We, The Youth of This Nation, Need Your Help!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVCaNP-I21Y&feature=player_embedded

http://www.news-journalonline.com/breakingnews/2012/04/man-identified-in-erau-campus-shooting.html

My name is Jacob, and I am a college student. Just like many of you had (and possibly your children have) when you were in college, I study, socialize with friends, and engage in hobbies. I'm just like the rest of you, and I believe I deserve the rights that you all possess: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The problem with being college students arises when some uneducated lawmaker decides that I don't deserve the means to defend myself.

Last night, there was a shootout at a college campus ten minutes from my college campus. Our universities are so close that many of our students mingle together, spending time at both of the campuses. The person who recorded this gun battle could have been me, my girlfriend, a close friend, or some other innocent human being whose right to self-defense has been stricken from them.

I tend to keep specialized gun lobbies separate, never spamming the OC forums about college carry. But today, I ask for your help as a community. These senseless lawmakers need to stop. My Florida Senate is Republican controlled, and when the Senate President Mike Haridopolis visited my University, I asked him in front of hundreds of people why he opposes College Carry when he's supposedly "A+ rating by the NRA"...what a friggin' joke. Call your local representatives on the state level and tell them nonsense policies that endanger the youth of our nation NEED TO BE STOPPED.

Please like us on Facebook: Students for Concealed Carry

www.concealedcampus.org

Thank you for your time,

Jake8x7

I support the right for college students to defend themselves. But you should post this on your state forum.

The age requirement for concealed carry is 21. Do you simply want concealed carry for those 21 and older? What self defense do students age from 18 to 20 get?

Florida does not generally permit open carry. If this were legal, students 18 - 20 could open carry, at least off campus.

My advice would be to help your state group work the OC issue and then work the college campus issue.

Baby steps.

FallonJeeper said:

I support the right for college students to defend themselves. But you should post this on your state forum.

The age requirement for concealed carry is 21. Do you simply want concealed carry for those 21 and older? What self defense do students age from 18 to 20 get?

Florida does not generally permit open carry. If this were legal, students 18 - 20 could open carry, at least off campus.

My advice would be to help your state group work the OC issue and then work the college campus issue.

Baby steps.

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The problem is, this is not a Universiry of Florida issue, or a Broward County issue, or even a Florida issue. This is a national issue! Just because you're from some other state doesn't alter the reality that you have vulnerable college students too! Call YOUR representatives, regardless of your state.

Back to your question, I believe allowing permited CCers 21 years of age and older is a common sense step in the right direct. I'm not going to argue against rhetoric, obviously by my existence on this board I favor open carry, but CC handguns for 21+ on their persons is a common sense move that is able to pass state senates much more easily than OC. We have too many northern liberals from New York and whatnot so hopefully some day OC will become a reality, but it's hard to bicker about carry styles while other people have the right entirely stripped from them.

Jake8x7

FallonJeeper said:

I support the right for college students to defend themselves. But you should post this on your state forum.

The age requirement for concealed carry is 21. Do you simply want concealed carry for those 21 and older? What self defense do students age from 18 to 20 get?

Florida does not generally permit open carry. If this were legal, students 18 - 20 could open carry, at least off campus.

My advice would be to help your state group work the OC issue and then work the college campus issue.

Baby steps.

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Also to add about 18-20 year olds and handgun carry, I purchased my first antique revolver when I was 18. But allowing 18-20 year olds more handgun rights is a HUGE step, one that's 10x harder to achieve than college carry. Baby steps...

Jake8x7

I've never understood the 21 age law on oc, in this country. At any given time unless something has changed, you can be drafted to serve this countries military in its best interest as soon as you turn 18.

Edit / i guess i shouldnt say country. Im sure it's more a state by state case.

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I agree with Jake that college carry seems easier to obtain than open carry or 18+ carry.

At least in some states, it definitely seems that way here. I believe Florida is similar to Texas in this regard.

I also agree that it's a national issue and not just a single state issue.

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mpguy said:

I've never understood the 21 age law on oc, in this country. At any given time unless something has changed, you can be drafted to serve this countries military in its best interest as soon as you turn 18.

Edit / i guess i shouldnt say country. Im sure it's more a state by state case.

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Indeed you are correct that it is state by state. At 18, I was able to purchase my first handgun legally (private sale, not FFL) and ammunition (private sale) and OC under the very few exemptions in my State that allow OC (mostly when I'm fishing) yet I can't get a CCW at 20. All things aside, at least letting the 21+ CC (teachers, adult students, cafeteria chefs, maintenance workers, visitors, etc) is the important first step in increasing campus security. A lot of the smaller/private colleges don't even have their own police force, just butlers that call themselves "public safety" or "campus security" who don't even carry guns, tasers, pepper spray, or even knives (at least half of them don't carry a pocket knife from personal experience). Sadly in my state/school policy, I can carry a folder under 4 iches and pepperspray (which I keep in my bag), which they don't even carry! So basically I'm more dangerous/effective at upholding the law than some 150lbs overweight man in his late 40s with a funny looking uniform and a Mag-lite flashlight or a real cop on the phone that's ten minutes away, but somehow this adequately replaces the need for me to be able to defend myself. Such a joke!

Jake8x7

Jake8x7 said The problem is, this is not a Universiry of Florida issue, or a Broward County issue, or even a Florida issue. This is a national issue!

But it will have to be handled by activists in each and every State willing to invest their time. One State at a time.

We're working the issue here in Nevada. We have the advantage of allowing Open Carry 18 or older. If we get the colleges opened up to carrying, 18 - 20 year old students would be able open carry on campus. 21 year old students would be able to conceal with a CCW permit.

But, right now, the only way we can defend our selves at school, is to... not go.

