Editing Students for Concealed Carry on Campus

{{USgunorgs}}'''Students for Concealed Carry on Campus''' is a national grassroots, non-partisan organization of [[United States|U.S.]] college students, faculty, staff, and others who support allowing law-abiding citizens with [[concealed carry]] permits to bring their legal guns to campus for the purpose of self-defense. In addition to using traditional methods to attract students, the organization also makes use of a Facebook group, which has more than 32,000 members.<ref name="cd"/>

Laws vary from state to state, however 30 states statutorily ban weapons at post-secondary schools. Of the 20 states where licensed concealed carry is not legally forbidden, 19 allow schools to adopt their own gun policies. It is exceedingly rare for schools in these 19 states to allow licensed concealed carry by rule. The two best-known examples are Colorado State University, and Blue Ridge Community College, in Weyers Cave, Virginia. Utah is the only state that specifically requires public universities to allow licensed concealed carry on their grounds.<ref name="iht"/> Further, a 2003 study revealed that 150 major colleges and universities restricted firearms in some form. A total of 82 banned guns completely, 25 required them to be stored in a central facility, and another 27 restricted possession to certain groups such as ROTC units and shooting teams.<ref name="roa">[http://www.roanoke.com/vtreactions/wb/wb/xp-115856 Activists Debate Campus Gun Laws]] Laurence Hammack, ''The Roanoke Times'', 2007-05-06</ref>  

The group was created following the April 2007 [[Virginia Tech massacre | shooting at Virginia Tech]]<ref name="pg"/> and as of August 2007, there were chapters at more than 60 colleges nationwide.<ref name="iht">[http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/12/america/NA-GEN-US-University-Shootings-Campus-Guns.php Virginia Tech Killings Underscore Guns-on-Campus Campaign] International Herald Tribune 2007-08-12</ref> As of April 2008, there were official chapters at over 215 campuses and members at hundreds of campuses without official chapters, for a total of more than 25,000 members nationwide.<ref name="stuchan">[http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/14/campus.guns/index.html Students Want Chance to Defend Themselves]  Kelli Arena and Kevin Bohn, CNN, 2008-04-15</ref> That represents an increase of more than 5,000 over the previous month,<ref name="nw">[http://www.newsweek.com/id/112174 More Guns on Campus?] Suzanne Smalley, Newsweek, 2008-02-15</ref> and membership has grown substantially following the [[Northern Illinois University shooting| shooting at Northern Illinois University]].<ref name="mk">[http://www.montanakaimin.com/index.php/news/news_article/students_advocate_concealed_weapons/2334 Students Advocate Concealed Weapons] Alexander Tannenbaum, Montana Kaimin, 2008-02-21</ref><ref name="pg">[http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08055/859979-85.stm Can Armed Students Stop Campus Gun Tragedies?] Bill Schackner, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2008-02-24</ref> The group differs from other gun rights advocacy groups in that it choses to maintain a narrow focus on the issue of concealed carry by licensed individuals on college campuses, refusing to take official positions on other gun-related issues. Also, unlike other gun rights groups, SCCC chooses to focus on statistical, fact-based arguments, rather than arguments that revolve around the Second Amendment.<ref name="arguments">[http://www.concealedcampus.org/arguments.htm Answers to the Most Common Arguments Against Concealed Carry on College Campuses] Students for Concealed Carry on Campus 2008-03-03</ref> That is why none of the ten officials for this organization has any research duties and why the "Second Amendment Ambassador" is largely a ceremonial position.

One of the organization's forms of protest is called an "empty holster protest", designed to spark discussion about the issue. During a week-long protest in October 2007, students nationwide participated. <ref name="cd">[http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2007/10/23/osuguns.ART_ART_10-23-07_B3_2888QPS.html?sid=101 Protesters Want Guns on Campus] David Conrad, The Columbus Dispatch, 2007-10-23</ref> The main issue raised was the question of why individuals who have been trained and licensed, by a state agency, to carry concealed handguns in most other unsecured locations (locations without metal detectors—office buildings, movie theaters, grocery stores, shopping malls, restaurants, churches, banks, etc.) are prohibited from carrying concealed handguns on most college campuses.<ref name="fox">[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,304806,00.html Students Strap on Empty Holsters to Protest Gun Restrictions on Campus] Melissa Underwood, Fox News, 2007-10-24</ref> The second "empty holster protest" was held April 21 to April 25, 2008.

