Suzanna Hupp is a survivor of the Luby's Massacre on October 16, 1991 in Killeen, Texas, a tragedy that resulted in the death of 23 people and the wounding of 27.
In the state of Texas at the time, it was sometimes a felony offense to carry a gun in your purse. So, when Suzanna went into Luby's Cafeteria with here parents, she made what she called "the stupidest decision of my life" and left her gun in her car. Both of her parents were killed on that day.
In memory of her parents, Suzanna became a fierce advocate for self-defense, testifying in states across the country. Eventually, with hard work, the law in Texas changed.
Today, Arizona has strong self-defense laws. But, at Arizona State University, a public institution, adult students are barred from carrying handguns, mace, oleoresin capsicum (pepper spray), tazers, stun guns, and any "object or substance designed to (or which would be reasonably expected to) inflict a wound, cause injury, incapacitate, or cause death." Due to a lack of closed-off entrances or magical force fields, it's safe to say that this policy doesn't disarm criminals, only the law-abiding.
When we ask what a defenseless 120-pound woman should do if attacked, ASU's official answer is "call 911." We respectfully submit that this is unlikely to prevent a student from being victimized.
The Arizona Constitution says that the right to bear arms shall not be impaired. The United States Constitution says that the right to bear arms shall not be infringed. And yet, as an ASU student, this is happening to you every day. This injustice must end. We hope you will join us in calling for the immediate restoration of the right to self-defense at Arizona State University. No more victims.
