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Main Page Let Licensed Gun Owners Carry Wepons On Campus
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Posted by: fscpd907

Pro-Gun Protests Take Aim

Group: Let Licensed Gun Owners Carry Weapons On Campus

By: Michael Farfaglia

Posted: 10/11/07

When students wear holsters on their belts next month, they will be protesting the law, not breaking it.

It's part of the "Empty Holster Protest," organized by the Students for Concealed Carry on Campus (SCCC) chapter at UConn, which aims to call attention to the 'gun-free-zone' around campus.

Chris Kopencey, a 3rd-semester political science major, and Andrew Dodson, a part-time student majoring in electrical engineering, have helped organize the protest to push for students already licensed in the state to be allowed to carry concealed weapons on campus.

"Every school is a gun-free-zone, but it does not stop them [criminals] from bringing a gun on campus," said Kopencey.

Students will wear empty pistol holsters on their belts but will otherwise go to class as normal.

"We fully expect to have many people quite angry at the protest, but we hope to meet that with logical reasoning and sound judgment," said Kopencey.

Kopencey said the group has received opposition from Dean of Students Lee Williams.

"The University of Connecticut is our greatest opposition by far," said Kopencey. "She [the Dean] voiced her opposition in no uncertain terms to my ideas."

When asked about the protest, Williams responded via e-mail that university administrators have no control over the issue.

"The University is state property and as such, prohibits weapons being carried, concealed or not," said Williams. "This is a state statute, not a position."

The protest was inspired by the Virginia Tech massacre in April, in which a single student armed with two handguns killed 32 people before killing himself. The SCCC organizers believe that similarly armed students could have stopped the gunmen at some point during his killing spree.

"I believe firearms in the hands of law-abiding citizens would have saved lives," said Kopencey. "Best case scenario, you have five cruisers coming to save you, how long is it going to take them to get there?"

However, he said he did not feel that firearm carriers should intentionally involve themselves in violent confrontations.

"Concealed carry is not about vigilantism, it's about protecting yourself and those around you," Kopencey said. "Fighting crime is for police officers."

When asked if concealed carry laws and the presence of firearms has saved lives in the past, both students were adamant.

"Absolutely, although it's not necessarily reported," said Dodson. "And in more than half of the cases, no shots are fired."

Dodson pointed to a National Self Defense Survey that indicated firearms were used in self-defense more than 2.5 million times per year from 1988 to 1993.

"The mere brandishing of a weapon can deter a criminal," he said.

"It's a deterrent more than anything else," said Kopencey. "If you're looking to rape someone in the woods, are you going to go after the girl that might have a gun on her?"

Dodson pointed to a similar shooting at the Appalachian School of Law in 2002, where a former student who had just killed two administrators and one student was disarmed and subdued by two students (who were off duty police officers), using handguns they had left in their vehicles because of the school's restrictions on concealed firearms.

"Criminals prey on the weak," said Kopencey. "Gun-free zones are a good example of that."

Despite the fact that SCCC is a political activist group, they are not tied to the National Rifle Association and are reluctant to advocate expanding the availability of firearms in general.

"This is not about giving 18, 19, 20-year-olds handguns on campus," said Dodson. "It's about letting those who have already gone through the process ... do so in the university setting."

Posted by: Wolfman

We're talking about a college campus, and we all know that there's no place for reason or logic on a modern college campus.

Posted by: NEPO27

Students should not have guns on campus. Thats all college's need, students whith guns running around intoxicated. Every year or atleast with us the number of fights that take place has risen !!! most of those fights are alcohol induced and a good number involve some type of weapon.... I say leave the firearms to the police who are trained to use them not students.

Posted by: mpd61

I have no problem with LICENSED persons carrying their firearms anywhere...

Posted by: NEPO27

Our students can't even keep track of their IPODS, wallets and other valuables !!! The amount of Larceny's we have on campus is huge, most students leave there doors open or ajar when leaving their rooms. I can see it now a line out the door of the station with students reporting that there firearm had been taken while they were in showering or over in their friends room. I personally don't want to be the responding officer to an altercation with a student who's intoxicated or may be off his meds who decides that when arriving he turns to me with a gun on his side and has a laps of poor judgement and decides to pull it. Now i have to make that split second decision when most of this could have been prevented and now explain to mom and dad why junior was shot because he was intoxicated and pointed a firearm at the responding officers.

