Students for Concealed Carry on Campus

[pikid89]

Ok guys, I have been elected President of the Students for Concealed Carry on Campus at the University of Florida for the 2012-2013 school year.

While I have a few ideas of my own, I was hoping some you all could throw some ideas at me for events or rallies or protests of some sort that I might be able to plan for the coming year.

We participated in the annual Empty Holster project earlier this month, and we will do so again next spring, but I'm looking for some ideas that will put SCCC on the map in Student Life. SCCC is only a few years old here and is still relatively unknown. On top of that, pushing our message is sometimes hard here due to things like the general liberal atmosphere (which is actually relatively light at UF), as well as things like the FSU rifle shooting tragedy, the police shooting of Kofi-Adu Brempong.

I really want to expand our chapter and get the word moving as I really am tired of getting all these emergency text messages about escaped convicts on campus, muggers on the loose, and crazed students with weapons near the lake front (all which have occurred in the last 3 months)

So any Ideas y'all might have, send em my way

Thanks

 

[Beaux Nehr]

Focus on being easy to relate to. I think a big reason why the SCCC in Texas has been largely a failure is for that reason. In order to get a message across, you have to speak the same language (figuratively) as your target audience.

Have your people dress well. Not fancy, per se but clean and well dressed.
and for the love of god, no "slogan" t-shirts. Wearing a "I VOTE FROM T3H R00F7OPS, HURR DURR" or "DA CONSTUTUTION IS DA ONLY PERMIT I NEED" will only serve to alienate people.

I know one of my friends made a small, but big at the same time, impact. People were surprised to see her wearing an empty holster. Funny how the "liberal" ones hold the most sexist views about gun ownership and concealed carry, eh?

 

[rajb123]

Unfortunately, the appetite in Florida for additional concealed carry opportunities died with Trayvon Martin.

Write Ricky Scott and ask him to work to keep the Stand Your Groud law which is working well in your state.

 

[HankR]

Unfortunately, the appetite in Florida for additional concealed carry opportunities died with Trayvon Martin.

So, this kid might as well give up and turn his guns in? Not lobby for his civil rights? I don't have any ideas or suggestions right now, but would like to offer some encouragement.

 

[hso]

I think there is a worthwhile point to be made, that due to this highly controversially shooting the OP must be sensitive to the heated emotions in place. Be prepared to answer challenges about the shooting. Be prepared to point out that any rush to public jugement instead of letting the trial process take its course is similar to the accusations of vigilantism and "profiling". Don't defend Zimmerman but do defend the 2A by being well prepared to educate others on the real meaning of the socalled Stand Your Ground and Castle laws.

 

[pikid89]

thats been a main priority if ours, not picking a side in the Zimmerman case. We've been trying to educate people that stand your ground laws do not allow for vigilante justice. But on the flip side, should the justice system determine that the shooting may be justified, then that is the justice system working. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty and everyone deserves due process

 

[GEM]

Being in the business - it will be a hard road in many locales.

The main objections will be:

1. General antigun sentiment - high in many schools.

2. The argument that young ones, esp. young males are irresponsible. The 21 year old will be cited as not the most rational at times. This argument is moot against the older returning student (like a 30 year old Marine Vet) but residential schools for the young will bring it up.

3. Guns in the dorms and frat houses seem a peculiar risk and attractive nuisance due to substance abuse, emotions and theft risks.

4. Lack of training for critical incidents. Many times the guns on campus movement has emphasized the rampage response. Untrained folks are seen as a risk to others (psych theory - killing an innocent even for a great good is not acceptable to many). Folks have told me that they would trust me to carry as they know I've mildly competent but don't trust many. Arguing that the 2nd Amend. doesn't demand training will act against you.

5. Schools are concerned with liability - if they allow carry and you do something bad - they get sued.

So, having been down this discussion in TX - that's what a student movement is facing and unless you have a legislature that will override powerful college objections it ain't going to happen.

You also need coherent and nonemotional responses. Yelling that we are responsible and not immature - might not work.