As of May 1, 2008, the group's membership consisted of approximately 30,000 college students, college faculty members, parents of college students, and concerned citizens (about 90% college students and 10% faculty, parents, and concerned citizens). Aside from earning the endorsement of every major gun rights organization in the United States, SCCC also lists among its supporters prominent state and municipal politicians (i.e., Texas Governor Rick Perry; Georgia State Representative Timothy Bearden; Mayor of San Marcos, TX—home of Texas State University—Susan Narvaiz), law enforcement officials (i.e., San Marcos, TX, Police Chief Howard Williams), and members of the media (i.e., Glenn Beck, John Stossel, G. Gordon Liddy).

==Opposition and Controversy==

The group encounters opposition from some students<ref name="cd"/>, administrators<ref name="usn">[http://www.usnews.com/blogs/paper-trail/2007/10/23/empty-holsters-make-a-point-but-are-still-a-fashion-no-no.html Empty Holsters Make a Point but Are Still a Fashion No-No] Allison Go, US News & World Report, 2007-10-23</ref> and other campus staff,<ref name="pg"/>who believe that allowing permit holders to carry concealed handguns on college campuses would lead to increased violence and accidental shootings. The group dismisses these opinions as "uninformed."<ref name="arguments">[http://www.concealedcampus.org/arguments.htm Answers to the Most Common Arguments Against Concealed Carry on College Campuses] Students for Concealed Carry on Campus 2008-03-03</ref><ref name="more_violence">[http://www.concealedcampus.org/more_violence.pdf Will Allowing Concealed Carry on College Campuses Lead to More Violence?] W. Scott Lewis, Students for Concealed Carry on Campus 2008-03-03</ref><ref name="cam">[http://www.concealedcampus.org/cam_and_company_022208.mp3 SCCC Media Coordinator W. Scott Lewis on the 02/22/08 Episode of Cam & Company (Sirius Satellite Radio, Patriot 144)] W. Scott Lewis, Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, 2008-02-22</ref><ref name="newsweek">[http://www.newsweek.com/id/112174/page/1 More Guns on Campus?] Suzanne Smalley, Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, 2008-02-15</ref>  

The group has also faced strong opposition from traditional gun control groups, such as [[Brady Campaign| The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence]].<ref name="bcv">[http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/20/2167381.htm Students with guns could stop massacres, says lobby group] Anna Hipsley, ABC News Australia, 2008-02-19</ref>  The Brady Campaign's criticisms include accusations that the group is funded directly by the firearms industry. In a press release challenging the Brady Campaign to "Prove it," Students for Concealed Carry on Campus categorically denied accusations that it is or ever has been organized or funded by the gun industry or the gun lobby. In the press release, SCCC offered to turn over all of their financial records to the media if The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence would do the same. The press release also contained an open invitation to the Brady Campaign's board of directors to debate SCCC's board of directors on the campus of any college in the United States. As of March 3, 2008, the Brady Campaign had not responded to either of these challenges.<ref name="bcr">[http://www.concealedcampus.org/brady_campaign_response.htm STUDENTS FOR CONCEALED CARRY ON CAMPUS RESPONDS TO THE BRADY CAMPAIGN’S CONSPIRACY ACCUSATIONS: “PROVE IT.”] W. Scott Lewis, Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, 2008-02-20</ref><ref name="cam">[http://www.concealedcampus.org/cam_and_company_022208.mp3 SCCC Media Coordinator W. Scott Lewis on the 02/22/08 Episode of Cam & Company (Sirius Satellite Radio, Patriot 144)] W. Scott Lewis, Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, 2008-02-22</ref>

==References==

*[http://www.concealedcampus.org Students for Concealed Carry on Campus website]