further telling them about the protest and why we're doing it. Most people don't even know what Facebook is, let alone how to look up an event on it. A face-to-face encounter will leave a much more lasting impression on others as well, and as always, with everything, look 'em in the eyes!

Were you guys able to participate in the online petition that I posted? Should I make a new thread for it?
 
Great Job, Guys! And Thanks!

Our normally very liberal and very anti-gun daily newspaper, "The Charlotte Observer", actually had a pretty fairly presented article on the "Protest" in today's edition. Even a picture of a nice looking young lady with her empty holster.

This long time graduated man appreciates your efforts. Keep it up, you are making a difference!

John
Charlotte, NC
 
Viney,

He knows what it is. I found him on it. Also, today we talked a bit more about it. Mostly it was a conversation with another kid in the class, while he sat and listened. It was the end of the class and we were the only three in the room.

The kid was an immature, ignorant, and unaccepting kind. His arguments made him sound like he was incapable of any kind of comprehention. But, for the sake of the teacher's knowledge, I pushed facts and logic into the conversation. I knew the teacher, who was involved in the conversation as well, appreciated it.

In the end, I think I got some information past their blinders.
 
The kid was an immature, ignorant, and unaccepting kind. His arguments made him sound like he was incapable of any kind of comprehension. But, for the sake of the teacher's knowledge, I pushed facts and logic into the conversation. I knew the teacher, who was involved in the conversation as well, appreciated it.
Click to expand...
Always remember that. The goal is not always to convince your debate opponent, but to convince the spectators.
 
Well im all for SCCC. its very important for students to have the right to protect themselves. Maybe if there were more armed campuses and students. There would not have been a Virginia shooting.
 
stupid question...

have any of y'all pamphleted any bulletin boards around your campuses with info on this? Otherwise a LOT of students who won't ask any questions will just think you're wearing an empty holster. Maybe it's some sort of MTV style thing, and they're wondering if they need to get one...
 
At A&M, the SCCC leader for the campus and I have placed flyers around campus numerous times. Sadly, it was only a few days before the event and a storm blew off the ones outside. The others don't last long, since people either take them down or staple over them. Our chapter was created just a few weeks before the EHP.
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our normally very liberal and very anti-gun daily newspaper, "The Charlotte Observer", actually had a pretty fairly presented article on the "Protest" in today's edition. Even a picture of a nice looking young lady with her empty holster.

This long time graduated man appreciates your efforts. Keep it up, you are making a difference!

John
Charlotte, NC
Click to expand...

I'm the med student interviewed in the article. I was impressed by the reporter's fairness and honesty with me. She freely admitted the paper's usual anti-gun bias, and was honest in telling me that her only aim was an "informational" article. I was a little disappointed by my statements which were used in the article - I felt like she used the weakest quote I gave her, rather than several which were much more eloquent. I guess that's what I get for doing an interview while hopped up on 4 different cold medicines. :(

That said, she did use a lot of the info I gave her in writing the article. I pointed out the common misconceptions about SCCC (ie, that we are advocating guns for ALL students, etc.) and she did a good job of dispelling those myths in the body of the piece. Overall I'm quite satisfied - this is the Charlotte Observer we're talking about!
 
I had one minor encounter with my roommate's friend yesterday, who noticed the holster as I was taking it off. The conversation basically went like this:

Her: What's that for? Like, a gun?
Me: Yeah, pretty much.
Her: Did you go shooting?
Me: No, it's actually for a protest to try to get concealed carry allowed on campus.
Her: Oh, okay. [Pause] That scares me. The idea of letting people carry guns on campus.
Me: Yeah, that's the usual first reaction.
Her: Yeah, cause what if someone were to go crazy or something?
Me: Well, the general idea is that if someone were to go crazy like that that there might be someone around to stop them before the police arrive. I mean, it takes minutes for them to get there and really seconds count.
Her: Yeah, I guess. I'll have to think about that some more.

That was about the end of it, since my roommate had walked in and the two of them were about to leave for something, but I think I might have at least planted a seed. Other than that, people still haven't seemed to be paying much mind.
Today, however, we had our second front-page story in the school paper since becoming active here about a month ago, and both were surprisingly balanced.
Today's
The first one
 
Had a brief interview with someone from my campus newspaper today, and I think it went well. I am nervous, though, I chose my words deliberately, but I'm still afraid they will twist my words to make me look like an idiot.
 
on pamphletting...

You have to re-hit every fews days to a week, and heavy up right before the event - like every day do the circuit. Use some of Oleg's images too - not just around empty holster, but around basic self defense rights... Some of them are designed to get "liberals" to go into a cranial loop...
 
I participated all this week in the protest and got a few weird looks. I think its great timing for the protest(end of the semester). The reason being all your peers can see that the gun culture isn't as extreme as Hollywood has portrayed us(The guy from Tremors). The gun issue is one that isn't considered by the average student and I think protests like these help dispel stereotypes and negative connotations. I'm the same friendly, wise ass they've known all semester, but now with an empty holster(representing the gun culture). I think it lets them know they aren't so far removed from the issue and therefor forced to address it. [I have a complex about getting to complex please forgive me.] Keep up the good work!
 
Unfortunately at my college you are limited to 35 (stamped by the office seal of approval) flyers before you can post them, and you can only post every few weeks. I know the ones I put up where mostly gone 3 days later.:(
 
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