In TX, the votes were there and there was vocal support. However, behind the scenes the anti lobby (big schools) were able to convince the Gov. and legislature to use scheduling tricks to kill the bill - while they were still vocal in supporting the RKBA (say hypocritical!). :banghead:

 

[rwilson37643]

Depending on the budget of your club, the most beneficial activities I've been involved in have been fun gatherings sponsored by the club that involve firearms. For example, we sponsored a GSSF match at a local indoor range and allowed students and their families to shoot free with firearms provided by club members. We also hosted an air soft bulls-eye tournament and pick nick at a local park. these events were somewhat expensive by our standards, but did a lot to inform the student body of our existence and show them that the simple presence of a gun doesn't mean people get hurt. the more people you can get to have fun with guns and learn to do so safely, the fewer enemies you will have on campus.

 

[popper]

Against the rules to have weapons on campus when I went to school (60s) and for a GOOD reason. Yes, there were guns on campus, drugs too. If you got caught, you were sent back to mama, permanently. Yes, you can carry a rifle (or whatever) at 18, in the military. You are under controlled conditions - even on the battlefield. Get your school to have controlled shooting and storage/access conditions. A campus is ANYTHING BUT a controlled environment. You are there to learn, not protect the campus. The Tx gov. was smart and correct in their decision. They didn't get marks by either faction. Of course the campuses allow co-habitat'd rooms and turn a blind eye to drugs and drinking. That's a good reason for no guns on campus.

crazed students with weapons near the lake front (all which have occurred in the last 3 months)

need I say more?

 

[BullFrawg]

I assume the crazed students with weapons had them illegally. As always, gun laws are not obeyed by criminals.

We are there to learn, but past incidents have shown that learning is sometimes interrupted in the worst way. I'd rather be able to defend myself.

The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, as long as it's a controlled environment? I don't think so.

 

[JonathanE]

Pikid89,
I suggest you reach out to sympathetic faculty/ staff. I guarantee that there are employees of your University who agree with your stance and hate that they work in a place where the good citizens are forced to be unarmed. Perhaps they can advocate for you within their departments or at "Empty Holster" days. Just know that they are placing their livelihoods at risk to help you.


And Popper, the lack of control you mention is an exellent argument as to why law abiding students and faculty should be armed on our campuses. Murderers and rapists already shun "big" laws; more "lesser" laws don't convert them.

 

[shotgunjoel]

Try to hook up with any libertarian-type groups on your campus. They likely have a strong following, and if you could address one of their meetings that would gain you a lot of support on campus. Point out to them that you should be free to protect yourself, etc.

 

[Davek1977]

Against the rules to have weapons on campus when I went to school (60s) and for a GOOD reason. Yes, there were guns on campus, drugs too. If you got caught, you were sent back to mama, permanently. Yes, you can carry a rifle (or whatever) at 18, in the military. You are under controlled conditions - even on the battlefield. Get your school to have controlled shooting and storage/access conditions. A campus is ANYTHING BUT a controlled environment. You are there to learn, not protect the campus. The Tx gov. was smart and correct in their decision. They didn't get marks by either faction. Of course the campuses allow co-habitat'd rooms and turn a blind eye to drugs and drinking. That's a good reason for no guns on campus.

So....the fact that some people break the law....that some people obtain and brandish weapons DESPITE the law.....the fact that others drink and use drugs....DESPITE the law....all make good reasons to disallow weapons on campus? The fact that other poeple disregard the law and have no repsect for it are arguments FOR concealed carry, not against it. I can think of VERY few occasions where passing new laws somehow results in old laws being respected. I highly doubt the crazed kids on the lakefront CARED WHAT the law said. Disregard of the law by one group shouldn't mean a total annullment of the 2nd Amendment for another. Yes, there are young people, emotions, drugs, and *gasp* even COHABITATION running free on our college campuses....and such things are pretty prevalent IN LIFE too. Does that mean NOWHERE is a good place to allow concealed carry?

 

[pikid89]

popper- i agree, i am not here to protect my campus, that what the University PD is for, i want to carry a gun to protect ME!

 

[GEM]

To an earlier post - don't expect faculty and staff support from anyone still subject to decisive evaluation procedures. A non-tenured prolf or one that is below the rank of full professor may not be willing to stand up.

I also found that full professors who chortle about guns sometimes won't stand up. I hate to say this but some of the progun folks can be taken out by the training objection, I mentioned before.

Oh, you want to carry a gun?

Have you trained to be reasonbly skilled in a critical incident?

Response - never mind!

There are certainly very skilled faculty and staff but the ones that are not can weaken the whole argument. Same for students.