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Virginia Tech Students Demonstrate October 22-26 to Promote Concealed Carry

By Ken Stanton

          Many of us look back on tragedies and wonder how they could have been prevented.  While no one can change the outcomes of past events, everyone should have the opportunity to prepare for future circumstances.

          Self-defense is a right and natural instinct of human beings, and advanced training can enhance one’s ability greatly.  However, in some situations weapons can become the last resort and only way to protect one’s life, and police certainly cannot be everywhere all the time.  While controversial, carrying a handgun for personal protection is a right that many are trained for and comfortable with, and want to exercise that right.  However, students and faculty arguably are the most deprived of this right, as even public institutions are allowed to establish policies that restrict them from carrying, even with their state-issued concealed handgun permits.

          During the week of October 22-26, some Virginia Tech students and faculty will peacefully protest these policies, along with others from across the nation.  Participants will wear empty gun holsters, with neither weapons nor anything resembling a weapon, and will go about their day normally.  The idea of this passive protest is to help you imagine your colleagues carrying weapons on a daily basis, and for you to see that this does not change their behavior nor does it change who they are.  As well, participants will show their stance on the issue to administrators, faculty, students, and any onlookers. 

          If you are concerned with how carrying weapons works, please read on.  First, the state of Virginia grants permits to only those age 21 and older.  The permit granted is a concealed handgun permit (CHP), and is only obtained after taking an educational course, passing a written test, passing extensive background checks, and participating in hands-on training for the use of a firearm as a self-protection device.  Next, this permit is for carrying concealed.  Keeping a weapon out of sight keeps it from distracting others, but also prevents a potential attacker from identifying those who may stop them.  Third, it is illegal to carry when intoxicated, which many are concerned about on a campus where alcohol is prevalent.  Finally, many advocates of this are willing to listen and debate the concerns of others, so please be respectful whatever your view may be.

If you want more information about how to join in the protest, you can visit www.ConcealedCampus.com, check out the Facebook event “Students for Concealed Carry on Campus Empty Holster Protest,” or ask a participant. If you want to get involved in the debate, please check out Facebook groups, www.100ideasva.com, or come to the presentation on Monday, Oct 29^th, at 7pm in Litton Reaves 1670.  Also, feel free to engage your colleagues in discourse, but please do not verbally attack participants - they may save your life some day.

Links to Facebook:

Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=2359003596

Groups: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2383535699 (main group, national)

http://vt.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2314356801 (VT group)

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2378083443 (another national group)

(Letter sent to Virginia Tech President Steger and VT Chief of Police Flitchum)

 To Whom It May Concern:

 

          During the week of October 22-26, students on the campus of Virginia Tech will be joining college students across the nation in peacefully protesting against state laws and campus policies which prohibit concealed handgun license holders from carrying concealed on college campuses.  We believe that licensed individuals legally permitted to carry concealed handguns virtually everywhere else in the state of Virginia, from office buildings to movie theaters, should be allowed the same measure of personal security on their college campuses.

          This will be a peaceful protest.  The nature of the protest will be limited to students wearing t-shirts and EMPTY holsters.  The significance of the empty holsters is to symbolize that students and faculty are left defenseless on college campuses; therefore, no protestor will carry anything resembling a firearm in his or her holster.  Protestors will not carry signs or banners, and nobody will make any attempt to disturb the peace.  Protestors will simply go about their daily routines while wearing holsters which, in both appearance and function, differ only slightly from cell phone holsters.  Anyone in violation of these established protest rules should not be considered a part of this protest, and should be dealt with independent of others.  Further, protesters agree that they are participating on their own behalf, only in their status as students of this public state university, and not on behalf of any organization, department, or other such organized group.

          You may learn more about this protest by visiting www.ConcealedCampus.com.  If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.  Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Ken Stanton

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