Posted by: Macop

I am a student and I NEVER step foot on campus without my Glock 27. How do YOU decide who is worthy of carrying a gun on campus or not. So your saying that some students who happen to be Police Officers or have other responsible positions are now deemed not trustworthy enough to legally carry a firearm on campus?

Posted by: Wolfman

Quote:

Originally Posted by NEPO27

Our students can't even keep track of their IPODS, wallets and other valuables !!! The amount of Larceny's we have on campus is huge, most students leave there doors open or ajar when leaving their rooms. I can see it now a line out the door of the station with students reporting that there firearm had been taken while they were in showering or over in their friends room. I personally don't want to be the responding officer to an altercation with a student who's intoxicated or may be off his meds who decides that when arriving he turns to me with a gun on his side and has a laps of poor judgement and decides to pull it. Now i have to make that split second decision when most of this could have been prevented and now explain to mom and dad why junior was shot because he was intoxicated and pointed a firearm at the responding officers.

So what you are saying is that the vast majority of the students are drunken, larcenous, absentminded felons. Thank you for this pearl of wisdom. You're a campus cop and allow this criminal activity to continue unabated?

Your ignorance is surpassed only by your narrow mindedness.

Posted by: OODA

This issue reminds me of the "gun free zone" skit I saw on Fox News.

Instead of allowing legal, responsible gun owners to carry on campus we should just print out thousands of "gun free zone" signs and plaster them all over the place. Criminals won't know what to make of all the new "liberal courage" they are faced with. Imagine all of the weenie democratics with mean looks on their faces impolitely saying "Go away you big mean bad person...this is a GUN FREE ZONE!" Of course, criminals will cower once the Dems raise their voices and use such "nasty" language.

To view the clip, do a google video search for "Make your very own Gun Free Zone". Unfortunately, I can't post links yet.

Posted by: kwflatbed

Make your very own Gun Free Zone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeo05uPMmn4

Posted by: Irish Wampanoag

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpd61

I have no problem with LICENSED persons carrying their firearms anywhere...

So long as you are not chasing said person for a felony
come on buddy boy!

The focus should be arming all campus police with firearms before we allow students to carry.

Posted by: 94c

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irish Wampanoag

So long as you are not chasing said person for a felony.

And how many licensed people have you arrested for committing a felony while carrying?

Posted by: rg1283

All campus police should be armed plain and simple.

All police officers should carry where ever they want (within common sense and reason, eg. Psych Hospital and jail)

Posted by: Inspector71

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irish Wampanoag

So long as you are not chasing said person for a felony
come on buddy boy!

The focus should be arming all campus police with firearms before we allow students to carry.

Did you ever chase any students (21 +) who were licensed to carry? What a joke! Did you ever find any of your missing guns?

Posted by: Irish Wampanoag

Quote:

Originally Posted by 94c

And how many licensed people have you arrested for committing a felony while carrying?

Are you telling me people who are licensed dont commit felonies???

Posted by: Inspector71

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irish Wampanoag

Are you telling me people who are licensed dont commit felonies???

Well I bet your licensed and you don't commit felonies. For that matter, ask all your co-workers how many felonies they committed lately. Then find out how many students or vistors they have arrested with a LTC. What I'm getting at is people who have got LTCs being background checked are very much unlikely to have a felony history or intention to commit them.

Posted by: 94c

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irish Wampanoag

Are you telling me people who are licensed dont commit felonies???

Of course they do. But they are few and far between and am willing to bet it's a rare occurrence where you work as it is in many other places.

Outside of Domestics or the dumbass carrying when he was drunk, chances are a licensed individual is going to be a far lesser threat to us.

Posted by: wscstudent

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inspector71

Well said..

first off, anyone in a law enforcement position should carry, plain and simple. I feel better knowing police at my school are armed.

second, as someone said earlier, just knowing that responsible, licensed individuals on campus are carrying concealed would make me feel better and serve as a deterrant.

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