FallonJeeper said:

We're working the issue here in Nevada. We have the advantage of allowing Open Carry 18 or older. If we get the colleges opened up to carrying, 18 - 20 year old students would be able open carry on campus. 21 year old students would be able to conceal with a CCW permit.

But, right now, the only way we can defend our selves at school, is to... not go.

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That's the last-ditch argument I've been hearing recently from fellow students. "We're a liberal arts schools, we don't like guns, deal with it. If you're that paranoid, drop out of college."

Not much you can say to them really. So much for humane debate?

Jake8x7

MSG Laigaie said:

Jake8x7 said The problem is, this is not a Universiry of Florida issue, or a Broward County issue, or even a Florida issue. This is a national issue!

But it will have to be handled by activists in each and every State willing to invest their time. One State at a time.

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I am well aware as to how legislation is passed. But just because it's a state by state issue doesn't mean it lacks need for national support. You could argue the exact same against Open Carry as a national movement. "It's state by state decision, no Federal laws exist, not a national issue hurr durr"...I'm not saying you feel this way, but again, I can't see why national support could be a bad thing.

Jake8x7

If anything, I'd think national support would put more pressure on the states to act on the matter.

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A fella in Arizona likely does not give a rip about Florida. With this being stated, work your state legislators. Campi carry is not a national issue no matter how much effort you put forth to attempt to portray it as a national issue. 'You' can not force a private institution to permit any form of carry....state institutions are a different matter.

Good luck and keep on, keeping on.

colleges arnt covered under fed law though are they? its more of a policy thing right? so the worst that would happen is you get kicked out of school i believe? i not for sure though. if that is the case i would just carry conceled and obviously not tell anyone and always BE SAFE! push come to shove you stop hevan for bid another VT massacure and what they kick you outta college and dont give you a refund? thats nothing money cant replace but what money can replace is your life when its in danger. but if that happened and you did get kicked out for saveing yourself and a unknown number of people there would be media out cry as to why you got kicked out over a petty college policy. but i would make sure you are legal to carry in your state to begin with.

i think the 21 age thing is stupid as well. i mean seriously i would come home on leave and i cant carry a gun? but officer i was just useing hand grenades and shooting a saw like 3 days ago. and i cant carry a gun? i would love to hear a answer for that from any elected person.

matt2636 said:

colleges arnt covered under fed law though are they? its more of a policy thing right? so the worst that would happen is you get kicked out of school i believe? i not for sure though. if that is the case i would just carry conceled and obviously not tell anyone and always BE SAFE! push come to shove you stop hevan for bid another VT massacure and what they kick you outta college and dont give you a refund? thats nothing money cant replace but what money can replace is your life when its in danger. but if that happened and you did get kicked out for saveing yourself and a unknown number of people there would be media out cry as to why you got kicked out over a petty college policy. but i would make sure you are legal to carry in your state to begin with.

i think the 21 age thing is stupid as well. i mean seriously i would come home on leave and i cant carry a gun? but officer i was just useing hand grenades and shooting a saw like 3 days ago. and i cant carry a gun? i would love to hear a answer for that from any elected person.

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Be careful giving advice. College carry is illegal according to state law in many states.

badey said:

Be careful giving advice. College carry is illegal according to state law in many states.

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thats why i said check your state laws cause i didnt know for sure.

OC for ME said:

A fella in Arizona likely does not give a rip about Florida. With this being stated, work your state legislators. Campi carry is not a national issue no matter how much effort you put forth to attempt to portray it as a national issue. 'You' can not force a private institution to permit any form of carry....state institutions are a different matter.

Good luck and keep on, keeping on.

Click to expand...

A fella in Arizona likely does not give a rip about Florida. With this being stated, work your state legislators. Open Carry is not a national issue no matter how much effort you put forth to attempt to portray it as a national issue. 'You' can not force a private institution to permit any form of carry...state institutions are a different matter.

Yeah, and Open Carry is a state issue...so we should delete all the forums but the State ones. Right...and to your point about private institutions: I don't care if college xyz says no guns if the worst thing that could happen is you're asked to leave or suspended or something. The problem arises when they can get you charged with a BS Felony charge or immediate charge of tresspassing...

Also, in FL anyways, "No weapons" signs don't even hold legal power if they're not a specific place backed by FL statutes (like a shopping mall). All they can do is ask you to leave. If you leave, they can't do anything to you.

Jake8x7

OC for ME said:

Campi carry is not a national issue...

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Yes it is. All 50 states have both private and public institutions of higher learning.

You can not force a private institution to permit any form of carry....state institutions are a different matter.

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Roger that, except when private institutions receive state funding...

We recently came a step closer to carry on campus here in Ky. The Ky supreme court just ruled that public colleges cannot prohibit students from keeping firearms in their vehicles while on college owned property. In Ky the state has granted public colleges the authority to regulate firearms, (we have not had a test case on the legality of this as of yet), however it is not illegal to carry on a public college campus. If you are a student or faculty you can be sanctioned, or dismissed if you are caught doing so, but nothing more. I just keep my firearm concealed and continue my education; knowing that if the time arises when some lunatic decides to go on a killing spree, I will have the unseen ability to prevent the loss of life. This is the only situation where the saying, "concealed means concealed" actually has merit.

There is something wrong in our country when: we train 18 year olds to go overseas to fight & often die for our constitutional rights, yet we deny them to them when they return? My point is this, if it is ok for young people to carry weapons to defend us/them in another country then why not here? How can we devalue their lives? What if we knew it was going to be our son or daughter killed by the next nut to walk onto a college campus and start shooting? I bet we would be screaming bloody murder (pun intended) at our lawmakers then for fast reform to these foolish laws. Just saying...

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